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Learn more about a Federal Wilderness Bill which will
remove soaring pilots from using Mt. Riley and the East Potrillo Mountains in south
central New Mexico -- For more info, please go
here.
January 26 Thursday - Sod Farm Training -- We
want to welcome our two newest paragliding students, Adam Cronk
and Daniel Moquin. Both students had learned the basics of
paragliding in the good air we had today at the sod farm.
Keep up the good work!
Below, Daniel gets ready to be towed into the
air. Towing is an important skill to learn if you fly in
the flat parts of the world. In fact, the best
competitions are help there because the air is more uniform over
a greater area than in the mountains.
Adam Cronk with the one of the world's largest
LZ's behind him: The Sod Farm!
January 14 - 15 Mesilla Valley Balloon Rally, Las Cruces,
NM -- PPG pilots Glenn Tupper, Lee Boone, and Had Robinson
were the guests of the Rally organizers and provided visitors an
amazing look at what powered paragliders can do including the
Triple Spiral Dive, wing touch, 700' streamers, stacking, smoke,
and the porpoise maneuver. While double spiral dives can
be done by skydivers, we believe that the trio here was the
first to do a triple. Photographer/pilot Glenn made this
awesome video of some aspects of our demo
here.
The organizers hosted the Balloon pilots, crews, and the PPG
pilots at a bash Friday night (Jan. 13th) at the Grapevine
Restaurant. Saturday and Sunday we wowed the crowds with
performance flying.
Our thanks to Carolyn Yager, Grady Viramontes, and Dominic
Padilla for their important assistance in helping the pilots.
Glenn Tupper in his Paramania GTR glider
smoking away
The Organ Mountains at dusk.
The PPG pilots camped out in the green field
to the lower right. We also used the area to launch and
land.
January 19 Thursday -- Lee's Lookout -- WHEN IT'S
GOOD, IT'S REALLY GOOD! Local pilots Had Robinson and Lee
Boone forced their way from work and enjoyed the finest soaring
conditions our Franklin Mountains have to offer. Winds
were steady out of the west at around 8 at launch late in the
day. Lee tried out his new UP Summit XC2. Both
pilots went straight up from launch and enjoyed the dream air
that -- in other years -- we see a lot more of. Hopefully,
La Niña will weaken and the prevailing
winds from the west will become more common once more. Lee
landed at Coronado Country Club and Had pioneered
a new
bail LZ just north of the western side of the Pass about 1/2
mile from the top. The advantage is that a PG pilot can
land there and be just minutes from the Transmountain Highway
and a short walk to the Pass. Our great regret is that we
did not get out there at 1PM! Next time....
January 9 Monday -- Snow in the Franklin Mountains --
The magic of snow in our mountains is always something to
celebrate so I (Had) went out late in the day when the contrasts
are the greatest and took some photos. It looked like I
was in Alaska somewhere from up there. For the rest of the
photos, please go
here.
Below is looking north up the Franklins (I am
about even with Mundy's Gap which is to the right but not
visible). The Organ Mountains capped with snow are visible
in the far distance.
January 2 Monday -- E Potrillo Mountains -- Winds were
east rather than southeast so Had Robinson set out for "Bill
Cummings Launch" which is located at the southern tip of the
range. He arrived there about 2PM. Winds were coming
straight in between 15 and 17 mph which is just out of the range
that a solo pilot can safely handle at launch. BC Launch
is safe on all sides but the amount of rock, debris, and bushes
enhances the risk of damage to the glider so he waited ... and
waited. Things did not subside a whisker until exactly 5PM
MST. He safely brought up his glider in air that was doing
about 12 mph and launched. It was fun soaring the east
face of the Potrillo Mountains for about 5 minutes -- which was
when the winds went to near zero. He safely landed in
front of the range below launch.
The view from BC Launch east. The launch area is
cluttered with bracken, debris, and rocks. The LZ is
visible just to the right of the near end of the road in the
left part of the photo.
The LZ below launch. The area is free of major bushes
and is easy to land in. A footpath goes back up the
mountain to launch (visible here as a tiny notch just to the
middle right of the photo).
January 1 Sunday -- Dry Canyon -- Robin Hastings (HG),
Conrad Kreick (PG) and Had Robinson (PG) set out to fly Dry
Sunday afternoon. We were accompanied by our gracious
drivers, Bele Christine & Danielle Shrewsberry. The weather forecast was
generally for weak conditions and so it was at launch.
Winds were barely 2-4 mph which precluded Robin from launching.
Had attempted to launch from the hang launch but conditions were
just too weak for a reverse inflation and forward launches can
be hazardous so Conrad and Had went to the PG launch. Both
pilots launched successfully and worked the weak thermals that
day for all they were worth. This means that Conrad and
Had had relatively short flights that day. Bele,
Danielle, and Robin all helped get the pilots safely off.
The PG launch at Dry Canyon is one of the safest anywhere as
pilots who have mishaps while launching can bale safely in any
direction. The worst thing that can happen is to wind up
in the bushes rather than face a cliff or land in trees.
