This day I foot launched off a mountain at about 9.3k feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL), flew for about 5 hours 45 minutes, covered 143 miles, and got as high as 15.5k MSL before landing at 4.2k MSL. Hang gliders can do a lot more than what I think most people would expect. In general we can fly as high as thermals (literal columns of hot air) take us. On a good day we can easily get to 17,999 MSL which is the highest we can legally fly without a class A clearance.
Contrary to what seems obvious, snow actually can generate thermals! Thermals are the results of something on the ground getting hotter than the ambient air. So when the sun hits the snow it sometimes does get hotter than the air. Especially at high altitude. Hot air also does move up from below, sometimes it sticks to the mountain like a sticky bubble in a lava lamp, and trickles all the way up to the top of the mountain before breaking off and floating up and away.
Ummmm you own a 4x4 so why did you drive on the road where it was a muddy hole? 4x4s are designed to go off the road..so you simply drive around the hole???? Or would that be a bit much outside the box
So here I am a Post Pound, Make that a Super Pound, anyways: I know nor if I will be able to Fly My Beloved Predator again. Nut I sure do Want to. Watching this Video depicting Pilots having to overcome being stuck in the Mud, and needing to use a Chainsaw to Cut Branches of a Down Tree that were blocking their Way, reminds Me of something that Our Dear Departed Friend once said regarding a Quite short, Well a Short XC Flight By Km's standard reply. anyways. I believe that KM only Flew like 20 or Thirty Miles that Day. I remember in Lake McClures LZ Once. I said to KM: "Ken; We all know how bad a Pilot that You are. Why is that You Fly so much?" KM replied while He chuckled: as He said: " Big Guy I know How BAD A Pilot I am, Bur I just love to Fly". As many of You who knew Km. KM was a great Pilot. But Km as a Person was a Much Better Person. than He was a Pilot. And that He was! Ok in closing these dissertations regarding KM as a Pilot and as a Human Being. So, all these Accolades on KM as a Pilot and a Person why they are True. But another reality regarding KM is that on a Flight back on January Twenty-eight, 2010, while flying, boating around, flying back and forth along the ridge up above Launch and along the ridge up at McClure. KM experienced a Muid Air. Well, the end result was that He succumbed to Blunt Trauma injuries to His Skull. I so Wish on that Day that Km had decided to head out and fly an XC route. For if KM had decided to Fly XC instead of Flying at the Home Site. Then undoubtedly KM would still be alive today. Gosh Darn, I sure do Miss KM!
Flew there from 1974 to1978. Pioneered Cerro Gordon on south whites. Best flight 35 miles with 16,500 gal. Amazing place to fly. Last flight there crash landed in foothill, Great memories there with Jerry Katz setting 80+ mile record.
Go learn it then. It is amazing. I also wanted as a kid, and only started at 29. But there are plenty of starters over 50 and beyound, and plenty pilots at 70 and more.
Absolutely. The easiest way to find rising air is to fly under a cloud- as every fluffy cloud is formed from rising air. However there are probably over 30 different (more subtle) signals to look for in weather. This challenge of finding upward air is the most addicting fun, and is the essence to the sport of soaring.
Besides clouds: wind direction, terrain shape, trees or bushes shaking, contrast of terrain color such as dark rocks in the middle of a forest (they heat more), soaring birds like vultures and hawks, other pilots circling and going up, trigger spots on the ground such as a road downwind of a green field, naked earth in the middle of a green field, a cliff facing the sun...... The list goes on. You start with wind/terrain and clouds, but with time learn to read more and more.
I flew there back in (77 /78 ?) just before the first Owens Valley Cross Country Classic. We were launching off where the microwave towers are now ( if I remember correctly ) I was flying a Seagull 7 , but could not glide out to the valley floor and ended up crashing beside the road about halfway up the mountain ,as the winds had picked up substantially. I ended up driving for a friend of mine for the next week . 😥
Ooof! I remember looking at the terrain between launch and the main highway- it's no man's land! It's amazing you pulled it off and walked away! Thank you for sharing your story!
@@ericoschmittyes 100%. This flight I was experimenting with the feel of no VG, I'm still learning. But also I did it to increase my drag as to not overfly my downhill sloped runway. I much prefer 1/3 - 1/2 VG to land. Next time I'll use a drogue if needed.
