Mighty Mouse

Another blown out day. As we have done every day in Utah so far we headed out to the South Side in the morning. The air was strong and chunky. Turbulent and kind of nasty. A couple of local pilots flew but we were advised against it and so we just hung out for a while. We had already set up so Ryan and Shad took the opportunity to show us how to flat pack a glider. Ryan also repaired my leading edge from the day before.

Shad and Brandon flat-packing

The forecast called for more ridiculously strong winds and rain so we made the call to head over to Ryan's place for some classroom instruction.

L to R:  Zack, Dan, Brandon, and Ringo

Ryan went over our launch videos from Camels in detail offering tips and advice. We then viewed some footage he had on his computer of landings and spent some time picking apart different landings for educational purposes. Ryan then showed us a bunch of his camera mounts for hang gliders and then suggested that we do a parachute repack so we can see how it's done. Ringo volunteered and off we went. Little did we know what was in store.

First we harnessed Ringo up and hung him from the tree. We shook him around to simulate a broken glider and he threw his shoot. Well done! Then we carried his chute down to the basement where we started to unfold it. As soon as we busted it out we noticed a kind of smell.... once we started opening the chute we figured out the source.

I can't imagine what Ringo must have felt flying all those months with the putrid stench of death in hist nostrils. Of course... he isn't called Ringo anymore. He shall henceforth be known as Mighty Mouse!!!!

That was pretty much it for Sunday. Ryan's Fiancee Desiree proved that she is the second coolest woman alive (second to my Karina) by cooking us dinner and then discussing hang gliding and beer with us while we ate. This marks the official end of the clinic with Ryan and let me tell you, it was worth it! Ryan and the Wings Over Wasatch crew are not only highly knowledgeable but they are also extremely accommodating. Every part of our trip has been well planned, well executed, and a total blast to be a part of! I hope to be able to come back and visit these guys again soon.

Even though the clinic is officially done we have one more day in Utah. Of course, Ryan and Shad are meeting up with us and taking us to a site called Randolph. The forecast is looking ideal and we are all excited about getting some more big air this afternoon. I'll let you know how it goes :)

Big Air

Utah is known for it's big air. Usually this refers to kick ass thermals that can take you  like a rocket up to heights sublime. While we did get to experience some of Utah's big air, unfortunately it was the other kind... the kind that blows at 40MPH out of the South all day long for 2 days straight!! :( When we arrived at the South Side Saturday Morning it was looking decent. We all got set up and most of us flew. The air was rowdy though and I was feeling tired... a combination of jet lag, lack of sleep, and 3 hours of flying the day before. As I was putting the final touches on my glider and getting psyched up to fly a local pilot blew his approach and landed nearly on top of me!!! His right wingtip came down on my left wing tip. WTF DUDE!!!!! That's my glider!!!!!!

This incident combined with everything else kind of put me off of flying the South Side on this day. On the bright side no less than three local pilots gave my wing a thorough inspection afterwards further affirming the fact that these Utah people are generous beyond the scope of normalcy. In the end I decided to save my energy for the epic flight I had planned for the evening.

We headed out to Commodore in the afternoon. Commodore is another high mountain site. It's a bit more rugged being out in the desert. It has the feeling of being the kind of place you wouldn't want to have a bad landing out because it could be years before anyone came across your dried, bleached bones.

Commodore Launch As Seen From The LZ

Another thrilling ride up a mountain track brought us to launch. A large rocky meadow looking out over the vast expanse of desert!

The View of the LZ From Launch at Commodore

The scene on launch was not encouraging. The wind was blowing in quite briskly. When I say brisk I'm talking about 31 MPH!!! What's worse it was gusting. Lulls would die down to 0MPH and in an instant you would get slammed in the face with another 30MPH gust. We waited...

... and waited...

... but the wind never slacked off. We had some great conversations and told some stories. Ryan and Shad shared a ton of thermal lore and mountain flying tips and we threw stones at an old tin can.

I should have taken that morning flight at the South Side...

Moonrise over the Oquirrh Mountains

Camels

Settung up on the South Side

The clinic officially started on Friday the 20th. We arrived at the south side to find conditions looking good and building nicely. The trick at the South Side is for the wind to get strong enough that the Paragliders don't want to fly it but not getting too strong that the hang gliders can fly it. We had a perfect morning for this and I flew for an hour and forty minutes on three different flights with three top landings.... and I only turtled once!!

That afternoon we headed out to Camels.... our first mountain launch site.  Here is our first view of Launch from the car... on the left of the frame just to the right of the fluffy white cloud.

