Launch/landing area and highstart setup

[intheswamp]

I've been wondering about the correct setup for my highstart. It sounds like most folks land at or near their launch site.

At our hayfield we've got a ~150'x50' area mowed short on top of a hill situated more or less in the center of the hayfield. I guess the only way to make my launch site be located in the mowed area would be to peg the chute down where I want the launch site to be and then stretch the highstart out to a pre-determined length and anchor the latex end at that point.

I had initially thought that rolling the line up first on the reel was correct being as the nylon line would lay neatly around the reel. If the line is rolled on over the tubing then it could creep down in between the layers of tubing underneath it. But, with the line on the outside you could peg the chute and pre-determine your launch spot.

Am I making any sense at all? Comments?
Ed
Intheswamp... :Dning

[fhhuber506771]

Rolling the line first I find to be best unless you have a spool that can keep the line and rubber separated. When I tried winding the line on the surgical tubing I always ended up with tangles (as you predicted.) An option that cures BOTh problems of prelocating the start point and winding out fronm there is 2 spools... wind the line on onw.. rubber on another. Have split rings both ends of hte line and both ends of the rubber. Connect the chute/streamer (I use streamers) on the convenient end.. roll out.. connect the rubber.. roll out.. stake it down.


However.. 150X50 ft is woefully inadequate space for a high-start

[SoCalGliderFlyr]

Just what I was going to state. You need a good 300 feet for a decent hi-start lay out.

Wind the line on first. Pull the rubber off of the anchor and untwist it before you wind it loosly on top of the line.

Never leave the hi-start stretched out for any length of time. No more than it takes to get the sailplane and attach it. That is with the sailplane within a few steps from the parachute.

I try to land on the parachute so I can hook the Mako up and walk back with the line. plane and transmitter. All I need to do is turn and launch once the hi-start is stretched.

[fhhuber506771]

:p my High start has 500 ft of STRING. Then theres the rubber.. then the stretch distance... Plan on 800 ft (or more.. depending on the High Start...)

http://www.dynaflite.com/accys/dyfp8301.html This one has 350 ft string and 100 ft rubber... and recommends an 800 ft field.

[jgleigh]

To avoid tangles, keep the string and the rubber on separate reels with some kind of (strong) snap-link to join them.

[eightwgt]

DONT buy a Dynaflight highstart ( or any Dynaflight product)

Trust me they are JUNK.... I just bought one standard AND the 'heavy'

Go to North East Sail planes and look at the high starts - I got the standard - VERY nice....

There are others out there also... just do not buy the Dynaflight... ESPECIALLY a standard... it will BARELY launch a Gentle Lady - my brother just got one

[intheswamp]

Oops... Let me clarify myself. The mowed area of the field is basically our electric plane field and *hopefully* sailplane landing area. The tubing on my highstart is 100' so, yes, the area would indeed be woefully short to stretch it out in that limited area. When I stretch the highstart it goes extends well out into the hayfield...the mowed area is a very small portion of the highstart layout.

What I was curious about was using the mowed area for the actual launch spot and for landings and how to get the chute to end up at the mowed area once the highstart is stretched out for launching. I think my idea of pegging the chute in the mowed area and measuring the tubing end with my scales will put me at the correct peg location for the highstart.

Here's a topo shot of the flying field...hmm, anybody got any thoughts where the thermals will be generating from, the prevailing wind is *normally* from the southwest. In case you can read the small print the mowed area is the small blue oblong shaped area.

Ed
Intheswamp... :Dning

[Thermalin]

what site is that to get the topographical map... Looking for some land for a new home and this looks like wouild most helpful !

I agree with landing by the chute and walking back with everything...good practice to hit "the spot"... though after a short time.. you will know where to land and also be at the correct "stretched distance".
Mike

[Thermalin]

bummer.. 99 beans
if anyone is interested... http://www.delorme.com/quads/default.asp
Mike

[rdwoebke]

Hello Mr. Swamp,

I have also been through your delema. I wind my chute in rubber first then line. I have a big orange "electrical cord" winder and don't have an issue with tangles. The line just winds over the top of the rubber. Using this method and staking the chute (or having a buddy hold it), you can get an approximate "launch site". I have the NSP standard high start. The handy thing about this method is that you have to go "un stake" it anyway, so you can leave the big orange winder beside the place you staked your high start (this helps find the stake area in high grass), unstake it, and then you can stand there and wind the line back.

I have also struggled with the idea of the hay field and the "mown launch area". It works OK, but when there is wind shifts or you release in the wrong area the chute ends up drifting into the high hay anyway. A pain, but if this is the best field you have something that can be worked around with practice. Most recently I have flown from a field with soccor goals and football goals. Same kind of idea but this time you lay the high start out and release from the line hoping to avoid the line blowing over a goal.

Ryan

P.S., you should change your name to "in the hay field". ;)

[SoCalGliderFlyr]

800 feet! That is not a challenge. But then if you don't know how to work a thermal I guess its why they call it a "glider".

Go online for topo's:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=16&n=3510648&e=561376&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25

[intheswamp]

Hello Mr. Swamp,

I have also been through your delema. I wind my chute in rubber first then line. I have a big orange "electrical cord" winder and don't have an issue with tangles. The line just winds over the top of the rubber. Using this method and staking the chute (or having a buddy hold it), you can get an approximate "launch site". I have the NSP standard high start. The handy thing about this method is that you have to go "un stake" it anyway, so you can leave the big orange winder beside the place you staked your high start (this helps find the stake area in high grass), unstake it, and then you can stand there and wind the line back.

