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Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces NM (USA)

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Re: Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces NM (USA)

Postby RobinHastings » Sun Dec 22, 2019 5:55 pm

Thanks so much, Bill! That was very instructive. A lot of things that I didn't notice in the flight, I can study at my leisure this way. Good editing!
-Robin
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Re: Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces NM (USA)

Postby RobinHastings » Sat Jan 04, 2020 10:03 pm

Saturday, January 4, 2020:
We had another great day at Magdalena Rim. Visiting Colorado PG pilots Dan and Ryan Corley, Carl and Eric were there, as well as Had Robinson, his PG student Minnie Burke, and Steve Crye. I launched after all the Colorado pilots had flown and top landed, with Steve Crye still flying and Hadley getting ready to. I had a perfect launch in my Sport 2 155, with Bill Cummings on the nose wires and Dan and Eric each on a wing. (WInds were 15 to 18 mph, SW, conditions were mostly clear, and the temperature was about 50 degrees F.) I went up, turned left, and easily rose above the launch. I spent the next 40 minutes enjoying smooth, buoyant air with Steve in his PG; at one point a redtail hawk cruised by about 10 feet in front of me. When I set up my landing I came right down the arroyo, and in some kind of miraculous fashion had a very decent touch down, right on my feet. Wow! Bill was right there with the truck, and a roll of toilet paper to show me the wind. That roll was useful when Steve Crye came down about 20 minutes later, and then Ryan, and finally Hadley. When everyone was packed up Bill and I headed back up toward the launch, where all the cars were parked at the fence, and then took off for home. There our RGSA President, Terry Cummings, made an amazing reprise of the "loaves and fishes" story from the Bible, and fed the entire crew (minus Minnie) on "leftovers". It was a wonderful evening to cap a really outstanding day. And tomorrow, the PG pilots plan to do it again!
-Robin

EricLaunch_01-04-20.jpg
Eric launching into his first Mag Rim flight.
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Re: Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces NM (USA)

Postby Bill Cummings » Mon Jan 13, 2020 10:05 pm

[quote="RobinHastings"]Saturday, January 4, 2020:
We had another great day at Magdalena Rim. Visiting Colorado PG pilots Dan and Ryan Corley, Carl and Eric were there, as well as Had Robinson, his PG student Minnie Burke, and Steve Crye. I launched after all the Colorado pilots had flown and top landed, with Steve Crye still flying and Hadley getting ready to. I had a perfect launch in my Sport 2 155, with Bill Cummings on the nose wires and Dan and Eric each on a wing. (WInds were 15 to 18 mph, SW, conditions were mostly clear, and the temperature was about 50 degrees F.) I went up, turned left, and easily rose above the launch. I spent the next 40 minutes enjoying smooth, buoyant air with Steve in his PG; at one point a redtail hawk cruised by about 10 feet in front of me. When I set up my landing I came right down the arroyo, and in some kind of miraculous fashion had a very decent touch down, right on my feet. Wow! Bill was right there with the truck, and a roll of toilet paper to show me the wind. That roll was useful when Steve Crye came down about 20 minutes later, and then Ryan, and finally Hadley. When everyone was packed up Bill and I headed back up toward the launch, where all the cars were parked at the fence, and then took off for home. There our RGSA President, Terry Cummings, made an amazing reprise of the "loaves and fishes" story from the Bible, and fed the entire crew (minus Minnie) on "leftovers". It was a wonderful evening to cap a really outstanding day. And tomorrow, the PG pilots plan to do it again!
-Robin
https://youtu.be/a7avaspvP3U
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Re: Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces NM (USA)

Postby RobinHastings » Mon Jan 13, 2020 11:16 pm

Thanks again, Bill! January 4th was an excellent day, and that is an excellent video. I really liked the part with the hawk flying by...
-Robin
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Re: Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces NM (USA)

Postby Bill Cummings » Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:10 pm

Good thing I said we have, “over,” 42 years of experience between us
because it’s more like 84 years between us.
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Re: Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces NM (USA)

Postby RobinHastings » Fri Feb 07, 2020 9:15 pm

Friday, February 7, 2020:
This was a pleasant day to be in the great Southwest. We had snow on Wednesday! And yet today, it was easily 60 F (maybe 65) at the Magdalena Rim launch. Bill Cummings and I showed the site to a new, former HG pilot, Dan Simpson. (He used to fly Viking patrol planes off carrier decks, so he is no stranger to high-adrenaline launches.) Dan was an excellent driver and launch crewman for us. Bill took off in his Sport 2 at 2:40 pm today, into a 15 mph wind. Skies were sunny, with some high cirrus overhead. Bill went right up and was quickly several hundred feet over the launch. With another 15 mph wind, I launched about 5 minutes later, in my own Sport 2, and quickly joined Bill on the ridge. (How can you tell which is which? Well, Bill's glider is red and black, while mine is black and red. Easy!) I never got the big lift today, and finally sank out enough that I had to head for the Arroyo LZ. As I landed (and pretty darned well, I should say) the velcro on my chute pouch gave way, and suddenly there was my parachute, dangling in front of me. Could be worse, of course, but that was annoying. I had about 20 minutes in the air. Bill soared for 55 minutes, and reached about 1500 feet above the launch. No doubt who had the flight of the day. Unfortunately, the battery in his GoPro died, so no video this time - you'll have to take our word for it. His landing was a bit abrupt, as he tried to extend his glide out to the flag and dropped a few feet, but nothing was damaged - especially not Bill. It was great to see him flying, and Dan was, I think, inspired to get a glider again. He flew his RC glider a bit as we were packing up. All in all, what a nice day to do some soaring!
-Robin
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Re: Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces NM (USA)

