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I got a call from Jeff Hunt in the morning to be out at Packsaddle Mountain to get a high flight later that evening, and he wanted me there at 5 pm on Monday... The thought of a high flight was kind of a shock, since I haven't flown altitude since last year, so,fear and confusion was doing the Macarena in my head.
Last year my high flights didn't go that well, I remember that I was doing a winch tow tandem with Jack Walters in Hearne, Texas. Our first flight on a Falcon 2 Tandem, the glider started to pop back and forth, I was about to ask Jack what the hell is going on? Before I asked the weak-link broke, I pulled in as the glider's nosed went down towards the Earth, it kept flying though. I told Jack, I am going to put it in the grass, this time, I made a left turn to the grassy area, at 50 ft. the left wing just dropped, I thought that was the end of time for us, I yelled at Jack, "take over as I moved my hands from the contoll bar, Jack pulled it in picked up speed and got it flying again and landed right after that.
All this was crossing my mind... The time When I didn't know how to fly a glider. and got up to altitude and didn't know what I was doing I had an idea but that wasn't going to do the trick, I flew the HG, but didn't know how to land a hang glider or I forgot about landing and busted my left leg. Then the thought the thought of how a thermal almost flipped me over crossed my mind.
I didn't show up on Monday. I wasn't sure I was ready for a high flight just yet. Later that night I got a call from Jeff, I didn't want to pick up the phone cause, I knew what I was going to hear... I did answer the phone, sure enough, the first thing I hear, what happen AL? you were suppose to be here I have your glider on my truck, thinking of what excuses to make up for not showing up... He said, be your butt here tomorrow, or find someone else to teach you... I told him fine fine fine! I will be there forsure see you on Tuesday at Pac.
I didn't sleep that night, trying to remember how to turn a glider, the inputs, plus I had not flown in a month or better... I tossed and turned in my bed that night, this will be my last day on Earth, next morning 5:30 am. I took my wife to work dropped her off and told her that I loved here and gave her a good bye kiss. I didn't tell her where I was going.
I had my thing ready in my van water, snacks, GPS... I got on the freeway and head to Pac, it was still dark all around, as I drove myself to the location, I kept thinking I am driving to my funeral, this will be the day that I die.
I got there, Jeff and another guy was waiting for me on the LZ the time about 8 am... I was feeling anxiety, not so much of flying the glider, but the turns, the turns, this is what I was worried about this was the part that was going to kill me... I have had payout winch tows, scooter tows, flying straight patters and I do fine with this kind of flying, but a mountain, I had never flown and had just been flying off a small hill in Austin with no turns... I was going to have to make turns to keep my Butt alive... The only turns I had made were with Jack Walters last year on that tandem flight... I did not remember how to turn, I knew what the book said but I had not done it on my own on a solo flight.... I called Bill Cummings, I called Jim Reynolds, I called Sam Kellner, I called Terry Mason, I called Randy Simonson, Bob K, everyone I knew that knew how to fly a hang glider to make sure that I didn't F***up....
The Drive up the hill was killing me, as we were going up the rocky road to the top of Pac. I felt like I was going to puke. My turn was up the sand of time for me was running low, time to nut up, or shut up. Jeff had a big smile on his face watching me change colos from Brown to White... You feeling alright AL? as he drove up the mountain... Yeah, yeah, I replied... If I was going to back out of this one, he later said, he was going to kick my a** off that mountain one way or the other....
I set up my HG, inspected it, good togo. Got my gear and headed to the drop off. Since I was not feeling so good they help me with my glider to the platform at Pac.
At the launch, I could see the little cows on the fields below, they looked like little black spots on the grass, more anxiety set in as I looked down at the cows.
I could hear the voice of Jim Reynolds have a lite touch on the bar, wiggle your fingers, wiggle your fingers, voices, of Sam on the other side pull in for speed, Bill too, just relax you will be fine, Bob K. when in doubt pull in for speed if the glider oscillates, just relax and let it fly, Bill, walk, jog and run down the ramp, keep the glider pulled in for speed till you get away from the hill then find trim then pull in, 2 or 4 inches, you will do fine once you get away from the hill, do what Jeff tells you on the radio, feel the wind on your face always. Pull in for speed, and when you get ready to land put on the speed till you're a half a wing span of a glider's wing, you're in ground effect then relax and land that sucker....
I had not launched yet, because I was having an anxiety attack at the time... I could hear Jeffo telling inhale, exhale, you feel better now AL ? Yeah lets do this s**t
I did my hang check, made damn sure that I was hook-in... I was not going to make the same mistake Jim Rooney did that would be just a big no, no. Whenever I launch, I will remember Rooney's name and ulgy face.... the wind was blowing, Jeff was on the Keel, I was holding the glider not looking down anymore looking in to the horizon, I was no longer worried, whatever was going to happen was going to happen. I told Jeff don't let me die before I launched... You'll do fine, I have seen you fly, and you do a great job this will be no different from any other flight you ever had...
I took a look into the horizon a-head on me, into the morning clouds down yonder, I positioned my glider on my shoulders, my wings were level. A good cycle of wind started to blow my way. I yelled KLEAR, I walked, jogged and ran like hell down the ramp, with out a thought in my mind, I push out a little to get the glider to fly since I was running out of ramp the glider lifted me; I put on the extra speed as it flew, I could see the rocks, and bushes below me passing by.
I put on more speed, and hit the lift band the glider shot up in to the sky like an elevator; I could hear the fabric on the glider flapping in the wind, as I rose higher, and higher, almost as if I was heading straight up in to the sky.... there was so much wind I couldn't hear a word Jeff was say on the radio, then I got passed the lift band and went to trim, the glider was now flying and a smooth ride it was, now I could hear Jeff a little better on the radio, he as telling me to go East and make a half a circle and to expand it.
The glider start to sink in altitude, as I kept my speed up far off to the East field. I saw the spot I was going to land in, it was like a big carpet of fur from the late 70s this was the landing spot. All I had to do was to make a left roll input on the glider. I pulled in for speed, I now could feel the wind on my face I shifted my weight to the left made a 45 degree turn, and still had a lot of altitude to burn, the glider was responding to my commends, I was up about 150 ft. I flew over a car that was pulling in to Packsaddle, over a fence now at about 125 ft. pulled in to make a left J-turn and still had about 80 ft to burn,
I remember what Bill said, put on the speed now that you are closer to the ground, I did.... Since I was upright, I reached lower on the down tubes as Bill C. had told me to do and pulled in, to put on the speed, I could hear it flapping in the wind as I got a half a wing spand from the ground, I eased out to trim and the glider was too close to the ground, I missed my flair and put the unit on the wheels, I was down and a little air sick, but was alive and I flew and that was some ride, it was my first high solo flight with turns... thanks to everyone that gave me advice on how to stay alive
. You did it.
