02/11/12

Dry Canyon Alamogordo, NM  32° 55.632'N  105°53.145'W  7,013' MSL 2,400' AGL  Rated H/P3 or H/P2 with a USHPA certified instructor present.

Introduction  A premier world class site for PG and HG that has outstanding views of the Tularosa Basin, White Sands National Monument, the City of Alamogordo, and the Sacramento Mountains.  The site was discovered and developed by the local hang gliding community many decades ago.  We are very thankful for their pioneering work.  This site is consistently better than many other world famous sites such as Valle de Bravo, Mexico.  Its southwest face and the bowl shape of the Canyon make for safe launching and ideal thermal and ridge soaring conditions.  It is rare when pilots have a sled ride from Dry Canyon.  Glass-offs and cross country trips are regular features offered to pilots who fly Dry Canyon.

The main launch faces southwest over the Tularosa Basin and is at the center of a huge bowl formed by the Sacramento Mountains.  View here is to the east with the 10,000' MSL summit of the Sacramento ridge in the far background.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:  Launching from the steep slopes and cliffs in the desert mountains requires expert kiting skills.  It is dangerous to inflate and then immediately turn before stabilizing your glider overhead for a few seconds or more.  Many pilots have damaged their equipment and been banged up attempting to launch in the often turbulent air that characterizes the jagged mountains we fly in the desert southwest.  You must have the skills to kite your glider overhead under complete control before attempting a launch, especially in strong air.  In addition, all pilots must master inflating their gliders with the A's in one hand and the C's or D's in the other.  You may have to de-power your glider at any moment and this is the only way you can safely do it while attempting a launch.  Pulling deep on the brakes does NOT de-power your glider!  In addition, you will not have time to go searching for the correct risers if things start to go wrong and you do not have the correct ones in your hands.  Jamming the brakes will only make things worse.  If you need training on how to do this, we can help.

LZ location  32° 55.706'N  105° 56.722'W  All are welcome to visit our landing area in the city of Alamogordo at any time!  To get to the LZ: Turn east off of HWY 70 (also HWY 54 and White Sands Blvd.) on Fairgrounds road. go straight past the Griggs Field ball park to the landing zone on the left

Directions to launch are available from any RGSA member (see Restrictions). 

Restrictions  All pilots must contact the RGSA in order to fly this site. Only RGSA members and their guests may use the site per rules set by the Lincoln National Forest.  First time pilots must be guided as the site has hazards.

Thermals  DC has strong thermals that drift through the canyon and often merge near the launch area -- making them more powerful.  Pilots should be alert to turbulence when thermalling in this area, especially during the summer, and be careful to launch in conditions appropriate to their glider type and skill level.  The house thermals are shown in the photo below.  Pilots can expect 1,200'/min+ air in the middle of the day during the late spring, summer, and early fall seasons and even stronger rates near launch.  The high pressure conditions that are common in the region often make the thermals sharp edged (punchy).  Often tighter bank angles are required to stay in these narrower thermals. (60 degree bank angle for PG or a 360 degree turn in 12 seconds time for HG.)  Unless you are comfortable and capable of handling glider collapses, we generally recommend that PG pilots stay out of the air from 10:30AM - 4:00PM from April until October.

Launch Areas  There are separate launch areas for PG and HG.  PG pilots should use the safer PG launch area 270 yd southeast of the HG launch.  The HG launch is hazardous for PG for two reasons:  1.) Rotor and turbulence are high because of the nearly shear cliff in front of the HG launch.  2.)  There are many sharp rocks in the HG launch area which tend to snag the lines, even cutting them on occasion.  We have put carpet all over the HG launch that helps mitigate the sharp rocks.

PG:  Launch into the direction of the wind, turn left (HG launch) or right (PG launch).  Be sure to get out in front quickly.  Keep a healthy 50 yards between you and the rocks.  While the HG launch adds another 70' to launch altitude, it should not matter for PG.  You will get up if conditions warrant from either launch.

HG:  Conditions will determine which direction HG pilots will turn when launching.  Here is a good launch strategy (courtesy of Robin Hastings): If you go UP off the concrete ramp, turn left. If you go down, or straight out – turn right, and head for the LZ.

View just northwest from launch.  The green arrow points to our 5 acre LZ.  Photo courtesy of Christoph Clemens

For PG pilots Flying during the late fall and winter is the ideal time to fly DC.  Thermals are gentle and the ridge soaring conditions are delightful.  Pilots can fly the ridge all day and enjoy a glass off above the city of Alamogordo.  A dusting of snow can add to the enchantment of flying Dry Canyon.

