Southern Arizona Hang Glider Association
I have contacted WW to arrange a Craters Demo Dazes this year for 9-10-11 Oct- 09. If you have a particular glider you would like to fly please contact me to make sure it is available. All pilots are welcome.
Thank you
Eric
520-405-3814
Wills Wing Demo Daze
Moderators:ioan, John Wolfe, aaroncromer, jlowery
Now Ozone PGs, too
AHGA's Carlos M. reports that he'll have a number of Ozone PGs for demo daze as well.
http://ahga.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3760
Sounds like it's going to be a pretty good event.
John
http://ahga.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3760
Sounds like it's going to be a pretty good event.
John
Demo Daze plans
I'm throwing on with Eric and headed up to Flagstaff Wednesday evening, weather cooperating. He's got a big crew of students planning on showing up for training and first flights before the demos start. I hope to get some flying of my own, plus demo a U2 and maybe a Talon if conditions are mild. Just window shopping this time...
Eric, and the AHGA's Mark Knight and Carlos M. (PG) will be the dealers participating that I've heard of so far. Wills wing (HG) and Ozone (PG) wings available to demo.
Too early to get a read on weather other than the nights will be chilly and there are no big weather systems expected. I bought a 0 degree sleeping bag for the trip, the Weather Channel 10-day has the nights between 28 and 30. So here's a question for the camping experts: should I get a 20 or 25 degree bag instead?
Any one else planning on going?
John
Eric, and the AHGA's Mark Knight and Carlos M. (PG) will be the dealers participating that I've heard of so far. Wills wing (HG) and Ozone (PG) wings available to demo.
Too early to get a read on weather other than the nights will be chilly and there are no big weather systems expected. I bought a 0 degree sleeping bag for the trip, the Weather Channel 10-day has the nights between 28 and 30. So here's a question for the camping experts: should I get a 20 or 25 degree bag instead?
Any one else planning on going?
John
Demo Daze`s up date-
Mike Meier`s will be coming from Wills Wing.
The WW crew will not have a 4x4, I will if you need a ride up the Craters and do not have 4WD. We Azairfoils and students will be on site from Thursday - Sunday. The Demo`s are scheduled for Friday -Sat - Sunday.
High winds or inclimate weather could shorten this time frame, call for up dates-520-405-3814. I will be on site so that could save you a long drive.
( Bring the cold weather bag- you can always leave it unzipped)
If you would like to fly a particular glider get in touch with me. I will try and accomadate you. WW will not have every size of ever glider with them.
Thank you
SAHGA Flight Director
Eric
Mike Meier`s will be coming from Wills Wing.
The WW crew will not have a 4x4, I will if you need a ride up the Craters and do not have 4WD. We Azairfoils and students will be on site from Thursday - Sunday. The Demo`s are scheduled for Friday -Sat - Sunday.
High winds or inclimate weather could shorten this time frame, call for up dates-520-405-3814. I will be on site so that could save you a long drive.
( Bring the cold weather bag- you can always leave it unzipped)
If you would like to fly a particular glider get in touch with me. I will try and accomadate you. WW will not have every size of ever glider with them.
Thank you
SAHGA Flight Director
Eric
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Raven
Peering out of my hole
Depending on weather and my ability to get my window fixed and I finagle a way to load my glider up (still sans rack), I may actually show up on Saturday or Sunday. Real life and a real job has really plowed me under.
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chicken hawk
- Posts:134
- Joined:Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:38 pm
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Raven
My plan
Making it up as I go along. The wife and daughter fly out Saturday morning. I think I've side-stepped having to take them to the airport. I'm saddled with the two boys all week. With my schedule, I doubt I could get my wing over to you. I might just drive on up for a few days with or without my wing...hopefully with. We'll see. Thanks for the offer.
-rick
-rick
Great Jerry Dalen video from Demo Daze 2005. A number of SAHGA pilots are in the video. Check it out, get psyched.
http://ahga.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3802
http://ahga.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3802
Demo Daze report
It was a productive Demo Daze for everyone.
The weather was excellent through Saturday, although Sunday was blown out. Wills Wing's Mike Meier was there with a trailer full of demo hang gliders. AHGA's Carlos M. brought out a bunch of Ozone paraglider demos.
As the Tucson contingent, Rafael Ramirez, Orrin Smith and his sons Sorrin and Taylor, and their friend Tyler, and PGers Terry and Sherry Kowing met up with Eric and I and Eric's senior class of five new pilots: Bill, Clayton, Davis, Jerrod and Josh.
Eric's students worked on the training hill on Thursday morning before the crowd arrived for Demo Daze. Josh had to leave to work for the rest of the weekend, but Bill, Clayton, Davis and Jerrod all got their first altitude flights from Sheba on Friday, took their H1 tests and got two more altitude flights from Sheba and Merriam before the winds shut us down for the weekend Saturday evening.
Carlos also had a number of what appeared to be student pilots, and it looked like they were getting some good flights as well.
