2nd hang glider launch (Wills Wing Alpha 210) from Lookout Mountain Flight Park's ramp on Sept 5th, 2023--the morning after my 1st flight the previous evening.
Flight notes:
* More confident on the 2nd launch. (Hey, I didn't die the 1st time!)
* Should have tried to take 1-2 more steps off the ramp as I kind of fell off right at the end instead of running off--and following through for another 2-3 strides after liftoff. I think I felt the lift from the glider and stopped running one step too soon, which might have contributed to my shifting a bit to the left and causing the slight left banking after clearing the ramp. However, I did fine correcting that banking--but lets try to have cleaner launches in the future.
* Gumby Legs for 20 seconds after launch. Should cross my legs within 3-5 seconds to enhance stability and glide performance. I should put together a post-launch mental checklist that goes beyond "get clear of the launch area."
* Pulled in a few more times to practice flying a little more at speed because, on my 1st flight the day before, an instructor on the ground said I wasn't carrying enough speed when coming in to land. Didn't do it too much because it burns altitude, and I was worried a full-speed run from cliff to LZ might make for a dicey/rushed landing pattern--or running out of altitude before making it to the LZ.
* Much more confident with turns in the landing pattern, even though this was landing from the opposite side of the field I did on my first flight.
* My turns in the LZ were more aggressive, but they were not coordinated well. I definitely need to work on that for efficiency.
* Overshot the landing target by what looked like 150' (but I think I've got a minimum of 88 more flights to get that down before I can even think about an H3 rating upgrade, which requires sticking 3 out of 5 declared-before-launch landings in the 50' target zone). Yeah, I have a whole lot of work to do--and also a whole lot of time to figure things out. All in good time.
* I did go very nearly over the center of the target, so I'm counting that as a win! I noticed I was just a bit to the right of dead center (about 5-10'), just like the day before (but coming from the opposite direction). I'm curious if that is a trend or coincidence. (The air was getting active in the LZ, which meant I couldn't get a second run in that same day--and I had to drive 4 hours home to be at work the following morning.)
* Totally, utterly, and completely botched the flare, which resulted in a stall and a rough landing on the wheels. If I'd been 1.5 seconds faster, that'd have probably been a good foot landing, but that hesitation caused the wing to stall when I pushed out. Hands needed to be further up on the downtubes--and much sooner, too. I'll need to review that on the training hills when I go to reclear for a future mountain launch--and maybe spend a little extra time on the training hills for some additional practice with foot landings.
2 июл 2024
