Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces NM (USA)

[Bill Cummings]

Yes!! What Rick said!!

[Bill Cummings]

Back one page on this thread check the video where I was checking Robin's U2 for turns. It turned out to be high siding in a thermal and not an out of tune glider.
Anyway the landing was almost a high speed digger due to turbulence in the LZ when the right wing dropped.
I played the video and stopped it where my right hand wheel was only inches from the ground and made a photo with the "Snipping Tool."
I'll attach the photo below. It shows a still frame of a possible neck breaking close call.

Wheel and wheel shadow close to touching..JPG (47.46 KiB) Viewed 7706 times

I would estimate my ground speed at the time of that picture frame to be at least 35 mph maybe more.

[RobinHastings]

I am REALLY glad that you made it out of that situation, Bill. I have a tendency to deprone early, just to make sure that my landing gear is always the first thing to hit the ground. It slows down my air speed and probably reduces my maneuverability. But it seems safer to me.
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

RGSA/Hawks,
Robin will be at my house at 10:30 am (Tuesday) to pick me up as driver, photographer, launch assistant, chase retrieverman (new word.)
I'm hoping to test out my home made Pop Sock (camera wind cover sock). I'm hoping to capture real time vario and radio sound with not as much wind noise as in previous YouTube videos. So more than ever I want Robin to stay up to give me some radio chatter. I'm also hoping his microphone foam will work on his end but we'll see/hear.
If the vario and radio are too loud that will confirm my suspicion that the microphone on my GoPro Hero3 (white) has an automatic gain control built in. Recent video posts had the communication radio volume all the way up for the earphone plug that goes through the hole of the camera case.
By surrounding all but the camera lens with U-Haul dish packing foam I'm hoping the wind noise will be reduced. That in turn may automatically increase the mic gain. If it does I can then cut back on the radio volume and partially plug the hole in the camera's trapdoor where the mini vario is mounted with Velcro.
I also padded my camera mount so as not to pick up as much glider frame and wire vibration noise.
A real primitive, cheep Scott's Irish, application with stuff I had on hand except for the U-Haul foam package ($8.50)

[RobinHastings]

Bill and I went out with our friends Kerry and Demetree today, July 25, to Magdalena Rim. It might have been good for PG's, but was pretty light for hang gliders. A sunny day after a weekend full of rain, and a sky full of puffy cumulus in all directions. Winds were south-southwest, but anywhere from 0 to 12 mph. Temperature at launch was close to 90 degrees F. I launched about 1:45 pm MDT and had a 3-minute sled run in mild, non-turbulent air. Thermals were too small to work (which is where PG's might have had a chance) and I barely made it around the Cone to set it down in the Arroyo LZ. Had a perfect landing, though, and, hey, it was a flight! My thanks to Bill, Kerry and Demetree for making it all possible! With blue skies and storybook cumulus, it was a lovely day to be out in the wild west.
-Robin
PS - There is too much mud and water on the dips in the Corralitos Ranch road to drive it with anything but a vehicle with good clearance. I sure don't recommend it for, say, my Toyota Corolla, at least until the mud gets cleared away.

[Bill Cummings]

Bill and I went out with our friends Kerry and Demetree today, July 25, to Magdalena Rim. It might have been good for PG's, but was pretty light for hang gliders. A sunny day after a weekend full of rain, and a sky full of puffy cumulus in all directions. Winds were south-southwest, but anywhere from 0 to 12 mph. Temperature at launch was close to 90 degrees F. I launched about 1:45 pm MDT and had a 3-minute sled run in mild, non-turbulent air. Thermals were too small to work (which is where PG's might have had a chance) and I barely made it around the Cone to set it down in the Arroyo LZ. Had a perfect landing, though, and, hey, it was a flight! My thanks to Bill, Kerry and Demetree for making it all possible! With blue skies and storybook cumulus, it was a lovely day to be out in the wild west.
-Robin
PS - There is too much mud and water on the dips in the Corralitos Ranch road to drive it with anything but a vehicle with good clearance. I sure don't recommend it for, say, my Toyota Corolla, at least until the mud gets cleared away.

This flight was also a test flight for my audio capture of radio communications and also the mini vario mounted to the back of the GoPro Hero3(white) camera. I had drilled a small 3/16" hole in the camera's trapdoor and with Velcro (with holes also punched in the hooky and fuzzy pieces.) I fastened the mini vario to the GoPro trapdoor case. The earplug coming from an extra radio (eventually to be located inside the double surface) was plugged into a hole I drilled in the GoPro case as close to the camera's microphone as I could get it.
I also padded my camera mount to reduce the vibrations getting to the camera from being fastened to the keel.
The latest modification was to put U-Haul dishware packaging foam around the camera case with only the camera's lens showing through the foam pad.
We only got a short flight testing of this set up but I've been making steady progress picking up audio during the hang gliding flight.
https://youtu.be/1iSAWwqYt6Y

[RobinHastings]

That was a very instructive video, Bill. Thanks for doing it! Looks like I was too far from the hill, for most of the flight - though there might have been no lift there, either. A beautiful day, though, and I think that Demetree and Kerry had a fine time watching it all. Thanks to everyone for making it happen!
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

