Session #24

 Date: August 5, 2020

Cummulative flights to date: 34

Site: Cape Kiwanda

Vertical to LZ: 70ft

Conditions: thermally active air switching from west to north and gusty

Harness configuration: bare glider with lifters

Assistance: none

Launch Time: 12:00 noon

Video/Photos: 9 photos, 1 video (taken by Maxim Kazitov, Seattle PG pilot)

Purpose of Flight: Test flight after re-building the right wing joiner gusset and replacing that hang tube. Also removed the rudder adjust blocks and added turnbuckles attaching directly to the rudder horns.

Narrative: Had all I could do to get the glider to the top after carrying it in my make-shift cart from the parking lot. The cart worked really well. Started climbing by maybe 11:45 and noticed right away the breeze was shifting A LOT on the first half of the climb almost like rotors some from the east. It took a lot of energy to keep the glider in control. It got a bit better once I got 2/3 up but was still not very stable in direction going from due west to due north. The wind speed varied much more than usual and would gust up then die. I attempted a launch and did not hold the nose down mushing then wing over to the left just off launch. Nocked off the sand, unhooked and straightened the glider and hooked in again. Another gust caught me and spun me so I had to unhook again to straighten the wing. Hooked back in and then climbed back up a couple yards to the top trying to hold the wings level while I waited for a NW direction. Got a launch a couple minutes later that felt OK I guess although all I really recall was how easy it was to step onto the cage using the stirrup. Got bumped around much more than normal on the way down and had to stay on it to keep my airspeed right and direction right. Had my hands full all the way to the beach. I made it quite a way past my set up and felt like I parachuted in from maybe 5 ft. after getting what felt like a beach thermal at about 10ft up on approach. Took maybe one step and nothing touched so a good landing overall. I really think this was a poor day full of turbulence in the form of beach thermals. I really noticed this on the hike back to the car. Cool air followed by really warm, moist air, quite a contrast. So no wonder I was having trouble. I was so beat when I got down there was no way I had enough energy left to go again plus I had no idea if the wind would pick up so I packed up and left. I think I left about 2:30.

Take aways: Need to remember to think of launch as though you are throwing it off the hill and at the last second you jump on. I got into trouble today attempting to make the glider pull me off the ground by my armpits which simply stalls the glider unless you have achieved sufficient airspeed which I clearly had not. Running it off while maintaining pressure forward on the twist grips until the glider leaves the hill (my feet can no longer reach the ground) and then leaping onto the cage has been my technique that has worked well for all my past flights. I have never had it want to nose in on launch although it is possible (see the original training film on YouTube).

This sequence of photos starts at the bottom and works up to the top photo showing me getting close to touchdown.

I include a video at the end of this post.

The air was NOT smooth!

In the cage and flying

Kicking up into the cage

Poised to launch from the main "top"

Resting at the first "top"

Two thirds up and fighting turbulent air

Climbing to launch (I'm definitely getting too old for this!)

Video of the entire flight although difficult to really see the landing.

My makeshift ER dolly used to get to the dune.  The beach is closed this year to all motor vehicles (COVID19) so I had to make this just to get to the bottom of the dune.  About a quarter mile walk.

Session #23

Date: July 23, 2019

Cummulative flights to date: 33

Site: Dog Mtn

Vertical to LZ: 1500 ft

Conditions: 10-12 W thermal cycles Sunny and 75+

Harness configuration: shoulder lifters only + chest chute

Assistance: none

Launch: launched about 6PM

The flights: 1

Video/Photos: none

Landing: Hard landing, the joiner gusset deformed but all rivets intact.

Narrative: Had to pay attention at launch. I was there solo and had to horse it around to maintain control during a cycle or two. Got a good light cycle straigth in and punched off. Felt easy as usual, heading straight out. Used step to easily get onto the leading edge. After a few seconds went ahead and deployed the latch on the hammock. Had to pull it under me to tighten it up. Found myself a bit high but decided to stop messing with it at that point and just fly. Flew with left foot propped inside the cage near the gusset to get my trim speed to 25 and used my other leg to modulate from there. I made several passes in the lift but was very cautious and soon fell below launch. My main manuevers were 180’s. No 360’s. As I approached the landing area I spent time searching for my wind streamer which took away from my concentration on landing. Someone had stolen it so after realizing this it was time to position for landing but I was on the east side of the LZ near the tree line. I flew downwind from there and then turned on a partial base leg trying to determine when to go for final. Because of the lower wing totally obscuring my view I could not see the LZ and therefore when I did turn onto base it was immediately apparent I was too high. I followed the same procedure of my last flight here in May and attempted to deploy both rudders and dive. I did not seem to get the great descent rate I got in May and only seemed to gain a lot of speed. I had forgotten to unlatch the hammock and since I was already on final, leaned forward and unlatched it by hand. Came in rather fast and did not get a good flare. Hurt my back lifting the trailer tongue earlier and then finished it off lifting my glider to carry it off the field which made for a very painful hike up to the car. Got to the car around 8:30.

Take aways: Dog LZ potential is very large. Should really go walk the field to assure myself of alternatives should I ever come in too high again. At this point I would say that diving down with both rudders deployed should be done by practice at altitude until I have a really good feel for what I can do. I also need to start thinking about judging when to turn on final by looking at how high I am and not relying on looking at the LZ target (which will always be under my wing and not visible from the cage). Either that or watching my altimeter for the correct altitude to turn onto final but this will also depend on headwind. This will take some trials to get right.