Simon King
Sunday, 3/8/09

Oat Mountain

My first attempt to launch was very similar to Treeman's (Mark M).  I had told everyone I was going to kite for a bit then launch, didn't happen.  Anywho after I got all my stuff together, I put my equipment in a pile where I was planning on launching after I decided to watch Nitrous and Treeman get some for a bit.

After Nitrous did his text book top landing as usual, I got set up to launch.  Wind was and had been blowing at a steady 12 mph out of the SSW.  This time I was ready to launch.  I picked up my glider and went straight up.  I was not penetrating until I was about 40ft directly above where I launched from, for the first 40 ft I wasn't moving backwards or forwards.  I did some math just now, and I am 4kg under the minimum weight range on my glider.  I stood on my speed bar for a while until I got out in front.  I spent 20 minutes flying out in front and out to the true Oat Mountain and back losing little altitude, topping out at 3100 ft.  After that 20 minutes was up I decided I had had a good flight and I wanted to find a place to land.

Since the wind had not changed much, top landing was out of the question.  I figured to land at the LZ on the road half way up to Launch, so I slowly made my way that direction.  I flew actively, never took any obvious deflations, just generally felt uncomfortable doing any sharp turns.  By the time I got to the LZ my altitude was roughly 1000 ft AGL and spent about 15 minutes doing mild figure 8's and a 360 or two to get down.  Coming in to land I had to pass by canyon just South of the LZ that was funneling that 12 mph SSW wind that was still present and was making landing difficult.  Had a good landing coming in as fast as I could through that canyon flow then doing using steady brake pressure to slow down and land.  My radio wasn't transmitting anymore (low battery), but i was able to receive and Nitrous picked me up and took me back to launch.  Good times.

Flight time: 0:38:55, Altitude: 3162 ft, ascent: 710 ft/min, descent: 410 ft/min

p.s. I now will be wearing a ten pound weight vest next time I fly, until put on weight I have inadvertently lost since my trip to Guatemala.