July 2008 – Page 2 – Powered Paragliding. A most Personal form of Flight

172

Huntmaster! light variable breezes at the surface but mixing air and wild swings shortened this flight. Yesterday I switched back to the 150 and after changing the position on the needle jet I find the best setting is where it was despite the color of the plug.
It was nice to launch from pavement and nobody hassled me including the workers on the unfinished house but I sure didn’t like the air. Right after I took off there was some seriously sinking air that I believe came from the nearby lake. The land sloped down toward the lake and before I started to climb out I was probable 5 or 10 feet lower than where I took off. In the air there were lots of cross currents that kept turning the glider in directions I didn’t want to go. I was also a little concerned about landing but had no trouble setting down on the pavement just a little past the truck. So I didn’t stay up long but it was an OK flight.
After landing I went over to the Park and helped out with the balloons. I met Jim Hill who is going to be the assistant safety officer and Gary (?) who owns the Rocky Mountain Balloon Festival. They are having issues with the FAA and others about security during the Democratic convention.

171

The jet was 155 and the motor was bogging down. If felt ok in the driveway but I could tell during lift off that I didn’t have the power. So it’s back to the 150.
First sunset flight in Colorado this year! I didn’t stay up long because of the motor but the air was good. I did one touch and go before calling it quits. I just didn’t feel right with the motor missing.

#170

What a day

Blew first two launches. I was trying to use the prop wash to build a wall and it absolutly wasn’t working for me. The wing came up hard to the left both times and I was unable to react near fast enough to get under it. If I had tried to turn hard enough to follow the wing I would have been 30 degrees …or more…off the wind. On the second muffed launch I managed to do a slow mo tip over. (NO DAMAGE).

Third try I walked the wing back and re-set properly. I went back to giving myself a couple of feet of slack and this time when I started the roll the wing came up easy and I was able to stableize it with just a little brake input.

House Keeping:

1. change jet back to the 155 and see if the plug changes to the right color of brown.

With out bogging down at the top end…

2. install garmin antenna.

Race number 1 of the summer series is going to be my throwout race.

I blew it at the start starting with the B fleet. John Sieb was helm and I don’t think I helped him enough. Very high winds steady from the North gusting to 20+knots. Two boats capsized and the new Freedom 24 went down with one man missing for 20 minutes. It’s resting on it’s keel /dagger board with the top 20 inches of mast above the surface. Everyone is ok and the paramedics delt with the guy who was swimming….So all is well.