[WingedGringo]

And as a winged gringo should I flew Mexico yet again. I posted a report at another site, then I copied it and now, in what I see as clear evidence of just how clever I am, I will attempt to paste it right here...
Ready?
Well I'm guessing you guys must all have hit your IGNORE THIS TOPIC button, probably by mistake. I'm a booknut however, my mother used to call me a bookworm even as a tyke, and so you might imagine how happy I am to have a Thrillogy if my own. Even if they are just silly adventures and misadventures. This is Mankind's Most Ancient Dream we're living after all, so I guess someone's gotta do it. I gave it my best shot.
In other news, I crossed back over the border from Mexico yesterday and I'm happy to announce that I finally bagged an hour on Punta Ballena, the little 300' bluff over town in Puerto Penyasco-Rocky Point for you total gringos.
I have been up atop this bluff dozens of times waiting for it to blow in enough so that I care to fly it but I never. I have seen Ian Snowball (no kidding now) fly it one day when it was so cross it just didn't look like that much fun, especially since it was cross from up the beach towards landing.
No way Jose!
But I rode my scooter up there on Thanksgiving and when I got to the top I was astonished to find it just barely cross, and blasting up at 25 to 30. Wahooo! The seagull were soaring, an osprey or two buzzed by and a whole squadron of pelicans made a turn right in my face.
I swung into action and turned my Scooter around. I pinned the throttle wide-open, which yields the heady velocity of 48mph, and I blazed out to the airstrip where my casamobile was waiting, and I headed back for the beach, now with both if my wings.
On the say back to town I called Ian, who is a go-for-it type, and we agreed to meet at Playa de Oro- the beach where we hoped to land.
We got to launch and it was really blasting that seacliff. We quick set up and got in the sky and had a blast for about an hour. Ian kept diving our amigos on launch while I just boated back and forth like a granny or something. Later I told the Mexicans, who seemed convinced that I too should have been straffing the cliff-they seemed to like it and why wasn't I a loco gringo like the strapping young lad?-that Ian had a vuelo, I an abuelo.
But we both had fun and it's always interesting to bag a new site and the landing was best of all...
I waited until I had 800'been again and I boated out from the cliff stage left towards the nearest soft sand, my casamobile, and the beach bar called La Pitaya, where even now there were a bunch of people partying on the second-floor balcony. I worked best -glideof and made it there with about 50 feet to spare.I turned back into the wind and it was blowing 15 or so, silky smooth, and I dove on in. I like to think I gave them gringos something to talk about a work next time, and I think I can close enough to put one of two on the floor.
I landed my FUSION 150 on my feet for the first time ever that I can recall, in what must have been my first truly graceful landing in years. Them folks on the patio must've figured I was part of the entertainment I guess, because they started buying me drinks.
Tomtom got some great photos, and they're up on his Facebook page.
It was bitchin'.
VIVA MEXICO!
Written on my thumbs...
Ole in Oatmeal

[Bill Cummings]

Ole,
I remember some pictures you took with your camera on the aft end of a, near, tip batten. Did that cause any turn or control problems?

It allowed for most of your glider in the view and a good bit of what was out in front of you.

How much did the camera weigh?

As I recall it was on the left wing and I was thinking that it would have put at least a small right turn on the glider by lowering the left tip at the aft trailing edge.

Also is there some photographer speak that would allow me select a setting to take a wider picture or is that only accomplished with a different lens?
Dumb Photo Dude,
Bill C.