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tokyoDirk
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Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 965
Location: bay area, CA
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 Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 8:52 pm Post subject: first 3 lessons done! |
 #1 |
I finished my first 3 lessons this week - what fun!! 
I flew a falcon 170 the first day down on the bunny hill in hollister, then I flew the condor the next two days at ed levin...
the condor sure flys easy with no wind, but damn what a beast!
I can't wait to get my hang-1 and actually fly for more than 15 seconds! 
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T.B.
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:01 pm Post subject: |
#2 |
Congrats...  .......Looking foreward to see you advance 
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knumbknuts
3 thumbs up
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Posts: 5004
Location: Carlsbad, CA
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| Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:07 pm Post subject: |
#3 |
| It only gets better! Gratz!
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Lobido
3 thumbs up
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Posts: 4099
Location: St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
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| Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 10:49 pm Post subject: |
#4 |
Welcome to the air, hang glider!
_________________
I keep cuttin' it and cuttin' it, but it's still too short.
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CHassan
3 thumbs up
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Posts: 4593
Location: Ohio
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| Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 3:39 am Post subject: |
#5 |
 Higher and longer my friend.
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Wingspan34
2 thumbs up
Joined: 14 Mar 2007
Posts: 5652
Location: Central NY
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| Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 7:35 am Post subject: |
#6 |
Keep up the good work Mooncricket!
Who knows, during your 4th lesson, you might take off and soar for an hour. Yea, . . . and if pigs could fly . . . ? . . . Oopps!
(sorry for the pseudo-pun  )
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DocSoc
3 thumbs up
Joined: 14 May 2007
Posts: 1881
Location: Miami Beach
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| Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 12:02 pm Post subject: |
#7 |
Yaaaahoooooooo!!!!
Next you'll get more and more addicted!!! What a RUSH!!!
_________________
Socrates
Rogallo Member USHPA
"Team Chicken Hawk" |
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gerg
3 thumbs up
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 1094
Location: Mill Creek, WA (Near Seattle...)
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 7:39 am Post subject: |
#8 |
| Wingspan34 wrote: |
Keep up the good work Mooncricket!
Who knows, during your 4th lesson, you might take off and soar for an hour. Yea, . . . and if pigs could fly . . . ? . . . Oopps!
(sorry for the pseudo-pun ) |
That's always a possibility... I didn't expect the 90 minutes I got on my 7th day.
And... was I the only one that started thinking about Spider Pig?
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tokyoDirk
3 thumbs up
Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 965
Location: bay area, CA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 9:17 am Post subject: |
#9 |
90 minutes? for real?
i won't be getting 90 minutes - when you get your hang-1 they let you take off from the 300 foot level - that would be quite a sink rate
how in the hell did you get 90 minutes on your 7th day?
do you have your hang2 already?
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gerg
3 thumbs up
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 1094
Location: Mill Creek, WA (Near Seattle...)
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 10:06 am Post subject: |
#10 |
| mooncricket wrote: |
90 minutes? for real?
i won't be getting 90 minutes - when you get your hang-1 they let you take off from the 300 foot level - that would be quite a sink rate
how in the hell did you get 90 minutes on your 7th day?
do you have your hang2 already? |
I got my Hang1 and first altitude solo on my 4th day (1200'), and my Hang2 on my 5th day. 6th day I got my new Falcon3, and 7th day (and 7th altitude flight) the ridge soaring conditions were perfect at Black Mt, and really got to feel out my new glider. For the full story/pics check this out:
http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=2738
I probably progressed a bit faster than most. My instructor said I had "natural ability", and the scooter tows, great weather, and great sites (Blanchard and it's HUGE LZ, and Black w/it's great launch (~4400ft, LZ ~900ft), and an instructor that's been great... It's all added up pretty quick.
I haven't taken my 8th yet... so I'm still dreaming of that 90+ minute flight 
Don't be in any rush though... Trust in your instructor and learn little by little, and don't stretch your comfort zone too much. Soon you'll be soaring w/the birds!
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tokyoDirk
3 thumbs up
Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 965
Location: bay area, CA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 12:45 pm Post subject: |
#11 |
| gerg wrote: |
Don't be in any rush though... Trust in your instructor and learn little by little, and don't stretch your comfort zone too much. Soon you'll be soaring w/the birds! |
wow! thats so much faster than I'm advancing!
its not an issue with comfort, my instructor seems in no hurry to test me for my hang 1.
I only seem to get about 6 or 7 flights down the bunny hill per lesson.
It involves a lot of waiting and being mixed with people of all different skill levels. 
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gerg
3 thumbs up
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 1094
Location: Mill Creek, WA (Near Seattle...)
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:05 pm Post subject: |
#12 |
| mooncricket wrote: |
| gerg wrote: |
Don't be in any rush though... Trust in your instructor and learn little by little, and don't stretch your comfort zone too much. Soon you'll be soaring w/the birds! |
wow! thats so much faster than I'm advancing!
its not an issue with comfort, my instructor seems in no hurry to test me for my hang 1.