Had and Conrad hike up to launch in the snow.
Photo by Bele Christine
(L-R) Had, Bele, Danielle, and Conrad.
In the far distance is Sierra Blanca 12,001' MSL. Photo by
Bele Christine.
Below, Conrad sets up for a reverse inflation
and then flies away.
December 24 Saturday -- Snow Magic -- I (Had Robinson)
was able to fly the day after we had a few inches of snow and
cold weather in the Franklin Mountains. Clouds were
covering the entire region at an elevation of about 6,500' MSL.
There were a few holes in the cover and one is visible in the
photo below -- I am headed right for it with plans to (safely)
fly through it into the blue sky above! For the whole
story and photos, go
here.
December 21 Wednesday -- Agave Hill -- Intrepid pilots
Lee Boone, Glenn Tupper (soon to be deployed to Afghanistan),
and instructor Had Robinson knew that conditions should be good
at Agave Hill in the Franklin Mountains State Park. And
they were! Winds were coming in fairly steady at launch
from the SW at 12-15 mph. Being it was cloudy, there was
not a concern for strong thermals. Both pilots launched at
around 4PM assisted by Had. Lee was first and -- being an
experienced Agave pilot -- was able to get right up. He
followed the usual path: Stay close in front of launch and
be patient until about 100' over and then quickly go for the
Triangle where the big lift is. He easily got up to over
the top of the range -- about 8,000' MSL. Winds aloft were
strong because of the effect of the Jet so Lee had to be careful
about being blown over the back. At one point he was only
making a few miles per hour over the ground. Going over
the back is more of a serious inconvenience than danger as the
range ends. The lift band when ridge soaring the range is
up to a mile in front. Glenn followed Lee with a shorter
flight. Both pilots landed safely on the Park access road.
Below Lee Boone climbing out from the Agave
Hill launch in the Franklin Mountains State Park.
Lee soaring above the top of the range.
In the lower left is the top of the Triangle -- our house lift
generator. Pilots who get in front of the Triangle will
always get up and out.
Glenn about to launch. Agave Hill is one
of the safest mountain launch areas in the region.
Mistakes at launch are very unlikely to lead to any
complications as there are no cliffs nearby nor obstacles either
behind or in front of launch.
Lee cruising in front of the range near cloud
base. How fun is this???
December 12 Valle de Bravo, Mexico -- There are few
places in the world where a pilot can develop his thermalling
skills as here – beginning to advanced. One of the most
difficult skills is safely flying in a gaggle of 30 pilots or
more. While it is easier to thermal (others will act as guides
to the lift), the primary concern is watching out for other
pilots. Often gaggles contain inexperienced or careless pilots
who are a grave danger to everyone. Aggressive and rude pilots
are also annoying. But this is almost always true only at
launch. Once you get cross country, the numbers drop 75% and you
usually fly only with those who are experienced. And here is the
treat: Thermalling with 2-4 other pilots is outstanding because
the small gaggle can really zero on the core of the thermal. So,
when conditions weaken (as they always do), the gaggle has a
greater chance of staying aloft than the single pilot. I
once flew in a gaggle with two German pilots out in the flats --
we would have all sunk out if we had not focused on each other
every moment. As it was, we carefully climbed to altitude
in a very weak thermal-- and went far, far away. It was
hard work as it takes 100% of every bit of mental skill one has.
But it is always worth it as the thrill of defying gravity
without the use of any other power but the sun is without
comparison. A video of an evening glass-off at the Peñon
is viewable
here.
The land where our LZ is has had corn fields (visible below)
for a hundred generations -- and is farmed by the same people
today. The soil is amazingly fertile and deep so that the
farmer does not need to add fertilizer other than maybe cow
manure now and then.
The terrain here is so varied and requires great skill to stay
up once you leave the general launch area -– as I am finding
out. One big thing I learned is that when you start out XC and
find a bit too much sink where you are headed, turn back and get
back in the lift where you were. Be patient! One of the top
pilots here, Damian Mitchell (SLC), made three starts out of
lift to go cross country -- and succeeded. He also gave us
tips for flying inside clouds safely. Be sure to mount
your compass on your shirt away from your instruments (GPS, in
particular) as they mess up your compass. Like all pilots,
when you go in the clouds, you tend to fly in circles which can
be unnerving. Keep your eyeballs on your compass AND GPS
-- don't waste your time looking ahead. You will not see
anything, anyway.
Our expert hang glider pilots would have a challenge here –
thermals were narrow and strong and thus hard to stay in. I
think that Robin, Bill, or Riker could have really gone on a
long trip. As it was, not one of the HG guys made it out of the
general launch area.
I hope you can join me next time at Valle de Bravo -- one of
the world's great thermalling sites!
(Below, in an early evening glass off (when the air in buoyant
everywhere from a sudden rise of heated air at the end of the
day) in front of El Peñon -- this is what we love doing --
soaring like the vultures who are our often gentle companions in
the air. I was the last pilot to land that day -- and had to
buy drinks for the other pilots who were waiting for me. That
is the “fine” for holding everybody else up – a fate gladly
accepted.)
