[Cal Glider]

Stan launched of the north face of P Mountain near Parker AZ today (Sunday) at 12:30 in the worst conditions yet. It was 95 deg at launch, no wind. There were small puffs of about 4 mph as the hot air cooked off the hot black rocks. There was no set direction. The air was switching. It was coming up the north face, then would swing around and come up the south face. At one point it was coming up the North face and the south face at the same time!
Stan picked a cycle and called “Clear.” Just as he started towards the edge, what little wind there was shut down completely. He pulled in and dove off the shear face and lost a good 35 feet before the glider started to fly. There was nothing but hot sink everywhere. He desperately searched for something, any little puff of lift but to no avail. I was still at launch and I was watching his shadow coming closer and closer to the glider. At around (I kid you not Mike Collins was on the ground with a good view of the whole thing) 75-100 feet off the deck he starts to turn 90-180-270-360 and then another and another and slowly and we are talking just a few feet gain per circle he clawed his way back up into the sky. He made it back up to launch height and kept slowly going up. He was 500 over when two local redtails began to shadow him. The birds were circling clockwise and Stan was turning counterclockwise. Several times they were only 20-25 yards apart. By now Stan was at 8000 with a northwest wind pushing him towards Bouse AZ so he headed out. He got stuck at Bouse for quite some. But at last made it up and headed down the 60 towards Wenden. When he arrived above Salome the valley exploded. The audio portion of his vario shutdown and went silent from overload, the instrument was pegged out. In moments he was at 12500. Pulling in the bar he headed for Wickenburg and beyond. I got a visual on him at the 303 loop North of Phoenix AZ, but lost him. By now it was after 5 and he was getting low and starting to look for a place to land when a last thermal of the day lifted him back up. He landed on the runway at Turf Soaring School North of Phoenix.
P Mountain to Phoenix AZ. Video and track logs to follow as soon as Stan can get them uploaded. 1:30 AM Monday morning now...I am going to bed!

[dave hopkins]

yaya, so what!, He flys an atos VRQT. No big deal! . All the smart pilots fly those. If it anit 200 miles we don't want to hear about it. I taught him everything he knows , OK ? a little bit of what he knows . I wish he were back here flying with me. I miss you honey , See you soon. Fart : Burb!!!!!!

Dave

[Cal Glider]

Ok, this is getting a bit repetitive; he just keeps going and going. This time after launching on the South launch at P Mountain (and another low save) Stan flew up the Colorado River valley, then jumped over the south end of Lake Havasu (about where MWD pulls water out of the lake for LA). He tried to follow the mountain route but was getting sink, went back to flat land flying over Lake Havasu he found a gas station that took him up to 8,000 AGL so he cut across desert instead of following I-40. Found another elevator that took him to 10,000 AGL so he again took a short cut across the mountains south of Kingman AZ. He came back to the I-40 well East of Kingman and ran out of daylight. Landed in a nice flat area on the Dunton & Dunton Cattle Ranch. I arrived found the gates to be locked and “large” NO TRESSASSPASSING signs on the fence. Thought (hoped) we would get out before anyone saw us, but Mr. Dunton pulled up. I did the PR thing getting ready to do the deal about insurance and that we leave only foot prints, but before I had gotten very far he smiled and said “don’t worry about it, land here anytime you want.” He unlocked the gates so I could drive out to where Stan had put down at and as he got back in his pick up said “why you don’t land at my airport next time, just over that way. It has a 5000 ft runway” and he drove away in a cloud of dust. We closed and locked up the gates behind us and arrived home (1AM) the next day. I know, I know, the ATOS pilots don’t even count it as a XC unless it is 200 miles or more. Once again, the conditions were poor. But a great example of what can be done if you use what you get and fly smart. I was thinking of not even posting about the flight, but I was just amazed at how far a little bit of courtesy and respect with a land owner can do. So mark The Dunton Ranch airport as a way point LZ We are cleared to land ther anytime. 35.203052 lat 113.355584 lon

[NMERider]

[dave hopkins]

Still a great flight. how many miles? Alright STAN!
Its not always how far we go ,it's what we make of the conditions we are given. Some days a 50 mile flight can be as rewarding as a 150 miler. Your a winner every time you go XC. You've jumped in the ring and gave it your best.
It's like fishing. Time spent flying XC is not subtracted from your earthly allotment.

dave

[noman3]

pussy

[sbrian2]

Is Stan still flying the Aeros Phantom?

I love these flight logs from a few years ago:

http://harmonia.meccahosting.com/~a0004d7f/Hang%20Gliding%20Flight%20Log.htm

[NMERider]

[Cal Glider]

[Wonder Boy]

[Cal Glider]

[SeeHoweToFly]

I can only think of about 20 thousand reasons I don't fly an ATOS and they all have a picture of George Washington printed on them. Whaaaaaaaaaa

[andylongvq]

I know of one Atos B in great shape for only $4,000. Also, a friend recently acquired an Atos C in fine shape for $5,200.

And I just sold (gave away) my Atos C for $6,000.

- Andy

[Cal Glider]