I only seem to get about 6 or 7 flights down the bunny hill per lesson.
It involves a lot of waiting and being mixed with people of all different skill levels. |
Ahh, that's probably the difference. I was training either by myself, or with one other student max, so I got a lot of personal attention/instruction. I'd get a good 11-13 scooter tows per day, each one taylored to my skill level on that flight, so by the time I did my first altitude launch at the end of day 4, I had 30-40 scooter tows + 1 tandem flight. I consider myself really lucky
Definately stick to it though! You'll be soaring in no time...
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slavacus
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 31
Location: Atlanta, Ga
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:25 pm Post subject: |
#13 |
Congrats.
Stick to it
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Wingspan34
2 thumbs up
Joined: 14 Mar 2007
Posts: 5652
Location: Central NY
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:12 pm Post subject: |
#14 |
mooncricket,
I'm wondering where you are learning?
It's clear that Gerg has been lucky in a number of ways regarding his training. Does the school where you are training have scooter towing as an option? That seems to have been a big factor in Gerg's progress.
And for those more experienced pilots/instructors/shop owners who may be following this thread, . . . here's an obvious indicator of how the availability of alternative training methods can hasten the advancement of student pilots - or how the lack thereof can cause their progress to proceed at a (more typical?) slower, maybe frustrating, rate.
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FormerFF
3 thumbs up
Joined: 28 Aug 2006
Posts: 2482
Location: Roswell, Georgia, USA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 6:37 pm Post subject: |
#15 |
I'm on my fourth day, and still on the bunny hill. And I don't mind still being there at all. Today I was supposed to be working on landing on my feet rather than the wheels, when the instructor told me I was holding onto the downtubes too tightly, so that's mostly what we worked on. (I have a hard time working on more than one skill per flight, they're just too short). On my next to the last flight, as I was preparing to launch, I realized that this was the first time I was not nervous about launching. That in itself was worth the day.
When I first was thinking about taking up this sport, PutMeInTheSky told me, "Learn to enjoy your time at the hills. It is invaluable experience." That's exactly what I'm doing. I was on the hill with a lady who had 70 or 80 flights from the small hill, and was still plugging away.
Even if we are on the small hill, we're FLYING. That in itself is pretty incredible. Think about all the people throughout history and what they'd have given to do what you and I are doing. So, we're not picking this up as quickly as some. In your case, it sounds like you'd like to get more flights in per day. In my case, I'm not very athletic and not particularly young, and so the running down the hills limits me to 8 or 10 flights per day. I'm loving every minute of it.
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Wingspan34
2 thumbs up
Joined: 14 Mar 2007
Posts: 5652
Location: Central NY
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 7:07 pm Post subject: |
#16 |
It should never be an instructor or flight school's intention to "make" someone a Novice pilot in some set number of days. The focus should be/is on developing the student at the pace at which they are able and comfortable. BUT, if training can involve more experience within a (more) reasonable time span, then everybody wins.
Still, I'm not sure I would ever advocate making the learning of hang gliding "easy". There needs to be some serious challenges involved to keep the would be particpants humble. In order to develop the proper respect for the risks and dangers - as well as the skills, experience and judgement to realize and understand them.
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slavacus
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 31
Location: Atlanta, Ga
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 8:05 pm Post subject: |
#17 |
Hey FormerFF, glad you finally got to the hills. And you're right, as long as you're flying.... you're flying, and that what matters :-) You should only move on to the next challenge (like big hill), when you are comfortable launching, landing and controlling your airspeed.
Have fun and Good luck :-)
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Wingspan34
2 thumbs up
Joined: 14 Mar 2007
Posts: 5652
Location: Central NY
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 8:27 pm Post subject: |
#18 |
| gerg wrote: |
| And... was I the only one that started thinking about Spider Pig? |
"Spider Pig, Spider Pig, friendly neighborhood Spider Pig . . . Doh! "
Just saw a clip of that earlier today. 
But, you know, I think mooncricket's avatar is more like . . . Icarus Pig!
Fly too close to the sun and not only do it's wings melt - but you also get BACON!!
Ummm, bacon.
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tokyoDirk
3 thumbs up
Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 965
Location: bay area, CA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:56 am Post subject: |
#19 |
icarus pig... 
I'm learning at mission soaring.
The first day was just two people - which was awesome.
The other days were with 4 or 5 people.
I think they do have scooter towing at the site in hollister, but I'm not sure thats part of their hang-1 training program.
its 100% bunny hill for me.
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FormerFF
3 thumbs up
Joined: 28 Aug 2006
Posts: 2482
Location: Roswell, Georgia, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:32 am Post subject: |
#20 |
After my legs gave out yesterday, I spent a little time watching the guys flying off of the big hill. One guy came down, and started what I assume was to be two 90 degree reversing turns. What he wound up doing was more like one 180 degree turn back into the hillside. Then he came down to the shipping containers looking for downtubes.
There's much to be said for not rushing and mastering the basics before moving on.
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