a better day,no snow and 40 degrees,15 to 20...Continue Reading

At long last...back out on the hill today

a picture say's a thousand words so see below

After having a slope layoff of almost 2 month due to sickness and weather that was just too cold to consider going to the slope,I finally convinced my body to take a drive and make the climb back to the top ....seems the hill got taller and the walk longer than the last time I was out .

I have been looking for a chance to maiden a 3M Synergy 91 that I picked up this last fall and did a mild rehab on , today was the day .
With winds predicted to max at 12mph and blowing from the north it was going to a marginal day at best , but if I could get a test glide or 2 and check the trims I would call it a win ,at least I didnt have to worry about the plane being ripped out of my hands.

a big disadvantage of flying alone is not having someone to launch so at best only one hand on the transmitter for the maiden .
My first experience with composite ships was on a 4M Cobra that I launched with both hands,pitched up and stalled before I could get my hands back on the sticks

My first launch the wind vectored east thru the small hedge row as I let it go only when about 15 feet and poped the right wing tape
I replaced the tape and waited for the wind to turn back up the hill again.
The second launch she flew straight out but down the hill as I let her pick up some speed ,a couple of clicks of trim and she was flying flat and I got a couple of passes back and forth before landing at the bottom of the hill with the wind probably around 6 to 8 mph

It would have been nice to have gotten some lift to get back up to the top of the hill and try some camber changes but all things considered I am pleased.
I now know that she launches straight with no bad habits ,just have to wait for a better day of lift

Once again we had our winter set up for flyable wind on our hill with a large winter snow storm passing to our south bringing north west winds from the counter clockwise rotation…least that’s what the forecast predicted

Was gusting above 30 , averaging 25 once at the top but almost no north component
I have been thinking about trying to fly in bad conditions ( if life deals you lemons make lemonade ) since that is what it seems we get now more often
West wind blows thru a tree line and across the hill , just a few degrees of north and the hill lights up - NW is great
North is good also since the hill also has a flat north face
I have found that often I can fly the wind out in front of the hill , I can’t say what keeps the plane up ,lift or velocity or something else but it is there
Today my 36 oz Dan Wing was perfect for the conditions , heavy enough to penetrate the gusts with energy to cost thru the lows and holes ,all the while turning into lift, running from sink (or what ever it was ) there were times when I must have been not more than 15 feet above the ground out front of the hill , just kept scratching for altitude , gentle s turns where I found a bump , a couple of times I thought for sure I would be walking
It’s not the same fun as flying the lift on the hill face but after a 1 hour flight I went home feeling rewarded ….and with a very cold thumb 🥴

Now that I am retired I need to exercise to keep in shape , I am going to try to make it out and up the the hill at least once a week ,might as well throw something off the top when I do 😊

Today after a weekend of steady rain we got a momentary break of dry weather .
With a forecast of possible nw wind around 10 mph I headed out ,with the ASW -17 to give her a toss

I have been thinking lately that with the lack of good wind coming up the hill I should go out on the not so great days with the wind off line and hone my flying ,plus it would do me good to get my butt off the couch on a regular basis

Up at the top I saw west and some intermittent nw 8 to 15 mph

The maiden was effortless with a click of down , she is not a light weight and likes smooth coordinated rudder and aileron
I think she will come alive when the wind kicks up , she seemed to carry her speed well
The Flaps slow her down pretty well, just a couple of clicks makes her somewhat floaty, I still need to program some down elevator compensation



A good first outting 😁

Getting impatient to fly, I loaded up and headed out
The forecasted west wind was supposed to turn nw and 19mph by 2:00
Up at the top I was seeing over 30 but was more sw than west

I put up my heavy 36 oz 48 in Dan Wing ,
It flew pretty good considering the garbage conditions , every once in a while the wind would vector nw and could let her run and get up on step then it would turn back sw so kept it near the top of the hill doing figure8s

I was hoping to maiden my ASW -17 as the forecast also called for the winds to diminish and I was looking for some steady conditions to find a comfortable cg

I also brought out my old Speedo to remaiden ,hadn’t flown it in 8 years

Unfortunately things got worse with the wind staying sw
so after a couple of hours I called quits and headed back down

Back from my trip to Idaho to visit family and also 2 slope adventures - see on the slope forum

Last week 11-1-23 there was a opportunity to get out to the slope but after 10 days in Boise in sunny 70 plus weather I could not convince my body to even step out the door into the wet heavy snow that brought the flyable wind

Today was a different story ,mid 50's temp and a forecast for NW 17mph winds -Oh Yea

Arriving at noon, after walking to the top i was thrilled to find 20 to 25 on my hall wind gauge with gusts over 30

Also the hang gliding club had cut away all the brush on the west and north facing slopes

For today's outing I brought my trusty 48 " 'Knife Edge wing

The smaller "Sizzle "

And new to me and this side of the country - a 60 " TG-3 kitted by Rocky Landings for a short time
I bought TG-3 from Ken Hawkins {aka Slopemaster } after my first visit to Boise when Ken took me flying up off Pickle Butte
weighing in around 40 oz it is a little heavier than what we usually fly around here - How would it do in the thicker eastern air ?

