Gray Hill flying and directions.

[RobinHastings]

Wonderful flying, Andy! How about the other guys - did anyone launch? I'm glad the van made it up there!
-Robin

[Andy]

Robin,

No, there was only an hour or so where it was flyable and the other guys hadn't set up in time. But, it was nice to know that it's soarable in SW and NW winds.

-Andy

[Andy]

Anyone thinking about Grey Hill tomorrow (10-24-2018)? Looks OK to me.

-Andy

[RobinHastings]

Hi, Andy. We have our RGSA quarterly meeting scheduled for this Saturday, Oct. 27th, at the home of Bill and Terry Cummings. So a campout at Gray Hill seems to be out of the picture. Bill and I checked out the road to Volcanic Peak yesterday evening, and despite the big rainstorm on Tuesday night we can make it to the site. We plan to go, maybe with Mike and Matt, on Friday morning. It would be great if you could join us! But if you head for Gray Hill instead, soar it well. The winds there Friday might be north/northwest, which should be really good. Hope to hear from you!
-Robin

[Andy]

Anyone for grey hill tomorrow? Looks pretty dang good.

[Bill Cummings]

Wind chill of 35 degrees tomorrow. It sure looks blown out for HG.
I like to go there when there is a forecast for flyable for three days in a row and camp but not this time of year.
If you decide to come with us to the Deming site tomorrow you won't have to go so far to get blown out.

[Bill Cummings]

Gray Hill New Mexico USA.JPG (37.94 KiB) Viewed 7249 times

Mike above the Gray Hill Tower June 15 2019.JPG (32.35 KiB) Viewed 7249 times

Mike E. and I met at Gray Hill near Magdalena New Mexico (USA) June 14, 2019 near 7pm for flying Sat. and Sun.
Although Gray is more of a training hill for first high flights, slope and cliff, it is possible to soar if conditions are right
and you know what you are doing. (Mike knows what he is doing.)
After Mike's flight on Saturday the 15th Virga was coming out of the clouds all around us so I decided to wait until Sunday.
The forecast didn't hold its WNW direction on Sunday and was NNW which was cross for each face on Gray Hill.
Mike had the only flight on our Eagle 180.
https://youtu.be/RD123dAiPII

[RobinHastings]

Wonderful flight, Mike! That was fun to watch. Someday I'd like to actually soar that site...
-Robin

[wingspan33]

Thanks for that post Bill.

I really enjoyed the video of Mike gaining out at that "small" hill. There were times when I was trying to RC pilot him, but to no avail. lol I think a higher performance glider might have gotten even higher, but who knows. It also reminds me that I've got to edit and put some of my recent flights up on YouTube. It's always fun to watch someone flying.

[RobinHastings]

Sunday, August 25: Bill Cummings and I met up on the top of Gray Hill on Friday evening. The stars and the Milky Way were just spectacular, and the temperature was cool but pleasant. The next morning we had winds coming in alternately strong and then light, due west, southwest, and northwest. Byron Stevens joined us with Felicia about 11:00 am. Bill was the first to fly, about 11:15 am, and had a lovely soaring flight for about 7 minutes. He made use of his own design for a nose release, allowing him to put his nose-wire crew onto a wing wire instead. After I picked him up I was the next to fly, when the winds came (finally!) up the slope from the west about 3:30 pm. I had an extended sled ride, in fairly turbulent conditions, with a nice landing. Byron was next off, for his first mountain flight (he's had a number of high aerotows, though). In all the turbulence he had an unfortunate landing when he clipped a juniper tree and spun in, taking out a downtube. We'll have to get his glider repaired before the next time he gets into the air. Bill and I stayed overnight, while Byron and Felicia headed back home to the Alamogordo area. All in all, it was a pretty fun campout (with some flying!)
-Robin