SUNDAY, SEPT. 24, 2017:
A great day for hang gliding at Matt's Mountain (Magdalena Rim) today. Bill Cummings had checked the forecast models, and 50% of them said "too much west!" while the other 50% said, "Aw, go ahead and fly - you'll be fine!" It turned out that our optimistic angels were the ones to listen to this time. Bill (driving), myself, and Shamek Persons (who had been learning to hang glide several years ago) all arrived at the launch around 3:00 pm. We took the glider on the cart the 700 yards to the launch, dropped off my U2-160, and Bill, and went back down the trail to meet Mitchell Graham, who had just pulled up at the parking area by the fence. Mitch flies Apache helicopters during the work week, and either a Wills Wing Sport 2 or a paraglider on the weekends. (Paraglider last Sunday at Mag Rim, and wow, did he have a good time then). I launched first, at 4:15 MDT, and Mitch followed about 2 minutes later in his black-and-red Sport 2. Conditions were lovely. Skies were clear, with a few clouds off to the west, and winds were straight in to the launch at 12 to 15 mph. I made a couple of passes around the launch, but couldn't find anything to really take me up, and went off eastward around the corner of the ridge. Near its eastern end is where I found the boomer thermal. Within 15 minutes of launching I was at 9000 ft MSL (3500 over launch). Mitch thermalled with me, and got up to at least 8500 ft. I went north a bit then, to see if the back ridge generated any lift - nope, it's not a good bet, just as John Theoret once told us. (You should always listen to national champions...) I was back down to 6500 feet MSL by the time I got back to the front ridge, and spent the next 10 or 15 minutes dinking around with small, bumpy thermals and not gaining much. Mitch was, at this point, about 1000 feet above me. I finally decided to land, and set up a good southwest approach into the Arroyo LZ. I went right over the flag at 50 feet - and then shot up another 50, as a thermal let off right then and there. I almost ran out of landing zone, but flared well and put the glider down safely and softly into some 3-foot grass, just past a large mesquite. Well! Not a bad landing, considering. I laboriously moved the U2 back to the more familiar sections of the LZ, and soon greeted Bill and Shamek when they arrived in my truck. We spent a relaxed 45 minutes watching Mitch enjoy his first desert hang gliding flight, and slowly put the U2 into its travel configuration. Mitch came down at last, and had a textbook perfect landing at 5:40 pm. By 6:15, with all gliders in the bags, we were heading back out Corralitos Road towards what purports to be civilization. Mitch had had a wonderful intro to New Mexico hang glider flying, with an hour and twenty-five minutes of airtime; I had had a very satisfying half hour of aviation, and a landing I could walk away from. The beautiful sunset we enjoyed, as the four of us drove home, just capped it. I know that parts of the USA are recovering from hurricanes and floods, but here in Southern New Mexico, life is good. I hope we have some more great times at the Columbus Day gathering in two weeks!
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

SUNDAY, SEPT. 24, 2017:
A great day for hang gliding at Matt's Mountain (Magdalena Rim) today. Bill Cummings had checked the forecast models, and 50% of them said "too much west!" while the other 50% said, "Aw, go ahead and fly - you'll be fine!" It turned out that our optimistic angels were the ones to listen to this time. Bill (driving), myself, and Shamek Persons (who had been learning to hang glide several years ago) all arrived at the launch around 3:00 pm. We took the glider on the cart the 700 yards to the launch, dropped off my U2-160, and Bill, and went back down the trail to meet Mitchell Graham, who had just pulled up at the parking area by the fence. Mitch flies Apache helicopters during the work week, and either a Wills Wing Sport 2 or a paraglider on the weekends. (Paraglider last Sunday at Mag Rim, and wow, did he have a good time then). I launched first, at 4:15 MDT, and Mitch followed about 2 minutes later in his black-and-red Sport 2. Conditions were lovely. Skies were clear, with a few clouds off to the west, and winds were straight in to the launch at 12 to 15 mph. I made a couple of passes around the launch, but couldn't find anything to really take me up, and went off eastward around the corner of the ridge. Near its eastern end is where I found the boomer thermal. Within 15 minutes of launching I was at 9000 ft MSL (3500 over launch). Mitch thermalled with me, and got up to at least 8500 ft. I went north a bit then, to see if the back ridge generated any lift - nope, it's not a good bet, just as John Theoret once told us. (You should always listen to national champions...) I was back down to 6500 feet MSL by the time I got back to the front ridge, and spent the next 10 or 15 minutes dinking around with small, bumpy thermals and not gaining much. Mitch was, at this point, about 1000 feet above me. I finally decided to land, and set up a good southwest approach into the Arroyo LZ. I went right over the flag at 50 feet - and then shot up another 50, as a thermal let off right then and there. I almost ran out of landing zone, but flared well and put the glider down safely and softly into some 3-foot grass, just past a large mesquite. Well! Not a bad landing, considering. I laboriously moved the U2 back to the more familiar sections of the LZ, and soon greeted Bill and Shamek when they arrived in my truck. We spent a relaxed 45 minutes watching Mitch enjoy his first desert hang gliding flight, and slowly put the U2 into its travel configuration. Mitch came down at last, and had a textbook perfect landing at 5:40 pm. By 6:15, with all gliders in the bags, we were heading back out Corralitos Road towards what purports to be civilization. Mitch had had a wonderful intro to New Mexico hang glider flying, with an hour and twenty-five minutes of airtime; I had had a very satisfying half hour of aviation, and a landing I could walk away from. The beautiful sunset we enjoyed, as the four of us drove home, just capped it. I know that parts of the USA are recovering from hurricanes and floods, but here in Southern New Mexico, life is good. I hope we have some more great times at the Columbus Day gathering in two weeks!
-Robin

https://youtu.be/irTmsW6nACU

[RobinHastings]

Nice job, Bill! It's good to see how well Mitch launches - he's a talented pilot. Does nice landings, too. We are gradually getting the radio communications figured out.
-Robin