After Robin and I helped Taro off of the Mesquite Hill we three headed for Mag Rim to meet up with Lee, Hadley, Steve, and one more that maybe Robin can help me with his name. We loaded Robin's glider on the portage cart and Robin and Taro dashed up the 700 yard hill leaving me inhaling their dust cloud.
transport up to Mag Rim 4.3.16.PNG (1.03 MiB) Viewed 13128 times
Taro and Robin Mag Rim 4.3.16.PNG (871.63 KiB) Viewed 13128 times
When I caught up to everyone the RGSA Club members and visiting PG pilot Steve were, on their last attempt and giving it their all, were stuffing Robin into his spaghetti harness.
Steve. Hadley. Taro. third try with Robins spaghetti harness..PNG (942.28 KiB) Viewed 13128 times
Here is the Hang Gliding portage cart made by Robin Hastings. This is how we get the flying gear up the hill. It's a 700 yard walk to launch at Magdalena Rim. (Did I mention, up hill?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLOgy_Euy_8
Bill, Taro and I went to Matt's Mountain (Mag Rim) with an Airwaves Formula 144 and a Wills Wing Falcon 195. We were set up by 3:00 pm, but the winds died to nothing. This was NOT in line with the forecast we had for the day. A lot of cumulus came overhead, some of it fairly dark, but no winds of any use to us. We waited more-or-less patiently for something to happen, and at 4:40 I finally was able to take off in the Falcon into a southwest breeze of 10-12 mph. I had a sled ride, though I found enough little burbles of lift to make it to the Arroyo LZ, I came around the Cone there and put it in just about perfectly with a southwest approach. The real purpose of the flight, though, was to test the air for Taro, and coach him in to a landing there by radio. Unfortunately the winds died again before he could launch in the Formula, and about an hour and a half later he and Bill arrived in my truck. We packed up the Falcon and headed on home, a little disappointed, but at least nobody had any crashes or had to land out. I gave Taro a lesson in firearms use and safety on his way home, so he wound up pretty happy with the day's events. Better luck (and forecasts, we hope!) the next time... -Robin
RobinHastings wrote:Bill, Taro and I went to Matt's Mountain (Mag Rim) with an Airwaves Formula 144 and a Wills Wing Falcon 195. We were set up by 3:00 pm, but the winds died to nothing. This was NOT in line with the forecast we had for the day. A lot of cumulus came overhead, some of it fairly dark, but no winds of any use to us. We waited more-or-less patiently for something to happen, and at 4:40 I finally was able to take off in the Falcon into a southwest breeze of 10-12 mph. I had a sled ride, though I found enough little burbles of lift to make it to the Arroyo LZ, I came around the Cone there and put it in just about perfectly with a southwest approach. The real purpose of the flight, though, was to test the air for Taro, and coach him in to a landing there by radio. Unfortunately the winds died again before he could launch in the Formula, and about an hour and a half later he and Bill arrived in my truck. We packed up the Falcon and headed on home, a little disappointed, but at least nobody had any crashes or had to land out. I gave Taro a lesson in firearms use and safety on his way home, so he wound up pretty happy with the day's events. Better luck (and forecasts, we hope!) the next time... -Robin
Setting up at Mag Rim 4-17-16.PNG (746.58 KiB) Viewed 13073 times
SATURDAY, APRIL 23: Bill Cummings and I set out at 9:15 this morning, bound for Matt's Mountain. We arrived in good time and rolled two gliders to the launch on the glider cart, my Wills Wing U2 and Bill's Sport 2. He chose to take the first launch, at my urging - conditions looked good, and I'd had the last two flights (well, sled runs) from the site. Winds at launch today were straight in, southwest at 15 to 20 mph. Bill's launch, at about 12:20 pm, was perfect - in two steps he floated off, turned left, and started working the abundant ridge lift. I caught some pictures of him with his camera, one of them while flying with a hawk to the left of launch. The air out front was turbulent but he handled it with aplomb and soon caught thermals that took him up to 8000 ft MSL (2500 over launch height). I headed back to the truck when he decided that it would be too turbulent to safely land on top, and I made it down with half an hour to spare before he came in for a landing into the Arroyo LZ. Just like his launch, the landing was perfect, about 100 feet from the flag. I was really pleased to see his flight go so well - especially since that portended well for my own flight. We were back up at launch by 2:15, and re-inspected my glider (and the conditions) before I headed over the takeoff point. Well, good sense made an unexpected appearance today; with the winds blowing over 30 mph, I decided that it really doesn't take that much effort to bag a glider and take it back downhill. We got my U2 back to the truck by 3:30, and were back home in Las Cruces an hour later. Not a day to be displeased with at all - the temperature was great, the scenery was lovely, I didn't crash in turbulence, and I may have taken a few good photographs. Bill had close to an hour in the air. And someday, my turn will come... -Robin
RobinHastings wrote:SATURDAY, APRIL 23: Bill Cummings and I set out at 9:15 this morning, bound for Matt's Mountain. We arrived in good time and rolled two gliders to the launch on the glider cart, my Wills Wing U2 and Bill's Sport 2. He chose to take the first launch, at my urging - conditions looked good, and I'd had the last two flights (well, sled runs) from the site. Winds at launch today were straight in, southwest at 15 to 20 mph. Bill's launch, at about 12:20 pm, was perfect - in two steps he floated off, turned left, and started working the abundant ridge lift. I caught some pictures of him with his camera, one of them while flying with a hawk to the left of launch. The air out front was turbulent but he handled it with aplomb and soon caught thermals that took him up to 8000 ft MSL (2500 over launch height). I headed back to the truck when he decided that it would be too turbulent to safely land on top, and I made it down with half an hour to spare before he came in for a landing into the Arroyo LZ. Just like his launch, the landing was perfect, about 100 feet from the flag. I was really pleased to see his flight go so well - especially since that portended well for my own flight. We were back up at launch by 2:15, and re-inspected my glider (and the conditions) before I headed over the takeoff point. Well, good sense made an unexpected appearance today; with the winds blowing over 30 mph, I decided that it really doesn't take that much effort to bag a glider and take it back downhill. We got my U2 back to the truck by 3:30, and were back home in Las Cruces an hour later. Not a day to be displeased with at all - the temperature was great, the scenery was lovely, I didn't crash in turbulence, and I may have taken a few good photographs. Bill had close to an hour in the air. And someday, my turn will come... -Robin
Where we park the truck Robin photoed this.
Desert in bloom. pretty but better not touch..PNG (886.73 KiB) Viewed 13053 times
____________________________________________________________________ A Hawk marked this thermal.
Hawk marks the thermal..PNG (107.07 KiB) Viewed 13053 times
Here is yesterdays flight edited down from 49 minutes to 4 minutes. (If you want full screen and use of other viewing tools, and selection of better viewing quality click on the next link below.) https://youtu.be/gowUVsizYb4
Mag Rim (AKA = Matt's Mountain, Matt Hayes), Stephen was tossing an idea around about going to Mag Rim today but as I got out of the Allen Theater today the wind was 130º at 5 to 7 in SW Las Cruces. The NWS reporting station at the airport (KLRU) was not reporting so that is the best information that I have. That would not be very good if it was the same at Mag Rim. I offered to be Stephen's driver but I guess the wind will not cooperate.
The forecast was wrong for most of the day. It was only right after we left Matt's Mt. It was supposed to be out of the WSW but it was out of the south. I passed my stress test by pulling the portage cart up the 700 yards of hill to launch. (Robin helped a lot. )
11-1-16 Robin at Matt's Mountain..JPG (88.39 KiB) Viewed 12768 times
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