Session #9

September 10,2014

Site – Cape Kiwanda, Oregon coastal training hill approximately 150ft high.

Conditions – solid 10 on the beach with gusts to 13 or 14mph NNW
Cummulative flights to date: 7
Number of flights this session: 5

First flight was from the north side of the trough that has formed halfway up the dune. I launched just short of the very top in about 12-15 at launch. Realized that I'd need to move my body back in order to kick my feet up onto the front of the cage and as I tried that, also realized I'd need to move back at the same time as I swung my feet up otherwise I would go through a big pitch change and possibly stall the glider. I gave up on that after I realized this as I started to move back in the cage. I did not try any more attempts at this. I believe I really need to lower or eliminate my leg strap harness hang point and just launch it hanging from my arms. The rest of the day saw 4 more flights for a total of 5 for the day. The remaining 4 were from the bowl side of the trough and about ¾ of the way to the top. At that height launch wind was a solid 15 with gust to 20 and I had all I could do to manage the glider. I did one parachute landing from about 10 ft up and it came down softly enough for me to have no trouble catching the glider. It seems to have a higher flying speed than the Comet below which penetration really deteriorates even with me flying completely upright for the entire flight. Got a fair amount of practice doing minor flight path corrections and having a bit of trouble keeping the rudders in neutral. I find that I'll have one deployed and have to bring it back to neutral. I think my natural tendency is to deploy them when I tense up. I will need to really work on this. Maybe the handles will help (something Brian Porter suggested I do for fatigue but also help to keep them in neutral when I don't intend to deploy them). These two shots were taken where I had to park, unload, setup and then carry the glider (backwards) all the way to the base of the dune. I took these after the first two flights I made after which I took a quick lunch break.

The top photo was taken right from the car where I unloaded and set up.  You can hardly make out the Easy parked against a camp stool at the base of the dune.

The bottom photo was just a telephoto of the same shot where you can actually see the glider.

I had the place completely to myself the entire day which was a real treat....total focus, no distractions. The wind was at the top of my self-imposed limit of 15 and really over what I should have been flying in once I got to near the top where I know there were gusts to 20. Overall, even in those conditions at launch, the glider was remarkably easy to maintain control of although I guess you feel that right up to the point you lose it.  Although I'm still flying it using the leg strap harness tied into the trailing edge top wing joiner and hanging vertically, I'm still learning stuff on handling, launching, landing, stalls, roll response and minor flight path corrections.  I'll need a day with less wind to make my first attempts at launching without the harness and getting my legs up onto the front of the cage.