I have also struggled with the idea of the hay field and the "mown launch area". It works OK, but when there is wind shifts or you release in the wrong area the chute ends up drifting into the high hay anyway. A pain, but if this is the best field you have something that can be worked around with practice. Most recently I have flown from a field with soccor goals and football goals. Same kind of idea but this time you lay the high start out and release from the line hoping to avoid the line blowing over a goal.

Ryan

P.S., you should change your name to "in the hay field". ;)

I may try reversing the way I roll the highstart and see how it works for me...won't know til' I try.

Well, you're probably right about the name, but I think I'm branded now. :D The name actually came from building a cabin down "in the swamp".

Thanks for sharing your experience with the highstart...sounds like you've had some of the experiences that I have.

Ed
Intheswamp... :Dning

[intheswamp]

800 feet! That is not a challenge. But then if you don't know how to work a thermal I guess its why they call it a "glider".

Go online for topo's:

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=16&n=3510648&e=561376&s=50&size=l&u=6&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
Right I guess I'm flying a "glider"...hopefully as time progresses I'll be flying a sailplane. :) My biggest problem is telling whether it's a thermal lifting the wing or a maverick blast of wind. Maybe as summer gets here and the winds calm down a bit I'll have a better environment for learning.

Thanks for the link to the topo page! I've got 3-D Topoquads but for a quick topo map the link is handy!

Ed
Intheswamp... :Dning

[intheswamp]

I got to thinking about it and realized the 150'x50' area I stated had to be grossly wrong. I went by the field on the way to work and measured it...it's 325'x140' . Sheese, where'd I come up with the 150'x50' area??? :o

Ed
Intheswamp... :Dning

[rdwoebke]

Your new estimate of size should make it plenty big for your launching, landing, and standing area. From time to time you'll still have days where you can't seem to keep the line/chute out of the hay, but this size should be reasonable.

I think you will find that hay tends to do bad things to the highstart line over time, and that you will end up replacing it. A small cost to pay for "free" launches (ie., no feul). Also, if there are sticker type things growing in the hey they will tend to snag the high start line and make it so that you can not deploy the full line on the launch. I usually try to "raise my arm" a few times when I have the highstart stretched out and the glider in hand so that I can try to check to see if the highstart line is caught on anything.

Ryan

[intheswamp]

Your new estimate of size should make it plenty big for your launching, landing, and standing area. From time to time you'll still have days where you can't seem to keep the line/chute out of the hay, but this size should be reasonable.

I think you will find that hay tends to do bad things to the highstart line over time, and that you will end up replacing it. A small cost to pay for "free" launches (ie., no feul). Also, if there are sticker type things growing in the hey they will tend to snag the high start line and make it so that you can not deploy the full line on the launch. I usually try to "raise my arm" a few times when I have the highstart stretched out and the glider in hand so that I can try to check to see if the highstart line is caught on anything.

Ryan

Yelp, I got my 200' reel out and measured it pretty closely. I figured I that it should be a fairly comfortable area to work from.

When you say "does bad things to the highstart line" are you referring to the nylon line and not the tubing?...hope so. :)

I've ran into the "snag" problem already. Thankfully I managed it with no ill effects other than a slightly lower launch. And yes, the raising the arm, snatching on it a time or two, etc., have been used. Basically the primary sticker-type plants are thistles. The tough bahia grass can snag it some too, though I've noticed that mostly when I'm pulling back on the highstart.

In George Stringwells book he mentioned flying from a weedy/rough area. He suggested small uprights with cradles on top to keep the line from snagging and also to cut down on the drag of the vegetation, etc., that causes the highstart to be less efficient. Somewhat of a pain, though, having to set the line in the cradles each launch. As summer progresses I may have to resort to that as the bahia grass grows...it'll be nice when the hay is cut, though! :)

No way to keep it out of the hay, though, as I have to go over terraces and usually can't see the peg when I launch...it being on one side of the hill and me on the other.

Ed
Intheswamp... :Dning

[Mirage1]

I mounted a dowel on my reel of string and surgical tubing and chuck it up in my 3/8 cordless drill and winding it up at the end of the day is a breeze. It can wind faster than I can walk. I glued the dowel into a flat wooden disc and screwed the disc to the reel on one side and let the dowel protrude 6 inches or so out the other side.

[fhhuber506771]

DONT buy a Dynaflight highstart ( or any Dynaflight product)

Trust me they are JUNK.... I just bought one standard AND the 'heavy'

Go to North East Sail planes and look at the high starts - I got the standard - VERY nice....

There are others out there also... just do not buy the Dynaflight... ESPECIALLY a standard... it will BARELY launch a Gentle Lady - my brother just got one


Having used the Dynaflite LIGHT highstart to launch GP Spirit ARF's... I KNOW they can do a Gentle Lady with authority.

I don't really like the straight stakes though... I get a heavy duty "corkscrew" dog stake. Its embarrrasing to have the glider pull the stake straight up and have it hit the belly of the model. (which can happen if you drive the straight stake straight down and launch into a stiff breeze... Been there...)

[gliderstuff]

If you wait for the wind to drop off meaning thermals are close by you can just tie some tubing to your car like only about 40 ft of rubber and 50 ft of line , you can fly with a short setup, and still hit thermals.