Progress of new pilots.

[RobinHastings]

Christmas, 2016:
OK, I got the downtubes on the Gemini replaced. We're ready to go when you are, Mike!
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

Mike T. Robin H. and Bill C. gathered at the arroyo slope northwest of A Mountain today in Las Cruces New Mexico (USA).
Mike made 25 practice runs down the shallow slope into building and switching winds until we had to bag it and drag it.
I did a short edit below since I have to get this up loaded, posted here, and out of the way to get ready for flying tomorrow.
Ann is down from up north in snow country where flying here doesn't make her nose drip as much.
https://youtu.be/NR6M5gp0Nc8

[Bill Cummings]

Remember to insert your battens gently into the batten pockets. If it doesn't go all the way in just "Jiggle it a little, it'll settle." (Say that real fast.)
Scroll the picture down to see the text at the bottom of this picture.

Batten pocket repair..JPG (132.31 KiB) Viewed 9808 times

Batten pocket repair 3.JPG (83.51 KiB) Viewed 9808 times

Batten pocket repair 2.JPG (61.09 KiB) Viewed 9808 times

[Bill Cummings]

A week ago Mike T. lead us to the gravel pit north of "A" Mountain where he estimates eight years past his brother and he test flew a home made hang glider that they put together with PVC tubing.

Except for the two leading edges, trailing edge tubes, plastic sail covering,and keel it was still laying there.

After 8 yrs at the pit, whats left of HG.JPG (91.17 KiB) Viewed 9763 times

Robin, Mike and I set up the Gemini and Mike tried a few launches but the wind was too calm and we had to wait for better conditions.

Mike T. and Bill C..JPG (76.03 KiB) Viewed 9763 times

[RobinHastings]

January 23, 2017:
When Mike got off work today, he met me at NMSU and we went to the Centennial HS gravel pit site, where he had 5 good launches. Still needs to keep the nose into the wind on touchdown, but he had good runs and had his feet off the ground a couple of times. Good southwest winds this evening.
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

Hi All,
Just hung up the phone. I had a call from an interested guy in hang gliding by the name of Tom B.
from Truth or Consequences "T or C."
He has the Memorial Day weekend free so I told him about the 20 to 30 pilots that usually show up
in Alamogordo, NM.
He sounds like he will be down to check out the fantastic sport of hang gliding. (No bias intended.)

[RobinHastings]

Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017:
I had Shamek Persons (who helped drive for us last weekend at Magdalena Rim) come over for a reprise of his lessons from several years ago. It went real well. We used the club's Gemini 134 and he made great progress in his launch runs on flat ground. He put on the harness after a while, and learned to run it while hooked in, too. He was making good corrections in our shifty southeast winds by day's end. Shamek is eager to fly, ASAP.
-Robin

[RobinHastings]

Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019:
I had a good mentoring session yesterday with Byron Stevens of Alamogordo. We went to the Mesquite Dam site, south of Las Cruces, with his wife Felicia and his Northwings Freedom 170. In good, 10-12 mph SSW winds he had 4 good launches and landings, showing good control in all aspects and good flares at the end. I think he is ready for higher hills, when we can arrange it.
-Robin

[SamKellner]

Go Robin

Go Byron

[Bill Cummings]

Byron took his first mountain launch off of Gray Hill which is 10 east of the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico.
This is a 500' agl site at about 7,000' MSL.
We had to wait for more than a hour for the wind to come in straight.
Byron's launch was two steps and flew straight and level away from launch.
On landing his right wingtip hit a Juniper bush and he took out his left downtube.
He walked away and you know the whole saying about that.
https://youtu.be/FzZ9KT44OBc

They stopped making the GoPro Hero3 white model battery, I'm told, so if that is correct
I don't think I'll stick with GoPro anymore. What camera's do the pilots recommend?