Blogs

Look-Throw-Pull!

Our annual Spring Reserve Clinic was well-attended this past Thursday evening with pilots coming from as far upisland as Port Alberni (Lars) and Buckley Bay (Chris).

About 20 pilots filled out club membership forms, threw reserves, got first aid and tree rescue kits, had reserves repacked and reinstalled, ate pizza, and connected with fellow pilots. Definitely a great way to start the 2011 flying season!

Good to see everyone and special thanks goes out to Rick and Lee on repacks, Paul on simulator deployment, and PMac on harness reinstall.

Chris got some pics and vids: http://www.flickr.com/photos/glidie/sets/72157626179853451/

Those of you who were unable to attend, get your reserve to me ASAP so I can get it repacked for you before the serious flying gets underway!

Hiking Photographer snaps some good ones!

On my solo flight from Lanikai this winter, Rob Fortier of Skytimes Video was resting after making the hike up and took some photos during my flight.

He really captured the aerial playground that is Lanikai. Thanks Rob!

My shots from the flight can be found here:

And a bald eagle


After a surprise dump of snow a few days back, south winds arrived bringing slightly warmer temperatures and the prospect of some ridge-soaring at our little city site of Dallas Road.

I arrived early, around 9am, and although the wind had some south in it, it was on the stronger side and gusty. Bummer.

I had the dogs with me so I took them for a walk, not really expecting much to change as the ocean was showing whitecaps way out in the strait. However, at this time of year and with the somewhat bizarre weather that we've been having, things can change pretty quick. And that they did.

By the time I got bundled up for flying (my last flight was in 26 Celsius in Hawaii!) the wind was really starting to back off and the white caps had completely disappeared. I was still lifted off before the path and made my way down towards Cook St, not really getting as much height as I'd have liked with the tide being so high, so I elected to fly closer to Clover Point to keep the lower path closer in the event I needed a back up landing option.

A bald eagle joined me on the ridge for a bit, getting pestered as they do by the yappy gulls, and at about the time he started to flap, I noticed the squall that had been hanging out over the western communities starting to head my way. The lift died out so I turned and landed near the foot of Moss St. Moments later, the gust-fronted white caps arrived in full force so, needless to say, I was happy with my timing.

PMac and Paul showed up and we didn't waste much time waiting as the wind was strong, gusty, and WSW. It came on for a couple of hours later in the day and at least one other pilot took advantage.

Hopefully the south winds they are calling for over the next few days don't bring their normal precipitation with them.

One of the best things about paragliding is the freedom of the air, no matter how temporary it is. For just a little while we get to move in the wild environment truly in three dimensions, almost effortlessly, without motors or footwork. It’s a big, expansive, wonderful feeling, and it leads to grand thoughts, such as “I have slipped the surly bonds of earth!” As we all know, it gets under your skin like almost nothing else.

There's another, more subtle, freedom. It's the one you discover when you’ve bought your first glider and been signed off as an actual pilot. You can throw all your gear into the car and head off to parts unknown, find a suitable hill, climb or drive up that sucker and take to the air! I still remember, I can still feel that magical moment of realization. There’s nothing quite like it.

It’s a little hard to act on that freedom sometimes, especially early on in your flying career. Unless you’re a yahoo with no sense of self-preservation, you might decide to take it in small steps as you expand your flying horizons. Like just taking your gear with you whenever you’re on a trip in case you find a place to fly and local pilots to give advice. That’s pretty much how I have approached it, as a reasonably standard middle-aged guy who is fond of his skin being intact.

Final Oahu Flights

Today was the last day of the trip and we again started early, hiking the Kahana trail by 9am. The wind was stronger than yesterday which made for plenty of lift and Lee got off the hill first, spending a good hour or so on high, taking in the views of Kahana, complete with frequent humpback whale breachings at the mouth of the bay.

Duane was next and he made a few passes before heading in to land. The wind picked up noticeably then and we waited for some lulls before having Lars and Duane take to the air - whereupon they soared their hearts out!