Postby RobinHastings » Sat Mar 07, 2020 6:23 pm

Saturday, March 7, 2020:
Another beautiful day to be flying at Magdalena Rim. I met Steve Crye up at the launch with his PG already laid out, just about 10:20 am. He launched at 10:34 for a nice flight of about 15 to 20 minutes, before the winds got strong and turbulent. Temperatures were about 70 degrees F today, the sky was blue with some puffy cumulus, the winds were south and southwest. Steve made a top landing, then graciously helped me haul my glider to launch and get a flight. I took off about 1:00 pm, into conditions a little more turbulent than Steve's. Well, actually, it was pretty rough! I worked ridge lift when I could, and thermals when they were available, and got to 6,000 ft MSL (about 500 above launch). It was a lot of fun. I set up my landing into the Rectangle LZ instead of the Arroyo, with all that turbulence in mind, and had a perfect touchdown for 20 minutes of airtime. When Steve picked me up he helped me get everything loaded. I took him back to his car, and we both visited with Bill and Terry on our way back home. Nothing epic today, but it sure was nice to spend a late winter day in the air.
-Robin

SteveCrye_Launch_MagRim_03-07-2020.JPG
Steve's launch, March 7, 2020
SteveCrye_Launch_MagRim_03-07-2020.JPG (69.79 KiB) Viewed 6681 times


SteveCryeMagRim_Mar7-2020.JPG
Steve Crye soaring the Rim.
SteveCryeMagRim_Mar7-2020.JPG (80.84 KiB) Viewed 6681 times
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Re: Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces NM (USA)

Postby RobinHastings » Tue Mar 10, 2020 6:40 am

One more picture - Steve, the photographer, calls this a "partial eclipse."
-Robin

Robin_at_MagRim_03-07-2020.JPG
Watch out, Icarus! That sun will melt your wings.
Robin_at_MagRim_03-07-2020.JPG (14.45 KiB) Viewed 6517 times
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Re: Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces NM (USA)

Postby RobinHastings » Mon Apr 27, 2020 10:41 am

Saturday, April 25 was a good day at Magdalena Rim. Despite the 2020 COVID19 pandemic we are going through, 6 pilots assembled there - all keeping proper social distancing, of course. I was first off, at 5:10 pm MDT in my Sport 155, with Mitch Graham (its previous owner) on my nose wires. I had a nice flight in light, cloudless, warm conditions. I caught some thermals, made it about 800 ft over launch, and had a perfect landing in the Arroyo LZ. We also had 5 paraglider pilots: Steve Crye, Minnie Burke, Wyatt Lines, Mitch, and Clint. All of them had an hour or more - and this was Minnie's first mountain flight. (She loved it. Mitch gave her excellent coaching from the air, while I listened in.) Clint picked me up about 7:30 pm. It was one of those magic evenings you sometimes get here in the Southwest, and we were all very glad to escape our Shelters In Place to get some fine air and companionship.
-Robin
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Re: Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces NM (USA)

Postby RobinHastings » Mon Oct 05, 2020 11:15 am

Sunday, October 4, 2020:
This was a lovely afternoon to be at Mag Rim. Steve Crye and Lee Boone announced that they'd be flying their PG's there, and so my wife Nancy and I joined them. I had my glider half set up when Lee showed up, and Steve gave my glider a buddy check after Lee launched and went up 500 feet over launch (6,000' MSL). Winds were SSW, 10-12 mph, and the skies were clear (we've been having quite a drought). With Nancy on my nose wires I took off smoothly at 5:50 pm MDT. Lift was light to non-existent, but the air was buoyant. I turned left, went along the ridge, and at the highest, south face I began to work very light ridge lift and thermals. Patience pays! I gradually rose, and finally found myself looking at the top of the ridge. Lee and Steve were flying right there with me, and cheering me on; I let Nancy know, as she took the glider cart back down to the truck. Lift improved as the minutes went on, and I topped out at 6000 MSL - but it was really an ideal day for PG's, Lee and Steve made it up to 7000, and kept flying until the sun touched the horizon near 7:00 pm. Woo-hoo! The air was warm and lovely, not a bit of stress or turbulence this day. I headed out to the LZ at half an hour, about 6:20. I set up a fine, SSW approach right over the flag in the Arroyo LZ, and had a perfect landing - not bad at all, for two months out of the air. Nancy saw me land and arrived just a couple of minutes later. We had the glider packed up and onto the truck about the time our friends were packing up after top landing, and we were all on our way home by 7:30 that evening. There are times when you can't imagine why everyone isn't doing this - and surely this evening was one of them.
-Robin
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