just a thought

[deveil]

here goes...two cents(and more), unsolicited.

subject: launching

where i'm coming from:
hang gliding is a learned skill
and that everyone who flys is capable of having good, solid launch technique.
just because one doesn't have it Now,
or just because one hasn't latched on to all the intricacies as of yet,
doesn't mean the 'stuff' isn't there to be had
or that everyone can't be pretty much as solid as the best of us.
sometimes it just needs to be
that some one breaks it down into digestable parts.

here's an idea for II's & III's for the pulpit.
it's dependent on the more experience pilots with solid technique to make themselves availble and perhaps even be a little forward.

on a day when the air is coming in pretty straight and laminar
even if you would not normally be inclined to fly in it.
request to have someone take you up on to launch and give you a brush up on things.
to keep things less complicated, have only ONE person running this exercise with you
(along with people on your wires of course).
experiment with how various things affect your glider, it's stability, your comfort.
further forward or back.
a little to the left or right of where you are positioned.
one wing moved forward or back a little bit.
your nose up or down just a bit.
how the smoothness of picking the thing up affects your wire crew, and the resultant feedback.
the difference between air lifting the wing and the two wingmen working against each other.
how little force you may actually need from your wingmen.

register how these different things are afffecting your glider.
at a time when you have NO INTENTION of launching.
for the purpose of being able to better identify what is going on with your wing
(and make adjustments) at the times you are intending to fly.

i'm not out there to know all the goings on,
so please don't think i think that you think that i think...

yeah, i DO know the one about everyone having an opinion
as well as an excretory orifice
AND their similarities.

it sure is a cool thing, flyin' them hang gliders.

garyD

[hepcat1989]

Gary, Thanks.
Nice insight! Food for thought.
Shawn.

[Marco Zee]

I am not advocating that anyone try this, as the sages from yesteryear raised valid concerns & reasons not to do so, but.......

I, perhaps from my windsurfing experience, used to like to go to the white marsh training hill (SW facing) on high wind days (20-30MPH), and practice controlling the glider, and even launching, in these high winds, IF they were coming straight in.

I found that when I flew at the mountain sites in normal to stronger conditions, controlling the glider was "very familiar" to me because of my training hill experiences in high wind. Mind you, I had a very easy handling, forgiving Pulse to fly. On several occasions, I was able to launch & briefly soar the training hill, not unlike old pros at the Smithsburg site.

I suppose the optimum situation would involve some experienced mountain pilots helping the II's and III's on the training hill in strong conditions, to assist them in familiarizing them with "mountain-like" conditions, without the risk of being sucked off the ramp or thrown off a cliff. It would also be good practice to learn to communicate effectively and work with a wire crew in these conditions.

Marco

[Kurt Hirrlinger]

I'll echo the thought Marco, and not just for the IIs & IIIs. It's the best way to stay in shape and tuned in. Although I've only been flying for five years I still get a kick out of my training hills. It keeps my confidence high and reminds me of some serious dont's. 20 mph is pretty unforgiving and you can re-learn some lessons the hard way, but if your carefull in can be a lot of fun. I'm not sure it can be called soaring but I've made four passes @ Smithsburg on one flight and flew to the base of the knowl out front on another. I visit several little hills within a few miles of my house regularly, and on one fine day I did several one-step-onto-the-elevator launches @ the high school. It's a really cool feeling. If it's to stinky to fly high get a little practice on balancing, pitch control, ground handling and even unhooking in strong conditions just in case it becomes necessary.

[deveil]

... without the risk of being sucked off the ramp or thrown off a cliff.
Marco

consistent with pilots that i've met , a certain level of judgement and a capacity for critical thinking was assumed.

[brianvh]

What Marco was talking about is exactly why it's always been advocated that people go to smithsburg to play around in winds you wouldn't normally think about flying in the mountains. If you can handle the extremes then you should be able to handle launch conditions. Though ramp/cliff launches will feel VERY different than slope launches in high winds.

I've introduced what Gary's talking about at High Rock already with new H2's, though I like the idea of revisiting it several times both there and at the pulpit for the sake of practice and habituation. I'd say that anyone who (a) has only launched at each site less than 10 times or (b) hasn't flown either site for more than six months, should take a wire crew up there and do exactly what Gary says. Or if you're there in conditions you haven't flown in before, do it then just for yucks. Then back down, take a breather, and go back up for the real launch.

[deveil]

nicely tied together. is that a diplomatic posting you're taking in new york?

just to be clear - all the launches i'd seen at the pulpit were basically good, safe launches - didn't mean to imply otherwise.
i Was meaning to be encouraging to all of yous guys involved on both sides of the process.
just thought i'd add a fresh voice.
( one that doesn't wear funny hats )

[jimrooney]

Good stuff man.
Never hurts to practice.