Dockweiler RHG Diary

[Bob Kuczewski]

Happy Birthday Otto.

Thanks for all you've given us.

Thanks to you as well Joe.

[Frank Colver]

Yes, happy birthday Otto Lilienthal

I celebrated your B-Day by spending a couple of hours at High Energy Sports while Jacob (master of the sewing machines) put the finishing touches on my experimental swing-seat harness. I hope to test it at next Sunday's meet, in your honor and the honor of the birth of modern sport hang gliding. In those days many flew in swing seats, heads up, enjoying the scenery, making birds jealous because they couldn't fly that way.

Frank C.

Circa 1974

Remember when we flew like this?

At Little Norco cropped.jpg (291.54 KiB) Viewed 1992 times

[JoeF]

"RHG" recreational hang gliding
===========================
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
== Great time today by four USHawks at Dockweiler: Frank Colver, Joe Faust, Bob Kuczewski, Michael Grisham
Today: 70th wedding anniversary of Michael's parents!
All of us had some flights with the newly updated Colver swing seat hung from Franks's Condor 330. Good results!
First time the new open RHG: we had three gliders operating and being flown. Michael had his first Alpha 210 flights.
It was good to have Michael's presence all day.
Long day: Bob arrived early and we left lot for a closed Beach Mex restaurant (mystery), but ate at some other on Pacific Coast Highway in El Segundo.

[Frank Colver]

Thanks for the RGH Diary report, Joe. it was a very fun and instructive day (see Colver Swing Seat topic in "General").

Hmm.....could there be a renaissance of "seat of the pants" flying at Dockweiler? We may yet get converts.

First time I packed up my Condor by myself. Because we had three gliders set up, we couldn't all pitch in and pack up one glider. Therefore, it was almost dark when we left.

Frank

[Frank Colver]

Here's a link to my video of the swing seat flying Tuesday.

https://vimeo.com/275026416

One can see the progress in launch technique as the day progresses.

Frank

[Bob Kuczewski]

It was an almost perfect day.

I got there after noon, and the wind was straight in with baby whitecaps.

I set up my Falcon 3 195, and started with some straight out flights. With a strong run, I was getting some good altitude. So I started soaring. It was easy to make the first pass (south to north), but the Falcon flies a bit faster than the Condor, so I would reliably sink out either at the north end or on the way back south. I flew about 30 flights like that, and I had about 3 or 4 where I could make the south turn before sinking out. Either Condor would have soared all day.

There must have been at least 20 spectators who asked about flying themselves. Every time I referred them to Windsports. "Any day ... Wednesday through Sunday ... you'll love it."

It was my first full day flying without either of my good friends (Joe and Frank). I certainly missed both ... but had a fun day anyway. There was always somebody stopping by to ask questions, and I enjoyed sharing my experiences.

[Frank Colver]

Fantastic Bob!

I spent 5 hours at the DMV Monday and another 3 1/2 hr today added on to the 4 1/2 hr last Friday

The worst day at Dockweiler beats the best day at the DMV. So, 13 DMV hours total for 3 consectuve business days.

Frank

[Bob Kuczewski]

Frank's Monday:

I spent 5 hours at the DMV Monday ...

Bob's Monday:

Dockweiler_2018_07_02s.gif (2.26 MiB) Viewed 1743 times

I think I had the better day.     

[wingspan33]

But Bob, . . .

Frank was counter soaring at the DMV! Every time he made a pass the people behind the counter would have to duck!

[JoeF]

Thinking of Dockweiler on Fourth of July,
instead I opened the day with five flights in a public park. I took turns with this little guy (parents gave permission for the video):
A beginning of recreational hang gliding in a public park
About 10 other tikes had their gliding balance scooters and bikes (without pedals; these are little slope gliders that use gravity to give motion down the slope). My device was an Alpha 210; two wheels not so unlike the tike's balance-bike wheels.