see...Continue Reading

Out on the hill for some flying with a buddy visiting from Cincinnati

It started out with crossed wind 15 to 20
Not very good ,the 2 M Demon would fly but was Survival flying , rough and burbly

Later the wind shifted a couple degrees and the lift turned on…what a difference a couple of fro can make

My buddy’s Fox gave us plenty of exercise until the wind shifted , then it really flew well
I am pretty sure I have converted him to...Continue Reading

At long last , this past Thursday I was able to get back out on the hill

forecast 13 to 14 mph nw and bright sunshine 46 degrees,
at the top it blowing 20 gusting near 30 Oh Yea

My new slope trainee Jim joined me for the adventure, after sloping for the first time last November with thermal gliders in 7 to 10 wind ,I wanted to get him some stick time with higher performance birds and higher wind
First out was my KnifeEdge combat wing
Jim did really well yanking and banking, following the lift as it vectored back and forth. No stress Everybody needs a combat wing

Next out the Pilatus B4
This plane is one of my favorites,
I bought it at swap meet auction for one dollar , replaced 2 - 9gram servos and added some laminate and a funkie foam nose
I have hand launched it into lift at a valley meadow ,cranked with it in 25 ….
T-Tails are cool

Next up my trusty old old KA-8
It had been a long time since its last outing so I did a search on rcg to see where guys had been flying them at .

Upon launch she protested the rearward cg bucking and diving, attempting to touch its wing tips Great fun , flew it around for a bit ,guess that would be the thermal cg
Brought her in and added a bit of lead which moved the cg forward around 1/8“
Back out - perfect , back to the
“Dancing with a Fat lady “ ship that is such a blast to fly .
Once toned down I put Jim on the sticks for the full house experience,I am pretty sure I heard a giggle or two as he got...Continue Reading

At long last the forecast is calling for NW wind in the mid 20’s ……

Unfortunate the expected temperatures are predicted to be 0 to 3 degrees producing a wind chill around minus 20 to minus 27 degrees

It has been suggested that I might be a little crazy for sloping in the winter but these are dangerous potentially deadly temperatures so I will pass on this one
And will be found cozied up to my wood stove with a warm drink 🙂

It’s going on a month and a half since the last flyable wind ,once the snow and ice comes I find it hard to get revel up about going out in under 15mph .

I have been flying indoors and learning some new types of flying
I
also pulled out some older projects ….

nothing yet

With a forecast of light 7mph winds but blowing up the hill I took the opportunity to bring out a couple of thermal ships
My trusty Gentle Lady ( I learned to slope with her )
and a vintage Amigo 2 from a estate of a long time modeler

Also joining me was a newbie to slope
That brought out a unflown. Raven thermal flying wing (serious Cool
Factor here ) from another passed flyer
…..
3 hours of flying - a really good afternoon 😁

It seems that slope season here in my neck of the woods in upstate NY just turns on the week of Thanksgiving .

For at least the last 2 years turkey day week has brought at least 1 North Easter storm with NW winds on my slope
This year the storm came last week with Buffalo getting all the snow but SW wind so no flying Thankfully no snow for us either

Turkey week did not let me down with a predicted NW 17mph after lunch
Once on the top the winds were gusting to the mid 20s and temps in the mid 40s
most of the day more west than is ideal but I am not complaining any opportunity to fly is a gift
My flying buddy the big red tailed Hawk
Shared the sky with me the whole time I was up about a hour and a half
It was great to get out and get my slope on

After 4 months off from getting out on the slope….
A Return to the hill
Temperatures in the mid 60’s
Sunny with a predicted 16mph west changing to north west (best )around 2:00

What a difference a month or 2 makes
80 degrees with a predicted 16 mph that was actually 22 to above 30 mph ☺️
Got out in the afternoon for a couple of hours , bright sun with Huge thermals blowing through ....We even had a doe with her fawn running around at the bottom of the hill.....
Oh Ya

Sorry- it’s been quite a while since My last post, here are my photos from the Glider Games in Cleveland , Once again a great time flying 2 out of 3 of their slopes
Perry Township Park and Edgewater Park on the west of the city

The temps were cold to start out but became warmer each day , I stayed 3 days and had 3 days of flying slope plus a 4 hour evening of indoor flying .
This years event was another great time , The guys in Cleveland are super Hosts and excellent flyers ,combine that with 3 wonderful flying sites for 3 different wind directions
This is a event / fun fly not to be...Continue Reading

April 1st comes early with a return to temperatures in the teens and snow.....
I Love New York !

I have to admit it was a little hard getting out the door today after the warmer temperatures last week

A rare March blessing today with temperatures in the mid 50’s , sunshine and wind blowing up the hill from the north west

With a predicted 14 mph wind , I brought out 2 of my lighter ships along with a 48” combat wing

I knew it was going to be a good outing
as Bald Eagle flew past me and landed in the field in front of the hill as I was unloading
Later my buddy the Redtail hawk showed up to say hi
I flew for around 2 1/2 hours , it was so good to get back out on the slope after a month off from flying
See below

Out to fly again ,started the week in the mid 50’s dropped off a cliff into low 20’s Today 19 degrees with 4” of snow....and wind