HG launch area on January 27, 2010.  The LZ in Alamogordo was warm.

General Info

Top landing (PG only) has now been done a number of times and is safe if the winds are not too high.  Rotor is less than 10' from the launch surface and does not matter.  On October 9, 2011 Glenn Tupper of El Paso was the first PPG (foot launched) to top land at the Dry Canyon launch.

Being blown over the back is dangerous so pilots should always be watching their speed over the ground.

Always watch the clouds east of launch and do not launch if you see rain falling west of the Cloudcroft ridge.  Watch the weather while flying and be prepared to land immediately if overdevelopment begins.  Weather dangers that are from the west can be observed by looking for the white sands kicking up in the air.

If you look carefully in the photo below, you can see the effects of high winds on the Sands.  They will kick up the white sands thousands of feet in the air.  Here, the sands have almost blocked the view of the mountains behind them.  IF YOU SEE ANYTHING LIKE THIS, DO NOT LAUNCH/COME DOWN IMMEDIATELY as you are about to experience high winds.

Robin Hastings (HG) is an expert on the site and can be contacted by email at rhastings@psl.nmsu.edu if you have questions.  Do not fly this site unless you have checked winds aloft as an occasional northwest breeze can swirl around and come straight in at launch but there will be rotor out in front, especially if you get lower than the ridge.  Conditions in the Tularosa Basin can be checked by calling the automated weather service at the airport: 575-439-4112.

LZ Info  HG pilots can easily make the LZ in a sled ride from launch.  PG pilots, on the other hand, must have altitude greater than the westerly part of the Dry Canyon ridge ("West Ridge") in order to make the LZ.  If you are lower, immediately turn southwest and find an LZ in Dry Canyon somewhere south of the Space Museum. Inexperienced pilots should not land on the dirt road just south of the Museum as there are hazards in the area including light poles and fencing.  Less experienced pilots can safely use the dirt road that spans the Canyon from northeast to southwest and goes downhill nearly all of the way.  It is a hike out but there is over a mile of downhill sloping dirt road that is easy and safe to land on.  Do not attempt to land on the dirt road that goes northwest - southeast at the base of the canyon.  It is intersected by deep washouts that are hard to see and would be dangerous to land in.

The RGSA hosts other sites in the region.  Please contact us or the RGSA for more information.

Dry Canyon launch areas & house thermals

Below is a Google Earth image with path (green) to the PG launch area.  It is a short hike (270 yd) around the back of the ridge and down a small cliff.  PG pilots can safely lay out their wing with little rotor or turbulence and without the danger of snagging/cutting their lines.  The path is fairly obvious but is not well worn as only pilots use it.  (Our thanks to Bo Frazier of the Sandia Soaring Association for his help and suggestions for using the PG launch.)

Robin Hastings just leaving launch.  Conditions at this moment were mild as it was getting late in the day and Robin had a safe, easy launch.  Photo by David Sanderson.

A view of the Dry Canyon LZ.  Grady Viramontes is kiting in the LZ.  The city of Alamogordo has generously given the soaring community a first class landing zone -- a grass covered 5 acre area free of obstructions.  We are very thankful for this!

Mike Ellsworth soaring off the face of Dry Canyon.  Photo by David Sanderson.

Instructor Had Robinson bringing his glider up at the HG launch.  As evidenced here, the air coming in past the hang glider ramp can be turbulent which is why we recommend that PG pilots do not use this launch.  PG pilots should use the safer launch area 270 yd southeast of the HG launch.  Photo by David Sanderson.

A view of the HG launch ramp (7,000') with the City of Alamogordo, NM and the White Sands in the background.

Soaring Dry Canyon late in the day.  The white dot in the center is the moon.

View of snowy Sierra Blanca 12,000' MSL looking north from the HG launch area.  Photo taken by Christoph Clemens in late November.

Doak Hoover flying above the Dry Canyon launch.

Landing at the main LZ rather late in the day.  (BTW, the pilot was carrying the required strobe for flying after dusk.)  It's tough to come down when conditions are good for soaring the ridge at Dry Canyon.  Photo by David Sanderson.

Directions to launch:  Please contact an RGSA member (www.RGSA.info) for directions and additional information.