Duane then hiked back up for another and he made good on his flight, soaring high over launch for close to 30 minutes before touching down on the beach LZ after Greg.

I then pulled out the demo Astral 6 and got airborne, quickly climbing up to Lars near the Rhino Horn, then heading over to the highest part of the ridge where I cored a nice thermal up to base at 2400', allowing myself to drift in it part way over the back en route to Sacred Falls.

Alex (who had launched about 30mins before me) had already made the jump over with Lee and wasn't having much fun scratching low over there. Lee had taken a different route and had climbed back up to 2000' or so before using the strengthening east wind to head west for Pounders Beach.

As I neared Sacred Falls (which was super visible today) I saw two hang gliders arrive from the Koolau Range who had apparently flown XC from Makapuu. They turned west and passed by Lee on their way to BYU.

Not finding much worth turning in, I had an easy glide to Pounders where I touched down just after Lee in a strong onshore breeze. Alex joined us shortly afterwards.

Three flights each for all three students!

Duane, Lars, and Greg each hiked the Kahana launch trail three times and were rewarded with three good flights each by 2pm today!

After a successful trip out to Dillingham the day before (news report by Alex: HERE), PMac and Lee each had two flights today (with Lee having to work, initially, to get up on his second flight and then flying for a couple of hours, eventually heading XC with Mad Dog, landing at Pounders). Natalie also got a flight in, soaring the highest she's ever been at Kahana!

More morning kiting and then afternoon flying!

The wind was too strong for flying in the morning but it picked up enough in the afternoon for Lars, Duane, and Greg to all get flights in from high launch at Kahana.

Lee and PMac timed it well and took the sky train to cloudville, both bagging XC flights over Sacred Falls and on to Pounders Beach - congrats guys! They were joined on their journeys by locals Alex, Maui Doug, Duck, and Thom. They all had BIG grins on when they eventually got back to the LZ.

I took Natalie's kiteboarding instructor, and good friend, Ryan, for a tandem flight and we worked our way up to cloud-base, flying for about an hour or so before spiraling out over the bay and landing on the beach. Natalie also logged another flight from low launch, making that three days in a row for her!

Light winds tomorrow might mean some thermalling from Makapuu.

Too windy for flying, so everyone got a full day of kiting in!


Natalie went up for an early morning flight at Kahana and launched in strong wind from lower launch, flying for about 20mins and landing before conditions got snarly on the beach.

The rest of us put in an extended kiting session at Kualoa Park where lots of progress was made.

Kahana Record!


PMac and Lee went for an early morning flight, joining a couple of visiting pilots from neighboring Maui and then Natalie hiked up and launched lower, getting up and soaring her fill.

It was still a bit strong for the rest of the crew so I had them kite on the beach for a bit. PMac reported lightening conditions (not the thunderstorm kind but the less wind kind) so up we went. Alex took Greg for a tandem flight while I helped Lars and then Duane get into the air for their first Hawaii flights!

Lars soared for an hour or so, getting high with PMac, Lee, and others and Duane started getting the hang of ridge-soaring, flying for about 25 minutes. Lee landed and helped guide both of them in while I got Greg airborne after Alex toplanded with him.

The tandem flight definitely helped Greg understand how to fly Kahana as he soared well, getting high over the top of the ridge with over a dozen other pilots in the air!

PMac flew a PB @ 3.5hrs and counted 20+ pilots flying at one point, which is a record now for the site.

Quite the day.

First flights for Lee and PMac!

After an early morning kiting session at Kualoa Park for Lars, Duane, Greg, and Natalie, the wind seemed too strong for any flying at Kahana so we hung out on the beach before Don finally decided to hike up. The wind was a bit east on launch but not as strong as expected so Don took to the air, followed by Lee, and lastly PMac (who launched from low launch in strengthening conditions).

After seeing them fly around for a bit, I hiked up with Duane and Natalie and got airborne as well. The conditions were on the strong side but the wind direction on the beach was more of a concern (too east) so PMac and Lee both headed down the coast, landing in Punaluu on the beach while Don and I had active approaches into Kahana beach.