Dockweiler RHG Diary

[JoeF]

Surprised self: Stitches not yet out of upper back ... to be out next day ... took a small drive and a bit puzzled: the truck seemed to drive itself to Dockweiler on Monday, Aug 7. I had not prepared for a day of flight, and actually had already decided to pass on flying for the week until stitches were out. But tickling my brain: just maybe the downtube in carrybacks would miss the stitched wound. Unloaded with an inner decision: I wanted to give God a HG ride since His grace/creation sustains me in such adventures; the theory: God was curious about hang gliding, so he sustained creation enough to let bodied creatures such as we USHawks have wings to hang glide; God then could experience hang gliding through our efforts; my guess is that he can appreciated infinitely comprehensively what I only glace at superficially; his flight was no doubt with more meaning than I experience. Unloaded and got to the bike way; two guys asked if they could film; I said yes, but I asked them to send a shot to my email (has not arrived); he took my email address on his cell phone. That moment let me then ask for their names: one said his name was "Christian" and the other said his name was "Jesus"; that opened the door to what was my private deal: I told them my purpose for the day was to give God a hang glider rider. Soon I was set up and gave God 27 flights.
Next day after morning stitches-out session with doctor on Aug. 7, 2018: 7 flights. Tired from day before. Relaxed.
But also NEW FOR THESE TWO DAYS: About each 5 flights, I'd park the wing near the shoreline, remove harness, shirt, and shoes; and then walk in the surf to cool feet and legs. Neat and nice. And on two breaks: took full swim in the surf for refresher and change of wave media from air to water. Weaving the swimming with sets of hang glider flights had been in my notes for years, but these two days the deal was sealed. Such will occur again in the future; the swimming mixed with flying deepens Dockweiler wonders.

[Frank Colver]

Good day at Dockweiler Friday 8/17/18.

Andy and Josh both breaking Bob K's number of flights record and I glide tested the 1/5 scale model of my HG Basic Trainer design with excellent results. I wasn't flying because of a mountain bike injury but several pilots tried my latest version of my swing seat harness and gave very good reviews.

Here is a video link to Erika trying it out and showing the high degree of control even with a 120 pound pilot in a big Condor 330 glider.

https://vimeo.com/285665477

Frank

[JoeF]

Are there any more facts about the statement:

Andy and Josh both breaking Bob K's number of flights record

???????????????????????????????????????????? Did they add their flights together or did each do 103 or more flights for over 206 flight all totaled? Did anyone count carefully?

[JoeF]

https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/us/ca/los-angeles/KLAX/date/2018-8-17
=====================================================================================
ANSWER came quickly from Josh

Hey Joe

I flew down the beach 200 times and carried the glider back up each time. Andy flew 125 times and carried up 125 times. We have a record of the exact time of each launch and even gopro footage of most of the flights.

Thanks,

Josh

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF 125 by Andy Beem

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF 200 by Josh Laufer
THIS MAY be an absolute world record for hang gliding flights in one day's session;
anyone for a different take on that notion?

==================================================================
Frank as witness reports:

Frank Colver
8:24 PM (7 minutes ago)


They were competing with each other to see who could do the most. They had two judges Alisha and Susan. Andy quit at 135 flights and as I was getting into my truck to leave Josh launched #150. So I don’t know where he quit but he had mentioned shooting for 200. He wasn’t setting his glider down at the bottom or the top many times he would just turn around in the control bar and carry or launch without the glider having touched the ground at either end of the flight.

They also had set a windsock up on the beach two wingspans from the base of the slope and any flights that didn’t make it to or beyond the windsock weren’t counted. One time Andy soared the bluff in my swing seat and when he landed on top Susan announced that it didn’t count as a flight because the top landing was of course short of the windsock. L

I took video of some of the flights. Also, Andy said he wanted to make his flight #104 in my swing seat, which he did and landed beyond the windsock, so it would count. I very much appreciated that gesture by him.

Frank

-----------------------------------
Andy: 125 or 135? Anyway: Josh: 200.
Interesting added rules.
=========================================
Frank adds some neat notes about the day:

Oops, I thought Andy did 135 but according to Josh it was 125. Andy told me he needed to save some energy to teach the next day.

He also took time out from the competition to soar in my swing seat harness several times during the afternoon. He used the Condor 330 for that.