The day looked promising and our hopes were high. The drive up the mountain was thrilling... we don't have roads like that in Tennessee! I must admit that when we first stepped onto launch my heart skipped a beat. Partly due to excitement and partly due to fear.

Standing on Launch at Camels

A launch this high is not something I've experienced before. I just had to remind myself that launching from 3000' is no different from launching at 1300' except that you have a lot more time to find a thermal on the way down. We waiting for the evening air to smooth out and started punching out. The first guy to launch when straight up (almost literally) and the mad rush to get harnessed up and out into the lift began. I had an awesome 40 minute flight getting to about 1000' over launch. I've got tons of video from the flight that I'll share later when I'm home.

Everyone had a great flight and we all ended up in the landing zone together with huge smiles and a sense that all is right with the world.

Brandon and Dan in the LZ with Launch in the background

It's hard to describe but there's something about hang gliding in the mountains here that is just right... this is flying as it is meant to be. As an east coast boy and an east coast pilot I just can't get enough of these mountainous views and big skies. I'd say my first Utah mountain experience is something that will stay with me for a lifetime.

Flying the Legendary South Side

We finally got out to the Point of the Mountain South Side this morning. It was looking really good while we set up but by the time we were clear to launch the conditions had died down and it was no longer soarable. The South Side is only a few hundred feet high but eventually we decided to take a sledder. Not a legendary first flight in Utah, lasted about a minute, but nonetheless a flight. As we were breaking down our gliders a mighty rain blew in and drenched us all quite thoroughly!!

Drying Wings

Sunny South Side

We grabbed some lunch and by the time we were finished the sun had returned and all the clouds that had followed us since arrival burned off in the next 20 minutes. Awesome. Back to the south side. Flew the South Side properly getting about 20 minutes of soaring. It was a new experience for me flying with Paragliders and I must admit I didn't like it. They fly a lot different than hang gliders and I found it difficult to predict where they were going to go next. I'm sure I could adapt given time by I hope I never have to :)

Lots O' PGs

The day ended well with a rosy glow both in me and on the mountains. Having gotten 2 flights today I fee pretty satisfied. Tomorrow is going to be awesome with sunny skies predicted and our first trip to the mountains in the afternoon. Can't wait!!!

Utah here I come!!

About 6 months ago a pilot and HG business owner (http://www.wingsoverwasatch.com) was advertising a mountain clinic he was hosting in the fabulous mountains around Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah is famous for it's awe inspiring hang gliding sites and consistent conditions. I asked if it would be appropriate for newer pilots to which he answered "No". However he did offer to cut me a deal if I could organize enough other new-ish pilots to fill a clinic geared toward our skill level and needs.

Tube Sock

 

 

 

I took this up with great enthusiasm and within a few weeks had gotten together enough people to make the trip happen. The H2 mountain tour was scheduled for August 20th through the 22nd, but because of family concerns it didn't look as if I was going to be able to attend! Then some magic happened. First I was offered to attend the clinic at a discount. Then a local pilot offered to let me and others stay at his place free of charge. Then a flying buddy of mine locally offered to donate plane tickets as he has more sky miles than he knows what to do with. Wait a minute, you mean all I have to do is show up and fly? WHAT!?!?!!

Stuffing....

That's right... the fates rolled out the red carpet and with all of this positive flow working in my direction my family was convinced that maybe I had better go ahead and make this trip. Since that day I have been thinking about this trip nearly every day for 5 months. Now the trip is right around the corner. However before I myself make the trip I had to ship my glider there. I could have opted to bring my bird on the plane, but this course is fraught with danger and opportunities for mishap. Instead, with a little help from my friends, I opted to ship via an industrial shipping company.

Screwing...

Our gliders flew out on Thursday. We will fly out on Wednesday the 18th... in just 3 days! The photos feature my mate Brandon.... he of abundant sky-miles, effusive generosity, and exhaustive shipping know how. All that and mad flying skillz too!

Bye bye loves... see you in Salt Lake

Utah, here I come!!!

All is not lost!

When I was a toddler my grandma told my parents that "If this boy doesn't grow up to be a pilot then something's wrong with this world."

Well, there are many things wrong with this world but all is not lost. It took me much longer than planned, but finally at age 36 I became a pilot and have been pursuing that dream of ultimate freedom across the skies ever since.

Watch my first flight

With luck, my daughter will show this blog to her friends in 10 years and they'll all talk about what an awesome dad I am! At the very least I'll have a place to make a record of my adventures... a record that I can use to help me remember that, even though we live in challenging times, one can still find inspiration and joy and the fulfilment of lifelong dreams!