And the third P2 is....

[Susannah]

Hi, I'm the third P2 Clare and Stan mentioned in their posts. I did my maiden flight on Sunday at Bill's, where conditions were actually good enough for 3 flights.
I now have a full-blown addiction to paragliding.

As soon as I get my gear I'm going to begin a hunt for observers. Any suggestions?

Also, I'll be out of town for most of the summer, but would still like to fly as much as possible. I'll be based in Beaufort, N.C. (on the coast) with limited access to a car. I've heard of some great sites a few hours inland (read: 6 hour drive), but I'd welcome any further information.

Nice to meet y'all.

Susannah

[Matthew]

Congrats Susannah!!!

A list of Observers by state, with contact info, is at http://www.ushpa.aero under rating officals.

In the area the most active PG Observers are me, Ellis, Jim Kaplan and Laslo.

Just give any of us a call.

Matthew

[pink_albatross]

Congratulations, Susannah, I look forward to flying with you! Hopefully this weekend! I'm sorry to have missed your maiden flights last weekend (stupid flu or whatever it was).
-- ellis

[hang_pilot]

I did my maiden flight on Sunday at Bill's, where conditions were actually good enough for 3 flights.

My congratulations, again, Susannah, and also to Juanito for fledging you and your buddies. I think it's so cool that you came up with this crazy paragliding idea, got some friends on-board with you and just did it!

I'll be out of town for most of the summer, but would still like to fly as much as possible. I'll be based in Beaufort, N.C. (on the coast) with limited access to a car.

I think you're pretty much hosed as far as flying goes while you're "stuck" at the beach with no car, but you should have some great kiting opportunities there with the consistent sea breezes. So when you come back I expect you to be totally proficient.

I've heard of some great sites a few hours inland (read: 6 hour drive), but I'd welcome any further information.

Check out Moore Mtn: http://www.southernparapilots.org. Daniel's Mtn near Charlottesville, VA is closer and you should be able to round up a CHGPA observer there for a good SW day.

Cheers,
Daniel

P.S. Let us know if the diving is any good.

[Susannah]

Thanks for the observer info. I'll probably work with Juanito as my observer until my gear comes in, but that will probably happen just as I leave for the summer. I intend to be pretty active in the fall though, so observers: prepare to be hassled a lot in September/October!

Since I can't seem to stop prattling about my first flights to friends at GW, I've awakened several people to the possibility of learning to hang glide or paraglide in the area. What type of information should I be sending them?

I hope I get to see some of you this weekend!

Susannah

(Daniel, I'll definitely have a ton of diving info to send you by the end of the summer!)

[mcelrah]

As I learned again while attempting dune soaring out in California last week, an important skill for beach flying is being able to kite your wing upside down to get the sand out. You first shake the sand out of the wingtips (which lack openings in the leading edge) toward the center, then launch normally to 30-45 degrees above the ground, rotate the wing so it is leading edge down, then bounce it up and down between say 30 and 45 degrees (with controls reversed, natch - so using brakes to bring the wing up and A lines to bring it down) and watch pounds of sand come out. Now , this is what I saw demonstrated - I don't pretend I can actually accomplish this myself. If you learn, come back and teach the rest of us! Congrats on that P2! Wonder if there is a scooter tow operation where you will be... - Hugh

[charlieg]

I've actually done the "up side down sand removal" trick. You do exactly as Hugh has described, except in my experience you don't have to start with the wing right side up and rotate -- you just start with the wing up side down and pull on the "D's" to bring it up, and the "A's" to bring it back down (hold all the D's in one hand and all the A's in the other and see saw the wing by pulling with one hand and then the other to get bouncing effect Hugh mentions). Works like a charm.
Charlie

[Susannah]

Thanks. I'm worried about damaging my new glider with sand, so I'll probably spend time kiting on soccer fields instead of the beach. Unless someone has a really old glider they would like to donate/ part with for very little?