Highland Sat 5/23 ?

All things flight-related for Hang Glider and Paraglider pilots: flying plans, site info, weather, flight reports, etc. Newcomers always welcome!

Moderator: CHGPA BOD

Post Reply
User avatar
markc
Posts: 3204
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2003 12:50 am

Highland Sat 5/23 ?

Post by markc »

Was thinking of giving Highland a try tomorrow, given that it looks
sunnier and less of a t-storm risk than Sunday... But the forecasted
surface winds seem a bit on the strong side. What are others thinking?

MarkC
carweill
Posts: 514
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:58 pm

Re: Highland Sat 5/23 ?

Post by carweill »

I'm thinking Highland.
I'll do a last check tomorrow morning.
Plan is to be on the road early.

Carlos
User avatar
markc
Posts: 3204
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2003 12:50 am

Re: Highland Sat 5/23 ?

Post by markc »

Surface 'cast has been backed down a bit, so I'm headed to Highland!

:)
Ashley Groves
Posts: 247
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2005 9:01 am

Re: Highland Sat 5/23 ?

Post by Ashley Groves »

How was it?
Ashley Groves
KirkLewis
Posts: 77
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:48 pm

Re: Highland Sat 5/23 ?

Post by KirkLewis »

It was great! Well for me anyway, because it was the first time I've gotten to cloudbase. Playing with the wispies was fun! It was just a really interesting day though. It was windy and cross from the runway, so not ideal conditions for towing but as far as I know everyone did fine. Cloudbase was around 3500-3700 so if you released under a cloud you got sucked up to it. It was really light lift until you got quite close to cloudbase and even then it was only around 400-600. The wind aloft was also strong and it wasn't long before you would drift past the field if you circled for very long. My last flight, my most successful, I managed to get upwind to ridgely twice and then drift back to the airport with a cloud. Hoping from cloud to cloud as they came rolling by was just a really cool experience. Kind of reminded me of the game frogger or something haha.

We had the beer hangout thing as usual and several of us stayed until Sunday hoping the weather would be good (it was too windy). Me and Janni tried the dirt surfer/kitewing thing that Adam rides and gave up. It's ridiculously difficult.
RedBaron
Posts: 625
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2006 9:30 am

Re: Highland Sat 5/23 ?

Post by RedBaron »

It was good but I wasn't in the mood for XC. Low cloud base, pretty hot and Carlos loves to make me wait for hours :D so I decided to stay local. Had enough after a half hour but every time I got out of my harness a thermal took me back to cloud base and way downwind of the airport. I tried three times I think before I could finally fly my approach. Landing was pretty rough, lot's of turbulence and quite gusty.
#1 Rogue Pilot
User avatar
markc
Posts: 3204
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2003 12:50 am

Re: Highland Sat 5/23 ?

Post by markc »

It was good! Up near 'base 4 or 5 times (not hard, given that the ceiling was
so low), flew for about an hour and 45 minutes. There were launchable lulls,
though I have to admit that the tow was a rowdy one. I think Zack must have
thought I was nuts for sticking it out to the bitter end... But I'm one of those
who always seems to regret pinning-off early, so I hang on for dear life on tow.

I'm sure there are some snickers about that :lol:

Aloft, the winds were strong and the flying was challenging: Wrong place at
the wrong time and you would be on the deck very quickly. I eventually made
a bad call and it put me on the ground in a matter of minutes.

Really low base.... Drift right towards Dover... No chance (for me at least!)
to significantly jump any streets... Strong conditions... Just didn't seem like
the type of day to try for miles

(I know, I know, you don't improve if you don't go...)

Fun, but I was sore for two days after that flight! :shock:

MarkC
Post Reply