Southern Arizona Hang Glider Association
Looks like a typical light wind day. Should be launchable either at Miller in the morning or Box in the afternoon. Eric's on the training hill.
Could be a trail making day at Box?
Who's interested and able?
Trail Building Guide:
http://www.aztrail-build.org/Desert%20D ... -%20Sm.pdf
Flying Dec 6th. Report Added
Moderators:ioan, John Wolfe, aaroncromer, jlowery
Last edited by morey on Sun Dec 07, 2008 11:11 am, edited 2 times in total.
My thought is to get there around 11:30. Go up and down the first knoll marking, clipping, trimming, wacking- without packs. then haul up the gear and fly 3-5pm. Weather looks OK for flying Box.
I'm thinking that judicious use of highway flagging tape (our normal streamer material) will be useful to mark the trail.
I've got pruners and clippers. Do we need a shovel?
What else will we need? (other than more help)
Just a thought- would a gas powered string trimmer (i.e. weed wacker) help? I don't have one- er... unless someone's got a 20 mile extension cord.
Gunter - I'd love to see ya. C'mon out. We won't make you work (too hard)
I'm thinking that judicious use of highway flagging tape (our normal streamer material) will be useful to mark the trail.
I've got pruners and clippers. Do we need a shovel?
What else will we need? (other than more help)
Just a thought- would a gas powered string trimmer (i.e. weed wacker) help? I don't have one- er... unless someone's got a 20 mile extension cord.
Gunter - I'd love to see ya. C'mon out. We won't make you work (too hard)
Last edited by morey on Fri Dec 05, 2008 8:41 pm, edited 2 times in total.
We now have a trail to the first knoll.
Big thanks to Fred, Terry and Ed.
As predicted, it was pretty light, so flying wasn't anything special. Fred got off first, about 3:20pm methinks. While this should have been the meat of the afternoon, it was vegetarian today. Not too much going on in the sky. Ed was set up on the SW launch next, but the likelihood of a decent cycle dropped as the sun was blotted out by high clouds. Before we knew it, the sun-induced westerly flow was taken over by the prevailing light NNE. So, I set up on the upper North launch, in hopes that a puff would come up. After 15 min of nothing but 1-3 from the NE, I called Ed and Terry over to hold up my wing to catch the air as I pondered attempting a forward launch.
I don't believe that I've ever done a forward launch before outside of kiting practice- certainly not at box. So, I stared at the iffy terrain in front of me for about 5 min, deciding where I was going to step without tripping, rechecking my lines, and watching the wind streamer do pretty much nothing but blow 2mph from the right. Frankly I wasn't sure that this forward launch thing was going to work, and every minute I'd turn around and ask another question of my faithful launch crew. "Would Gunter launch into this?" "Do you think it's too cross?" I had been on launch 20 min now, and didn't see any sign that the magical 8mph puff would ever arrive, and I knew that I needed to make a decision. So- I announced I was going to give it a go, and if I wasn't off the ground by that bush in front of me, that I would just pull the wing down.
step step yank pull step run control run woooosh and before I knew it that little bush passed under me and I was in the air smoother than a freshly waxed coed. It felt great.
Terry was apparently about as eager to hoof it down our new trail as I was, so he too set up on the N launch, and with Ed's help holding the sail, successfully managed an aggressive reverse pull run twist maneuver (so I was told). Ed decided his x-ray wasn't up to the light wind task and seeing as paws aren't useful at holding up a sail, he enjoyed a sunset walk down the new trail with Jammer, Wrangler and his 40lb axe. Potential pilot of the month award here.
A gas powered weed wacker would be a useful tool to bring to Box on our next outing.
Big thanks to Fred, Terry and Ed.
As predicted, it was pretty light, so flying wasn't anything special. Fred got off first, about 3:20pm methinks. While this should have been the meat of the afternoon, it was vegetarian today. Not too much going on in the sky. Ed was set up on the SW launch next, but the likelihood of a decent cycle dropped as the sun was blotted out by high clouds. Before we knew it, the sun-induced westerly flow was taken over by the prevailing light NNE. So, I set up on the upper North launch, in hopes that a puff would come up. After 15 min of nothing but 1-3 from the NE, I called Ed and Terry over to hold up my wing to catch the air as I pondered attempting a forward launch.
I don't believe that I've ever done a forward launch before outside of kiting practice- certainly not at box. So, I stared at the iffy terrain in front of me for about 5 min, deciding where I was going to step without tripping, rechecking my lines, and watching the wind streamer do pretty much nothing but blow 2mph from the right. Frankly I wasn't sure that this forward launch thing was going to work, and every minute I'd turn around and ask another question of my faithful launch crew. "Would Gunter launch into this?" "Do you think it's too cross?" I had been on launch 20 min now, and didn't see any sign that the magical 8mph puff would ever arrive, and I knew that I needed to make a decision. So- I announced I was going to give it a go, and if I wasn't off the ground by that bush in front of me, that I would just pull the wing down.
step step yank pull step run control run woooosh and before I knew it that little bush passed under me and I was in the air smoother than a freshly waxed coed. It felt great.
Terry was apparently about as eager to hoof it down our new trail as I was, so he too set up on the N launch, and with Ed's help holding the sail, successfully managed an aggressive reverse pull run twist maneuver (so I was told). Ed decided his x-ray wasn't up to the light wind task and seeing as paws aren't useful at holding up a sail, he enjoyed a sunset walk down the new trail with Jammer, Wrangler and his 40lb axe. Potential pilot of the month award here.
A gas powered weed wacker would be a useful tool to bring to Box on our next outing.