[HangDiver]

We're hosting another Villa Grove Fly-In this 4th of July weekend. Camp in the LZ. Shuttles will go up to launch early morning and then late afternoon for an evening glass off. Bonfire and beer provided. Come join the fun. H2s - P2s welcome.
http://www.rmhpa.org/site_guide/villa.htm
Rich

[Andrew Vanis]

Should be a GREAT! time.

Per XC Skies for Fri and Sat-

low speed winds (like <10mph or L/V depending on the day) on the ground and aloft from the right direction predicted with lift to 22K (maybe higher since XC skies only goes to 22K)

[Andrew Vanis]

first posted here - http://flysandia.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=627#p627 (pics in order)

Villa was great. Those that did go know. Larry and Tiff’s hospitality was great.

After a few previous visits to VG and a few tries earlier this weekend and an excellent vista flight from Whale, Monday was finally my day for a long distance flight.

The forecast was for SE at about 10-15. We hoped for a Whale launch with that forecast but we ended up Villa for a number of reasons.

Most of the early launches ended up at Larry’s. Mike had a really nice second flight that hit some personal bests. The Atos VQ that was in the early launch flew to points north and back to Villa.

Dave Demill and I waited for the cycles to get stronger and longer and launched after 1. After scratching at launch I clipped into one that ended up at 15K. Thought about flying to the sand dunes and back but after a while I thought what about just flying towards home. I called up Chris G to see if he’d be up for packing my crap up and heading towards home so we’d avoid the retrieve, back to camp, and back south. He was and so I headed south.

http://www.hanggliding.org/files/croppercapture13_857.jpg

I chose a flight path he lift was abundant. The winds were between 10-18 from the SSE so it was pretty much an upwind task. Making my way to Crestone I got down to 12 K at times but eventually back up. Having to leave lift to stay legal and stating glides 1-2K below the ceiling just in case the lift along the was stronger than expected. There were some climbing glides even when hitting 60 mph.

http://www.hanggliding.org/files/croppercapture15_721.jpg

It was great getting directions from Larry on how to deal with the Sand Dunes. The flight went from villa, to Crestone, to sand dunes, to Hooper, to Alamosa. Its was fairly fast paced especially considering the up wind / cross wind course. The cloud street ended before Alamosa and the next clouds were in NM so I headed toward the Alamosa airport hoping to get good wind indictors and landing areas since the ground winds were from all speeds and directions on the ground throughout the day.

Chris was great about getting me ground speed and directions along the route and then got actual wind speed at the airport – which was, unfortunately, L/V. Since the airport space was behind locked fence I picked a field just N of the airport office. I made a late turn to gauge the field size. Slipped the turn in and was screaming over the ground. Then the air just seemed to drop out from under me. Chris can probably give a better recount since he saw it. I’m creaming in still in prone position, tried to run it out – unsuccessfully, base bar hit, my head hit, then the nose. I was grateful for the dirt.

I did not know that I was following the mantra in Shaw’s signature “Get High. Go Far. Pound Hard........ Class dismissed.”

It was really a great time. The flying was just frosting on the cake.

70 miles - FLIGHT TRACK - http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/para/flightinfo.html?flightId=354440848

Post note…..I had a significant left turn on this flight I have fixed a left turn a couple times over the past couple years and blamed in on sail shrinkage. When I landed I could not take out the left tipwand (no it was not whack related). Upon examination at home, it turned out that one of the retaining rings slipped that holds the tip wand aluminum tube inside the leading edge. This time it slipped so far that the alum tube twisted and cinched the tipwand. I’m guessing the tipwand being further back slowed that wing and produced the left turn. Kraig at Moyes is sending me a new alum tube and suggested that I epoxy the inner ring that slipped. It will be interesting how the glider flies when I put it back together.

[HangDiver]

This was a great fly-in with big air everyday. Beer, brats, burgers and bon fires at night. Andrew made the most of it and we hope our New Mexico friends will come back this summer for more. Come join us this summer for morning soaring and all U can eat evening air.
http://www.rmhpa.org/site_guide/villa.htm

Rich

[QuienesSuPa]

Cool Flight to Alamosa!

BJ