Magdalena Rim NW of Las Cruces NM (USA)

[Bob Kuczewski]

... if you can limp, you can launch!

I don't know if that quote is a "Robin Hastings" original, but it's the first time I ever heard it!!

Thanks Robin!! I needed a good cheering up!!

[Bill Cummings]

Tuesday, December 11, 2018:
Bill Cummings and I were at the Mag Rim launch by noon today. Conditions were mostly cloudy, with winds light to moderate out of the southwest. I launched at 1:45 pm MST into 10-15 mph, in my Wills Wing U2. I made one pass across the ridge, and (probably from being too far out) was just below launch. Heading back along the ridge I was still too low, though there were patches of lift, and I headed to the LZ. All was well as I set up a perfect approach down the arroyo. The last few seconds, though, right after I deproned, I could not keep the glider tracking - it kept leaning to the right. I avoided cartwheeling the glider, but the landing wasn't pretty. I wound up under the wires and the nose in the dirt. After I extricated myself I was pleased to discover no significant damage, to me or the glider. (Well, I'm hobbling a bit, with a bruise on my calf muscle - but is that significant? No - if you can limp, you can launch!) Bill picked me up and helped me get the glider in the bag, and then off we went to see what the GoPro had to say about such a landing. Unfortunately, the GoPro had nothing to contribute - somehow it didn't get turned on before I flew. So I will have to treasure this 3-minute flight in my memory alone. Or maybe just delete it - and keep up more airspeed the next time I come skimming in for the flag. It was certainly an educational expedition!
-Robin

https://youtu.be/cmwTkoRvaqU

[RobinHastings]

Thanks for sharing this video, Bill. Yes - I was too far out from the hill on that first pass. (DIdn't seem that far...) It was a decent flight, until the last few seconds. So I had a launch, and a flight, and... Well, two of three isn't bad!
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

December 17, 2018.
Here is a repost of Robin's report on when he took on the job as a guide for visiting PG pilot on the way through our area.

We had a nice time at Mag Rim today.

(Monday Edit by BC)

I took John Gallagher there and we
arrived about 1:00 pm at launch along with Andrew McKinlay of
Saskatchewan. (Andrew and his wife Shelley flew with us all about 2 years
ago.) Andrew and John had very pleasant PG flights in light SW winds and
overcast conditions. John got 900 feet above launch, and landed after
about 30 minutes, then hiked on back to the truck where I was relaxing. We
stopped at Loves for sandwiches, then met up with his wife Ellen in their
RV at the Hacienda RV Park in Las Cruces. Really nice people! Andrew may
hang around for a week or so and do some more flying; John and Ellen plan
to drive on to Arizona tomorrow. I got to see some airtime today, as well
as golden eagles, pronghorn antelope, and what we think was a ferruginous
hawk. Along with good people and pleasant weather - what more could we ask
for in life?
-Robin

[JoeF]

ferruginous hawk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferruginous_hawk

[Bill Cummings]

Well, Robin will have to compare what hawk he saw to what Joe posted.
We did see a hawk today while on our trip to Mag Rim and no Robin and I were not looking at each other.
We saw a real feathered hawk. But it flew from my side of the truck to Robin's side of the truck so Robin had a better view of the hawk.
(This is not to say that I own the passenger side of Robin's truck. I don't mean to create any confusion.)
I checked eight different weather models this morning and things looked weak and switching directions during the heat of the day.
I had a rough night (up in the middle.) last night so I decided to be the driver for this trip.
Things did look weak everywhere until we parked the truck at the fence, short of launch, then we could see the wind ripping through the bushes and
feel the rocking of the truck. Right near the truck it was gusting to 25 mph. Robin made the decision right there to return to town.
We got close to exit 132, near the Love's Truck Stop, and the flags as is usually the case were hardly moving. Back home in the valley
it looked calm.
Not always are we keyboard pilots. (Says the guy on the keyboard.)

[Bill Cummings]

Some Airport WX reports while the PG'ers soared their brains out at Mag Sunday 20, 2019
Las Cruces:

PG had great flights at Mag. while this was recorded.JPG (34.17 KiB) Viewed 6349 times

Deming:

Recorded At Deming with good PG at Mag. Sun 20, 2019.JPG (19.54 KiB) Viewed 6349 times

[RobinHastings]

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019: Not a bad day at Magdalena Rim. Bill and I arrived at the fence about 9:30 am (we really need to talk with the BLM about a gate and permission to drive up to launch). We loaded up my U2-160 on Bill's transporter and had it to launch in 10 minutes. By the time it was all set up the winds were right up the face but too light to fly. There was a high overcast today, with temperatures about 60 degrees F. No problem, though - we waited about half an hour or so, and things started picking up. I took off at 12:25 in a 15 mph cycle. I didn't go up much, so after one pass, and sinking below the rim, I headed out. I hit some lift on the way, doing some S-turns and a couple of 360's. Bill told me that the winds had died on launch, which may have had some bearing on the situation. But I reached the Arroyo LZ with several hundred feet, set up a good approach, and had a perfect landing 50 feet from the flag. The flight was only 5 minutes long, but I'm pretty pleased - everything worked. And winter weather like ours is something the rest of the country must envy right about now.

Keep watching the RGSA site tonight for "Weekend Weather". I'll try to post my take on the weekend Guadalupes possibilities.
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019: Not a bad day at Magdalena Rim. Bill and I arrived at the fence about 9:30 am (we really need to talk with the BLM about a gate and permission to drive up to launch). We loaded up my U2-160 on Bill's transporter and had it to launch in 10 minutes. By the time it was all set up the winds were right up the face but too light to fly. There was a high overcast today, with temperatures about 60 degrees F. No problem, though - we waited about half an hour or so, and things started picking up. I took off at 12:25 in a 15 mph cycle. I didn't go up much, so after one pass, and sinking below the rim, I headed out. I hit some lift on the way, doing some S-turns and a couple of 360's. Bill told me that the winds had died on launch, which may have had some bearing on the situation. But I reached the Arroyo LZ with several hundred feet, set up a good approach, and had a perfect landing 50 feet from the flag. The flight was only 5 minutes long, but I'm pretty pleased - everything worked. And winter weather like ours is something the rest of the country must envy right about now.

Keep watching the RGSA site tonight for "Weekend Weather". I'll try to post my take on the weekend Guadalupes possibilities.
-Robin

https://youtu.be/F7nBmWu4SPU

[RobinHastings]

Thanks, Bill. That was instructive. (Notice I'm not yelling now...) Good photography!
-Robin