While we were trying to check out conditions on the top of Merriam Thursday afternoon, Eric found that his 4wd wasn't working. Orrin and Rafael would do yoeman work hauling pilots and gliders in support of training and Demo Daze the rest of the weekend.
Friday the demos started. There was a pretty light turnout that day, and I took advantage by getting a demo on a U2 160. I managed to find a few little thermals in the weak, high-pressure conditions and got a 35 minute flight at up to 900 over, sharing a thermal briefly with Mike Meier test-flying a tandem Flacon, before *way* overshooting my poor landing, justly earning me a bit of ribbing from the assembled pilots. Orrin did way better in a demo U2, staying up over an hour in light conditions. He liked the glider well enough that he's ordered one to replace his venerable old Klassic. Rafael also got a nice flight in his Falcon. There were a number of other demos that day, but the bulk of the Phoenix pilots would show up in flyer's camp Friday evening for Saturday's flights.
Saturday was much better attended. A lot of Phoenix pilots showed up, although it wasn't nearly as busy as some of the events in the early 2000s. But it made it much nicer on top and in the LZ, with sufficient room to set up gliders and no long lines to arrange demos. Orrin got another nice flight on his Klassic in the very light lift under a high, thin overcast. The best I was able to do in my Sport2 was an extended sledder. Most of the other flights that day were extended sledders as conditions gradually got even weaker. Finally, at the end of the day, three demo pilots and Eric's four remaining students were set up on top of Merriam waiting for a breath of wind on launch when the wind switched from northeast to southwest. It went from 0-3 northeast to 30 mph southwest in a period of maybe 15 minutes. We struggled to pack up flapping gliders in the gale, finally getting everything secured and driving down to the LZ as the sun set.
Saturday night in flyer's camp featured a pot-luck put on by the Phoenix pilots, starring two deep-fried turkeys. The last of us turned in around midnight.
Sunday morning came with little gusts blowing through the campground, and lennies overhead. It was going to blow, so we decided to break camp and head back to Tucson.
Great event. There were no blown launches and no serious bad landings, and no injuries that I'm aware of. The camping was chilly but I had a great time, and it certainly looked like everyone else did as well. My congratulations to Bill, Clayton, Davis and Jerrod on their brand-new H1 ratings, and to Orrin on that new U2 he's got on order. Thanks to Eric for his efforts in persuading Wills to come back to Demo Daze after a four-year hiatus, and to the AHGA for the pot-luck and for providing the porta-potties at flyer's camp and the Sheba LZ.
John
The weather was excellent through Saturday, although Sunday was blown out. Wills Wing's Mike Meier was there with a trailer full of demo hang gliders. AHGA's Carlos M. brought out a bunch of Ozone paraglider demos.
As the Tucson contingent, Rafael Ramirez, Orrin Smith and his sons Sorrin and Taylor, and their friend Tyler, and PGers Terry and Sherry Kowing met up with Eric and I and Eric's senior class of five new pilots: Bill, Clayton, Davis, Jerrod and Josh.
Eric's students worked on the training hill on Thursday morning before the crowd arrived for Demo Daze. Josh had to leave to work for the rest of the weekend, but Bill, Clayton, Davis and Jerrod all got their first altitude flights from Sheba on Friday, took their H1 tests and got two more altitude flights from Sheba and Merriam before the winds shut us down for the weekend Saturday evening.
Carlos also had a number of what appeared to be student pilots, and it looked like they were getting some good flights as well.
While we were trying to check out conditions on the top of Merriam Thursday afternoon, Eric found that his 4wd wasn't working. Orrin and Rafael would do yoeman work hauling pilots and gliders in support of training and Demo Daze the rest of the weekend.
Friday the demos started. There was a pretty light turnout that day, and I took advantage by getting a demo on a U2 160. I managed to find a few little thermals in the weak, high-pressure conditions and got a 35 minute flight at up to 900 over, sharing a thermal briefly with Mike Meier test-flying a tandem Flacon, before *way* overshooting my poor landing, justly earning me a bit of ribbing from the assembled pilots. Orrin did way better in a demo U2, staying up over an hour in light conditions. He liked the glider well enough that he's ordered one to replace his venerable old Klassic. Rafael also got a nice flight in his Falcon. There were a number of other demos that day, but the bulk of the Phoenix pilots would show up in flyer's camp Friday evening for Saturday's flights.
Saturday was much better attended. A lot of Phoenix pilots showed up, although it wasn't nearly as busy as some of the events in the early 2000s. But it made it much nicer on top and in the LZ, with sufficient room to set up gliders and no long lines to arrange demos. Orrin got another nice flight on his Klassic in the very light lift under a high, thin overcast. The best I was able to do in my Sport2 was an extended sledder. Most of the other flights that day were extended sledders as conditions gradually got even weaker. Finally, at the end of the day, three demo pilots and Eric's four remaining students were set up on top of Merriam waiting for a breath of wind on launch when the wind switched from northeast to southwest. It went from 0-3 northeast to 30 mph southwest in a period of maybe 15 minutes. We struggled to pack up flapping gliders in the gale, finally getting everything secured and driving down to the LZ as the sun set.
