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.