Seems it was flyable after all on Tuesday, but with one more hangglider blown over the back. It’s been a few years since last time. I’ve always told my students that the ability to fly straight at top speed is very important to learn, so you can get out of situations like this. The only way to learn this is to practice diving and deliberately introduce turns at high speed. Sundvollen is a great place to do this when the conditions are smooth and soarable.
Monthly Archives: February 2004
Test flying weekend
On Saturday Fredrik and I drove to Sundvollen in hope of some ridge soaring, the weather forecast was pretty good. At takeoff the students were ready and got their first flights while we set up and got ready. I tried a Airwave Calypso intermediate glider that could be interesting for a new pilot. The glider had double sourface, and otherwise quite standard layout. It was in good shape, with a few taped over scratches in the leading edge, and big wheels fittet to the bottombar. Nice on takeoff and landing, and very good handling.
Yours truly in a nil-wind takeoff, with authentic “Goldfish” harness. Photo by Bjørn Hammer.
I had borrowed Bjørn Hammer’s old WillsWing Fusion, and we agreed on a glide contest to Vik with Fredrik on the U2, and El Loco on his Litespeed. I had some problems with the VG, and flew with a knee-hanger harness, so the pilot was far from optimal. The Litespeed was the clear winner, U2 second, and since I had to wait for half an hour for launchable air I got tailwind on the glide. I declared the Fusion to have the worst glide since I only came a little further than the U2.
We packed up on the ice at Vik next to the model flyers, also packing up their gear in the setting sun, and had dinner at the Cafe. El Loco stayed over at my place in Oslo. We had a few beers, wathched lots of HG videos, packed an old emergency ‘chute, and flew the living room UFO stationed in my apartement.
Sunday was forecasted more wind, so naturally the only wind we got was a weak tailwind that persisted through the whole day, until the catabatic flow made it strong when the sun set. Some pilots took off in periods with nil wind, we were too slow setting up and missed the good periods.
Fredrik and Bjørn went out to ridge soar today, only to expirience too strong and gusty conditions.
Sunday flying
It was good conditions for flying on Sunday, I had instructor duty and picked up one of the students in the morning and then we drove to Sundvollen. It was light snow and a little gusty northerly when we came, but it calmed down so both students got 3 flights each. I flew the Aeros Target for the first time, nice beginner glider. Solid on launch, not as tail heavy as the older LaMouette Atlas models. In the air it was responsive in roll and pitch, but no yaw tendencies and nice and stable in turn. Plenty of bar pressure when i tried a dive, but I’m spoiled by a comp trimmed Litespeed, so I guess it’s the way it’s ment to be. Landing was easy enough, but I was suprised I had to run it in after flaring, maybe I was too lazy.
The wind came around WNW, and It became soarable just as it got dark. Can’t have it all :-)
Very good to be back in the air, have not flown since beginning of december. The salmon at Vik tasted very good after a long day outside in the snow.
Bjørn took this picture of me coming in on final, knee-hanger harness, and 4Fight helmet, heh.
It’s back
I wonder what that bright thing in the sky is, can’t remember when I saw it the last time…