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.
No comments:
Post a Comment