December 8 Valle de Bravo, Mexico -- Today one of the
pilots had to throw his reserve while flying out in front of
launch – in front of all of us. This sort of event is unnerving
for most as throwing a reserve is a last ditch effort to avoid
certain death (or, at least, what we think might be). The guy
who threw was flying a glider more advanced than his skill level
and was following another glider too closely. To avoid a
collision he did a maneuver which got out of control. It was all
serious pilot error. All ended well and the pilot did not even
suffer a scratch – he was very lucky. Descending under a reserve
is to forfeit all control and where you are going. He landed on
the side of the mountain and not in a 100’ tree. With all this
in mind, yours truly did not have the mental equipment remaining
to fly another epic course through the sky. Taking it easy in
the strong conditions we had today seemed good -- which is what
this one did. So, it was working on finding subtle lift near and
in front of the Peñon. The journey started here (note the strong
development in the sky – the air was going up everywhere
strongly):
There is always the risk that you will
miss the regular LZ and have to pick something not as flat and
nice, like this:
Actually, I did not have to land in corn but I did land right
next to it and had to walk through this field. The people
have been growing corn here since the time of Christ or before.
It is amazingly rich volcanic soil. We occasionally meet
visitors, like this handsome guy:
Maybe tomorrow will be epic? We hope so....
December 5-7 Valle de Bravo, Mexico -- There are about
50 pilots from all over the world here at this world class
paragliding and hang gliding site. The reason it is so
popular is that for about 6 months, we can fly everyday.
The area is so popular because it has a wide range of skill
levels. Inexperienced pilots can do their first
thermalling right off the main launch and safely land at a huge
LZ a mile away. Advanced pilots can leave the launch area
and do cross-country winding their way through a complex
mountain range with numerous dead zones, hot spots, and
fascinating geography. There is no ridge soaring here --
it is strictly a thermalling site. The challenge is to get
high enough over launch to leave and go over the back (east) or
cross a huge bowl that is all sinky air to reach El Peñon
to the north -- that huge point of rock. Please click
here
for the rest of the photos and story of an exciting adventure in
Mexico.
Below, Guy-Didier Godat
and Had Robinson in the LZ just after landing. It is about
75 degrees and sunny -- how good is that? Guy lives in
Washington D.C. and is originally from Paris. He decided
to join us for a two week stay at Valle - he wants to learn how
to thermal and is doing great!
The famous El Peñon
of Valle de Bravo -- starting point for great cross country.
November 27 Sunday -- Mt. Riley Adventure -- Intrepid
visiting pilot, Christoph Clemens of Koblenz, Germany, proved
his mettle again by visiting Mt. Riley after he had flown with
us at Anapra yesterday. Conditions at Riley have not been
the best this year -- no air or too much. However,
Christoph was determined to get the maximum of our region so
he set out, did the 20 mile drive to the base, and hiked the 45
minute trip to the summit. No cell service, no city
lights, no water, no nothing...just beautiful back country in
our huge desert backyard.
Sadly, we may lose this site after all these years as Congress
is considering making the area a Federal Wilderness. The
RGSA and our visitors are the greatest users of this remote site
-- the logs show this.
The skeleton of an ancient Juniper that is
probably over 1,000 years old. This tree is on the upper
SW side of Mt. Riley. All photos are by Christoph.
Wouldn't you be smiling, too, if you were
standing at the very top of a peak with a 360 degree view?
View from the launch at the summit looking
almost south. The lower elevations of Mt. Cox can be seen
to the right. The mountains in the far distance are deep
in Mexico over 100 miles away. This is some of the darkest
sky in the southwest when night comes. Christoph commented
that, as a European, he had never seen the dark side of the moon
(photo below) as he did later this evening after he landed.
Most years in the late summer the summit is deep with grass.
If you blink a little, you think you are in Switzerland
somewhere. We will have to wait until next monsoon
season....
Why we love our Mt. Riley and the surrounding
desert!
November 26 Saturday -- Anapra Mesa delight --
Visiting pilots Gingher Leyendecker, Jim MacKenzie, Christoph
Clemens, and local instructor Had Robinson hit the jackpot at
Anapra today! Winds were perfect for soaring this east facing
site: 9-12 mph right out of the east. Gingher was able to
discover "The Second Wave", an atypical wave lift event that
occurs much higher than the ridge lift normally occurs at the
mesa. Various pilots were able to top land but all except
our heroine Gingher got tangled in the bushes in one way or
another. The US Border Patrol -- as usual -- was
entertained to see the largest number of paragliders ever in the
sky over Anapra! Christoph also flew in the E. Potrillo
Mountains earlier in the day -- we think he is the first ever to
fly the Potrillo Mountains, Anapra, and N. Mt. Franklin all
within a three day period. Congrats to Christoph!
For more photos of our wonderful day at Anapra, please go
here.
Christoph (top) and Jim (bottom) soar Anapra
in the late afternoon. In the background we have old
Mexico.
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