Southern Arizona Hang Glider Association
Eric, Rafael and I are headed to Oatman for the day on Saturday. They're having a little fly-in. Predicted S11-13, not terribly high top of lift but it looks like it might be good. Sunday looks lighter, S7, and lower.
Jason Otto also said he was going, I haven't heard from anyone else locally but it looks like there might be a bunch of Phoenix guys there as well.
John
Saturday HG (report added)
Moderators:ioan, John Wolfe, aaroncromer, jlowery
Last edited by jlowery on Tue Nov 15, 2011 9:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Oatman report
Saturday turned out to be a really nice day for flying.
Eric Smith, his student <s>Tim</s> Ken, Rafael Ramirez, and I arrived around 10:30 and found about 10 HG already set up waiting on conditions. There wasn't much room left to set up, so we staged our gear waiting for someone to move out. It was still blowing SE but it was clear and warm and it was only a matter of time before it blew in. Jason Otto was already there, and Eric Tucker and Raquel arrived shortly after.
When it finally started blowing in on launch, S about 12-15, the first ones off were Shawn Jarrell on his topless and Andy <s>Rockhold</s> Ide on his brand-new Sport2. They got a little over, but it was still a bit early and then ended up scratching down to early landings after maybe 20 minutes in the air.
Things picked up to 15-18 in a bit, and people started hucking themselves off the hill in earnest. By the time those guys were getting high the rest of us were hurrying to finish setting up.
By the time us laggards got to launch the overcast had moved in and it looked like it might be over. We waited what seemed like a long time, and finally got more sunlight and great conditions. The rest of us got launched and soared around the ridge, never getting stinking high but having a good time.
Rafael and I landed after about an hour each, Eric Tucker and Eric Smith each got something like 2.5 hours. Shawn and Andy even went back up for another flight in the glass-off and were in the air before the last of the first shift landed.
I got maybe 900 over, but I'm pretty sure there were some guys that got 2k over. Everyone flew and everyone had decent takeoffs and landings.
Saturday was the day. Mostly sunny, cool, breezy, and no bent aluminum. Sunday looks like it was as wet there as it was here in Tucson.
John
Fixed some names that my geriatric memory mangled. Sorry, guys.
Eric Smith, his student <s>Tim</s> Ken, Rafael Ramirez, and I arrived around 10:30 and found about 10 HG already set up waiting on conditions. There wasn't much room left to set up, so we staged our gear waiting for someone to move out. It was still blowing SE but it was clear and warm and it was only a matter of time before it blew in. Jason Otto was already there, and Eric Tucker and Raquel arrived shortly after.
When it finally started blowing in on launch, S about 12-15, the first ones off were Shawn Jarrell on his topless and Andy <s>Rockhold</s> Ide on his brand-new Sport2. They got a little over, but it was still a bit early and then ended up scratching down to early landings after maybe 20 minutes in the air.
Things picked up to 15-18 in a bit, and people started hucking themselves off the hill in earnest. By the time those guys were getting high the rest of us were hurrying to finish setting up.
By the time us laggards got to launch the overcast had moved in and it looked like it might be over. We waited what seemed like a long time, and finally got more sunlight and great conditions. The rest of us got launched and soared around the ridge, never getting stinking high but having a good time.
Rafael and I landed after about an hour each, Eric Tucker and Eric Smith each got something like 2.5 hours. Shawn and Andy even went back up for another flight in the glass-off and were in the air before the last of the first shift landed.
I got maybe 900 over, but I'm pretty sure there were some guys that got 2k over. Everyone flew and everyone had decent takeoffs and landings.
Saturday was the day. Mostly sunny, cool, breezy, and no bent aluminum. Sunday looks like it was as wet there as it was here in Tucson.
John
Fixed some names that my geriatric memory mangled. Sorry, guys.
Last edited by jlowery on Thu Nov 17, 2011 2:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The sport2 pilot was Andy Ide.
We were mostly climbing to about 4000 before the shade, then it got a little lighter. After the cumulus moved in when the sun came out again, I got to base at 7800. Later in the glassoff just before sunset, 4000 was maintainable in ridge lift.
Dust filled the air near sunset and lots of pilots landed in anticipation of more wind that never came.
Overall decent day, wish we had a group keen on going north because we could have made good distance.
We were mostly climbing to about 4000 before the shade, then it got a little lighter. After the cumulus moved in when the sun came out again, I got to base at 7800. Later in the glassoff just before sunset, 4000 was maintainable in ridge lift.
Dust filled the air near sunset and lots of pilots landed in anticipation of more wind that never came.
Overall decent day, wish we had a group keen on going north because we could have made good distance.