Saturday night in flyer's camp featured a pot-luck put on by the Phoenix pilots, starring two deep-fried turkeys. The last of us turned in around midnight.
Sunday morning came with little gusts blowing through the campground, and lennies overhead. It was going to blow, so we decided to break camp and head back to Tucson.
Great event. There were no blown launches and no serious bad landings, and no injuries that I'm aware of. The camping was chilly but I had a great time, and it certainly looked like everyone else did as well. My congratulations to Bill, Clayton, Davis and Jerrod on their brand-new H1 ratings, and to Orrin on that new U2 he's got on order. Thanks to Eric for his efforts in persuading Wills to come back to Demo Daze after a four-year hiatus, and to the AHGA for the pot-luck and for providing the porta-potties at flyer's camp and the Sheba LZ.
John
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sorinorrin
- Posts:33
- Joined:Tue Mar 31, 2009 10:34 pm
great post John. It was lots of fun. my boys made demo days t shirts to sell to make a few bucks. They had a few left over. They will be for sale at the meeting Tue for ten bucks.
Taylor my youngest ten years old got to do a tandom flight with Charlie an instructor from New Mexico. It made his weekend. He convinced he needs a falcon 140.
I ended up with 3 flights. 2 of them a little over an hour and one a little over a half hour. You had to work your butt off to stay up but thats what made it so fun when you did.
Thanks Eric for a great weekend. Keep up the good work with those students
Taylor my youngest ten years old got to do a tandom flight with Charlie an instructor from New Mexico. It made his weekend. He convinced he needs a falcon 140.
I ended up with 3 flights. 2 of them a little over an hour and one a little over a half hour. You had to work your butt off to stay up but thats what made it so fun when you did.
Thanks Eric for a great weekend. Keep up the good work with those students
once you have tasted flight you will forever walk the earth looking skyward for there you have been and there you long to return.
Demo Dazes/ Training
Demo Days 09
Thursday the 8th started out with five of my students and I looking for a good place to practice true foot launched flight. Only one student Clayton had ever foot launched unassisted. This would be my first experience with students transitioning from scooter tow foot launch to foot launching from a slope. Thanks to Orrin, John and Rafael`s help we accomplished a few foot launches. Josh,Davis,Bill,Jarad and Clayton all showed good foot launch skills. This and several weeks of scooter tow training, allowed me to let the students fly from Sheba the following morning! Merriams the following day and Sheba again on Sat morning!
The weekend of flying went well, per Johns post.
My thanks to the AHGA and my friends- John, Rafael and Orrin for there help. I even put Soarin and Tylor to work helping ground handle- could not have accomplished so much with out everyones help! Many thanks to Mark knight for his help packing up gliders in the LZ and all his organizational efforts!
Last but not least many thanks to Mike from Wills Wings for his support
( and all the nice crisp gliders to fly!) Also thanks to Charlie for taking Taylor on a tandem- he was persistant in his quest for another tandem- you made it happen. Allowing me to work with my students.
I enjoyed seeing many of my old friends and putting several in Demo gliders. John`s U2 flight looked good to me he got back up and soared around when others were sinking out- made WW look good! Orrin soared his as-- off as usual! His transition into the U2 was seamless! Scratching up and staying there!
Great extended weekend of Training/Flying.
Eric
Thursday the 8th started out with five of my students and I looking for a good place to practice true foot launched flight. Only one student Clayton had ever foot launched unassisted. This would be my first experience with students transitioning from scooter tow foot launch to foot launching from a slope. Thanks to Orrin, John and Rafael`s help we accomplished a few foot launches. Josh,Davis,Bill,Jarad and Clayton all showed good foot launch skills. This and several weeks of scooter tow training, allowed me to let the students fly from Sheba the following morning! Merriams the following day and Sheba again on Sat morning!
The weekend of flying went well, per Johns post.
My thanks to the AHGA and my friends- John, Rafael and Orrin for there help. I even put Soarin and Tylor to work helping ground handle- could not have accomplished so much with out everyones help! Many thanks to Mark knight for his help packing up gliders in the LZ and all his organizational efforts!
Last but not least many thanks to Mike from Wills Wings for his support
( and all the nice crisp gliders to fly!) Also thanks to Charlie for taking Taylor on a tandem- he was persistant in his quest for another tandem- you made it happen. Allowing me to work with my students.
I enjoyed seeing many of my old friends and putting several in Demo gliders. John`s U2 flight looked good to me he got back up and soared around when others were sinking out- made WW look good! Orrin soared his as-- off as usual! His transition into the U2 was seamless! Scratching up and staying there!
Great extended weekend of Training/Flying.
Eric
Last edited by Eric on Thu Oct 15, 2009 9:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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diverdriver
- Posts:40
- Joined:Wed Apr 28, 2004 5:26 am
- Location:Phoenix
Re: Demo Days video
Cool video - thanks, Jerry!