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.