Bob Bendetsen made the most soaring flights in the seated harness. I lost count. He was having a ball! He said he could milk it below the slope more than in the prone harness. When he normally would have quit and turned out to the beach he kept going below the slope, sometimes to me it looked like he was in the weeds.

Frank

[Frank Colver]

Andy chose to make the record flight 104 in my swing seat harness.

Here is the link to the video:

https://vimeo.com/285676195

He and Josh launched for their 104th flights simultaneously.

Frank

[JoeF]

Soon after my asking Josh for some details, he answered my questions robustly:

Hey Joe,
Andy and I flew simultaneously at 9:52 am for our first flights. Andy flew his 125th and final flight at 3:23 pm. I flew my 200th and final flight at 6:03 pm. I am 28 and about 173 lbs. I was using a standard training harness and helmet. I was wearing shorts, a t-shirt and sandals with socks (which looked dorky but I rarely had to empty my socks of sand). I had to apply sunscreen a few times. I drank numerous gallons of water and sweated out even more. I had a few sandwiches, a few bags of chips and a few kiwis. I flew a few different gliders during the day due to some of students and other pilots coming down to fly. (We even taught two students in the middle of the day, Andy and I ran next to them as they flew and helped carry their gliders up). I primarily flew the Alpha 210 but also flew the Falcon 140 and condor 330 at times. Andy almost exclusively flew the Falcon 140, except for a few flights testing Frank's Swing seat harness on the Condor 330. The wind during the first few hours was very light about 4-5 mph. The air was also pretty hot and humid during the first 80 flights or so. As the day went on it became overcast and the wind increased to about 12-13 mph and a few pilots test flew and even soared Frank's swing seat in the Condor 330. Andy's soaring flights did not count towards his total since he top landed. We put a marker about halfway to the beach and if we did not fly past the marker we disqualified the flight. Andy and I both landed once just a few feet short of the mark once and scratched the flights off the record even though we still carried up the glider. As the afternoon turned towards sunset the wind decreased to about 6-8 mph for my last 50-60 flights. After the day ended I almost collapsed on the sand as our crew broke down the gliders and closed the site for the night. We went to the hot tub at my apartment and soaked later that night. The next day I was tired and sore but I went to the mountain and flew 2 tandems and Andy taught 5 students at the beach. Andy taught 4 more today and I flew 2 more tandems.

I am putting the exact flight times on a spreadsheet and making a sped up time lapse video of the flights throughout the day.

Cheers,

Josh

Comment: THANKS, JOSH !
Further: The flight short of your marker is counted by Hang Glider History editor. World Hang Gliding Association will record that you had 201 flights for the day. The flight was simply a true flight; all kinds of reasons could have a distance not met.

[JoeF]

Spreadsheet provided by Josh:

Josh200Andy125ofAug17of2018.JPG (207.11 KiB) Viewed 8617 times

as PDF, same data:

Flight Record 8%2F17%2F18 - Sheet1.pdf

(36.77 KiB) Downloaded 606 times

Note: World Hang Gliding Association counts a removed flight from each of the records leaving 126 for Andy Beem and 201 flights for Josh Laufer

Congratulations to both of you, esteemed instructors of Windsports

[JoeF]

Monday, Aug. 20, 2018:
35 flights in Alpha 210. Out of shape. Mild wind. First 5 in south 2 mph early in day. Day developed to about 7 mph, maybe at times 9 mph. Some moderate ridge runs one way barely.
Interfaced with about 10 inquirers.
====================================================

Something on safety that I did not record a month ago or so. Follow dinner with Frank C. and Bob K., the combination of long day of flying and late food resulted in my being too tired to drive safely. I should have pulled over and napped in the back of the truck. Near home I actually fell asleep briefly while driving; fortunately no crash, but such could bring fatality to others and self. So, now I test a new habit that works: Nap in between two sessions of flying; leave Dockweiler so my full drive home is in some sun light; eat nothing and drink water lightly from glider packing until I am home. Such has proven to produce no yawns and a brightness of mind for the drive This will cut into my camaraderie that has been in post-flight-day with others; all such will have to be lived within the flight site's sessions, not later in the day.

[Frank Colver]

Good post Joe. I agree!
Frank

[JoeF]

Found on the Internet:
By "jfox"
July 18th, 2018, 10:53 am #1
Went with my daughter on fathers day ,Sweet she got some good flights . my u2 was a pig out there , but i got to try an Alpha thats magical

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZMtHqYu2Gt1jiXGPA