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Low Level Ridge Running and a Cool Down Flight

Rocketman

Rocketman

Rockets Up
Contributor
Thought I'd give you guys a break from all that nasty JP5.

Running the ridge along Mt Palomar - Full Screen Version
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=760598&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed

Running the ridge along Mt Palomar. - Normal Screen

More ridge running at Mt Palomar. This time with Allen Jackson along for some reason.

Massanutten Ridge - Change of Pace

Tandem Flight at Morningside - Makes the pretty lady smile

A Nuget Takes a Short One at Big Sur
 
wlawr005

wlawr005

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
awesome videos...maybe I don't know enough about it, but hang gliding looks scary as shit to me.
 
Rocketman

Rocketman

Rockets Up
Contributor
wlawr005 said:
awesome videos...maybe I don't know enough about it, but hang gliding looks scary as shit to me.
Click to expand...

The best way to explain that is just to just say that people are afraid of what they don't understand. I started hang gliding in the early 80's. I've flown all over the US and have one injury to show for it. I broke my collar bone about 5 years ago.

I look at it as a sport that is extreamly rewarding but one that carries a little more than average risk. Just like scuba diving, it isn't very forgiving of serious errors. Especially errors in judgement. At least with hang gliding you still have O2 to breath while you are trying to unfook yourself. Although a HG breaking up in flight is extreamly rare, everyone carries a chute too. No exceptions.

Most weight shift HGs are easy to fly to the point that it becomes natural, like walking or riding a bike. You want to fly straight but feel yourself begining to "lean" to the left you just shift your weight slightly to the right to correct. You want to turn left just move your weight to the left. Left diving turn, weight left and forward.

The big problem here in NC is that all of our landing fields are very restricted. They always have been, but more new houses, trees, barns and barbed wire show up every year. I don't fly HGs enough any more to stay real current so that's a problem. I'm very careful about where and when I go in NC. Other states are different.

Anyway that's why they make sailplanes. For old farts like me.
 
wlawr005

wlawr005

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Didn't know that there was a parachute involved...that was one of the scary parts for me...:D
 
picklesuit

picklesuit

Dirty Hinge
pilot
Contributor
I almost ran over two of your hang-gliding buddies out by Lake Chelan two weekends ago...I don't know who was more scared, me, or them...of course if I saw the smoking behemoth that is the War-Pig bearing down on me...
 
Schnugg

Schnugg

It's gettin' a bit dramatic 'round here...
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Looks like flathatting to me. Legal for a glider pilot i assume.
 
Rocketman

Rocketman

Rockets Up
Contributor
picklesuit said:
I almost ran over two of your hang-gliding buddies out by Lake Chelan two weekends ago...I don't know who was more scared, me, or them...of course if I saw the smoking behemoth that is the War-Pig bearing down on me...
Click to expand...

Chelan is a popular site. It won't be the last time you see hang gliders at altitude there. I know for damn sure who was more scared. They were. That said, maybe using two of your props to chop up 60 lbs of aluminum tubing, 160 sq ft of kevlar and mylar, not to mention a 180lb pilot, is not good for a P3 either. Think a BIG bird strike.

It's been at least 15 years ago but one time in Western NC near Boone I had a B52 pass about 1500 ft directly below me. I saw him coming down the valley but all I could do was 360 to flash my wings and hope he picked me up. That scared the shit out of me. It wasn't the only time we saw military aircraft up there but it was the only time I've ever seen one while I was in the air.

wlawr005 said:
Didn't know that there was a parachute involved...that was one of the scary parts for me...:D
Click to expand...

wlawr005 I know you crewed a helo in your youth but just so you know the parachute is supposed to help you out of a jam not get you into one.

If they do it long enough everybody who is good enough to do multiple loops in a hang glider eventually gets to test his chute. This guy isn't very good but he gets to test his anyway. Bet you thought that only jet studs needed centrifuge time.

 
picklesuit

picklesuit

Dirty Hinge
pilot
Contributor
Rocketman said:
If they do it long enough everybody who is good enough to do multiple loops in a hang glider eventually gets to test his chute. This guy isn't very good but he gets to test his anyway. Bet you thought that only jet studs needed centrifuge time.

video
Click to expand...

Fuck...That...Shit!
 
Rocketman

Rocketman

Rockets Up
Contributor
picklesuit said:
Fuck...That...Shit!
Click to expand...

Roger that. Most racing class gliders are stressed for some pretty stiff pos g loads. Even the lowest performance classification in the US requires that a utility HG must be tested to a min of 4.4g. I don't know what he was flying but it looked like the last part of his flight had loads of slip in it. A slip in a high performance HG wing creates very little drag believe it or not. Your speed in a slipping dive can exceed Vne pretty damn fast. That and a quick yank on the pitch might break even a mighty War Pig.

Except for the occasional wing over, that's why mine always stays right side up.
 
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