Search found 674 matches

by stebbins
Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:17 pm
Forum: Safety and Incidents in flight
Topic: Carabiner Recall on Moyes and Woody Valley Harnesses
Replies: 21
Views: 14325

I have one of those "quicklink" carabiners that need a tool to tighten or untighten between my harness and my chute. (Not one of the little ones, but a big beefy one.) This is in addition to my main carabiner. The idea is that on the off chance my biner breaks, then I'm still hooked to my ...
by stebbins
Sat Jul 05, 2014 8:54 pm
Forum: Safety and Incidents in flight
Topic: Launch incidents
Replies: 16
Views: 8537

George is almost always right, but I've got to disagree with him this time. I think that the "ramp suck" is just the forward tilting of the wing's lift vector that results from the upslope flow. I've seen measurements done on ramps back east. (Streamers moved around to test the flow.) If ...
by stebbins
Thu Jun 26, 2014 10:28 am
Forum: Safety and Incidents in flight
Topic: Launch incidents
Replies: 16
Views: 8537

A comment relating to Lisa's post about ramp suck, and the earlier post about making the top flat: Flat tops with sloping ramps are often what makes ramp suck. Suck is frequently caused by the push from the rotor generated by the sudden change of ramp slope. The smoother the change in slope, the les...
by stebbins
Thu Oct 17, 2013 11:21 am
Forum: Safety and Incidents in flight
Topic: Blown Launch Oct 6th
Replies: 7
Views: 5238

I'm not going to jump in to this in general, not having been there, and not being all that current myself. But I do have an observation: "Go" and "No" sound too much alike. Perhaps "Stop" is a better word? One of the previous postings notes too much input: noise, helmet...
by stebbins
Fri Sep 20, 2013 1:57 pm
Forum: Safety and Incidents in flight
Topic: Formula for staying a safe distance from clouds
Replies: 1
Views: 2640

For faster gliders: In step 1, just replace "Maximum descent rate" with "Descent rate just below Vne" or whatever speed is your maximum comfortable speed.

Use the rest of the rules as listed.
by stebbins
Thu Sep 05, 2013 10:49 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Flytec 5030 Displaying GPS Altitude
Replies: 3
Views: 1856

I can't help you with the vario, but there is a misconception in your post. GPS altitude is not less accurate than barometric altitude. Sometimes it is better, sometimes worse. More to the point, it doesn't "drift" as the weather changes, you move into different air-masses, or they move by...
by stebbins
Fri Aug 23, 2013 2:41 pm
Forum: Safety and Incidents in flight
Topic: Failure to hook in
Replies: 14
Views: 9223

I'm glad you are ok Rob. Sorry about the glider. (But happy that it was the glider and not you that got trashed.)

Be carefull out there, and look out for your friends.
by stebbins
Thu Jun 20, 2013 2:17 pm
Forum: Events
Topic: Yosemite 2013
Replies: 12
Views: 9714

Just FYI, the weekend of July 27/28 will also have a monitor - me. If you can go with the club, that's always nicer, but if anyone wants to come up the following weekend instead or in addition, I'll be there to monitor. Also, I plan on being available as monitor four full days: Friday 26th-Monday 29...
by stebbins
Thu Feb 21, 2013 4:55 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: RIP Erwin - We had many good times!
Replies: 22
Views: 12470

We are all poorer for Irwin's passing. I know I will miss him.

Fly high, my old friend!
by stebbins
Fri Jan 25, 2013 4:21 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Cloud Types
Replies: 2
Views: 1600

Hey, I thought we didn't get clouds in Southern California! ;-)
by stebbins
Fri Jan 25, 2013 4:14 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: CG-1000 harness
Replies: 8
Views: 4880

For simplicity and comfort and less drag (but not race-worthy) the CG1000 is great. I still have my (2nd!) one from earlier in my flying career, and still use it occasionally. Last I checked (and it was admittedly quite a while ago) it was significantly cheaper too. Maybe it isn't any more - you'd h...
by stebbins
Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:19 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Avenue S on Saturday?
Replies: 14
Views: 4994

I tentatively plan on being there. (L if weather and access permit, S if not.) I think Jim Mercadante will be there also.
by stebbins
Thu Nov 08, 2012 4:05 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Grebloville 2013
Replies: 50
Views: 20172

Puppets? You've got to be kidding. The single underlying personality trait of the vast majority of hang glider pilots is the unalterable conviction that we are right and everyone else is wrong. Otherwise, we'd listen to our families, co-workers, friends, the public and the media and stop flying thos...
by stebbins
Thu Sep 27, 2012 2:46 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Radio in the Gazebo?
Replies: 43
Views: 12408

The 3 USHGA frequencies are in the business band. As such, they are shared with other business users. The last time I tried to use them in Los Angeles, I heard all kinds of stuff about hotels, drivers, deliveries etc.. Of course, that may have been a busy day. Out in the boonies, it's useful. In LA,...
by stebbins
Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:11 am
Forum: Events
Topic: King Mountain Hang Gliding Championships
Replies: 5
Views: 3408

Yea, King can be real fun, and not too stressful in the evening. On the other hand, the weather can change dramatically in a few short minutes, so please keep an eye out. And remember that it takes a while to land from 12,000 feet, especially if you can't find any sink.... Oh, and the wind can often...
by stebbins
Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:55 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: BRACELET
Replies: 3
Views: 2001

Thanks to you too Vrezh. I only knew about Jim, as the place he called mentioned his name. I said "Hey, I know that guy...!"
by stebbins
Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:46 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Help me become a better pilot
Replies: 30
Views: 8723

A paraphrase of a quote from the Sailplane classic "Cross Country Soaring": Fly though good air as many times as possible. The corrolary to this, is to fly through bad air as few times as possible. It is amazing how many people ignore the second part of this... Or, when in sink, think of M...
by stebbins
Wed May 30, 2012 9:27 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: BRACELET
Replies: 3
Views: 2001

It is mine. I will get it the next time I'm there, so please leave it there. It might be a while...

BTW, thanks to Jim Heaton. I only know it is mine because he called the number on the bracelet and had them track me down. Good job, and much appreciated.
by stebbins
Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:53 am
Forum: Lost and Found
Topic: Found: Black hat with red Wills Wing logo
Replies: 0
Views: 1470

Found: Black hat with red Wills Wing logo

This past weekend, a bunch of us flew Avenue S. Afterwards, some of us went to Chilis in Palmdale. Someone left a black Wills Wing baseball cap inside the restraunt. Next time you are out you can pick it up from me, or next time I'm down at Kagel, I'll drop it in the lost-and-found box. I don't get ...
by stebbins
Thu Dec 15, 2011 4:39 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Glide ratio beyond the curvature of the earth.
Replies: 6
Views: 2329

......Flying close to the ground (say 5 feet) would get real interesting because it is hard to imagine too much sink (or lift) when so close to the ground. Cheers, Chad But those irregularities will bite you big time, and instruments are blind... One time, coming back from the Owens Valley, I saw a...