Search found 674 matches

by stebbins
Thu Dec 15, 2011 4:30 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Glide ratio beyond the curvature of the earth.
Replies: 6
Views: 2329

Re: Glide ratio beyond the curvature of the earth.

I guess you would be in orbit at that point, right? I did the math first, then checked wikipedia. We had almost same answer: beyond a 3,750:1 glide. If a top notch 31m glider has a 70:1 glide. That is still 50x short. Unfortunately, this isn't true. Why? Because as one moves forward, the gravity ve...
by stebbins
Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:53 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Parking Lot Paving Update
Replies: 10
Views: 3642

Thanks for the status report and all your hard work, Joe! Nothing says "Thank You" to a contracting company better than word-of-mouth advertising. I see their Yelp profile has no ratings or remarks. http://www.yelp.com/biz/loera-paving-company-inc-los-angeles I would NOT suggest telling t...
by stebbins
Thu Dec 08, 2011 3:16 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Sarcastic quotes and sayings
Replies: 144
Views: 58289

Busto wrote:Never bend your head. Hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.
-Helen Keller
But be sure to duck under the low tree branch! Maybe you should bend your head on occasion...
by stebbins
Thu Dec 08, 2011 3:14 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Sarcastic quotes and sayings
Replies: 144
Views: 58289

Busto wrote:An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.
-Sir Winston Churchill
You don't have to outrun the bear. You only have to outrun your companions...
by stebbins
Thu Dec 08, 2011 3:04 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Paraglider -> Van Collision
Replies: 9
Views: 2123

OP. What caused this wind turbine fire? I'd love to know what the problem was. (From the still, it appears to be a collision of some sort, but that could easily be incorrect.)
by stebbins
Thu Dec 08, 2011 3:00 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: BLACK IS BACK!!
Replies: 13
Views: 3301

good idea, jonathan. thanks for the post! Thanks goes to OP too. Besides, I'm tired of being the new George Stebbins of the forum. :lol: :lol: :lol: I sent Danny an email and haven't heard back. I hope he's doing as well as Rome indicates. Or is it the new Bob Kuczewski of the forum? :lol: :lol: :l...
by stebbins
Thu Sep 22, 2011 4:17 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Sarcastic quotes and sayings
Replies: 144
Views: 58289

beemer wrote:Early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!
"The Early Bird catches the worm" just shows that the worm should have stayed in bed...

Robert Anson Heinlein
by stebbins
Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:25 am
Forum: Events
Topic: Yosemite LZ is dry (mostly), Bridalveil campground is open
Replies: 0
Views: 1505

Yosemite LZ is dry (mostly), Bridalveil campground is open

The campground is open. The LZ is nicely landable. The "creek" that runs across it near where most folks do their base-leg still has water in it, but otherwise, all is fine. I flew on Saturday and had a lovely view. Yosemite falls has more water than I've ever seen in it. However: There w...
by stebbins
Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:53 am
Forum: Events
Topic: Yosemite 2011
Replies: 15
Views: 9684

I have verified that the campground is open. Still no word on the condition of the LZ. I'll let you all know on Monday or Tuesday when I return.
by stebbins
Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:45 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Steve and Alex doing the Thermal Dance at Mt Tam
Replies: 3
Views: 1248

Like when an older brother tells his younger sibling: "No honest, you will look soo cool when you wear the rubber chicken on your head... Really. Trust me."

Like the time I convinced my younger brother to eat a nickel.
by stebbins
Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:15 pm
Forum: Events
Topic: Yosemite 2011
Replies: 15
Views: 9684

The National Park Service web page for Yosemite just today (14th) listed Bridalveil Campground as opening on July 15th. (Tomorrow) They also have the water level down to under 5 feet gage height. I assume that means that we can at least camp. Flying also looks possible, but not yet a definite. Those...
by stebbins
Thu Jul 07, 2011 3:19 pm
Forum: Events
Topic: Yosemite 2011
Replies: 15
Views: 9684

So far, the only 1st come 1st served campground available in (semi) reasonable distance to launch is Tamarack Flat. Boil the water (you get it from the creek) or bring your own. No trailers or campers. I'll keep watching. I still plan on going, flying or not, especially since I'm going up Thursday (...
by stebbins
Thu Jul 07, 2011 3:11 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: John Denver Eagles and Horses
Replies: 4
Views: 1301

Bob Denver? I don't know if Gilligan ever tried hang gliding. ;-) Probably the Skipper didn't. Maybe the professor?

John Denver (the musician) died in a homebuilt accident, so maybe he tried hang gliding.
by stebbins
Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:50 am
Forum: Events
Topic: Yosemite 2011
Replies: 15
Views: 9684

I'm going no matter whether there's flying or not. My kids go back to school two weeks after my scheduled monitoring, and I have commitments the following weekend, so that's my last chance to go to Yosemite for the year. So, short of some emergency, I'll be there July 23/24. Contact me if you want t...
by stebbins
Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:04 am
Forum: Events
Topic: Owens Valley 4th of July
Replies: 5
Views: 2692

Current forecast has it blowing SW on Saturday, even in the morning. Odds of flying Horseshoe would be very low.

Maybe the other side would work. But it is getting to the strong season, that's for sure.
by stebbins
Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:58 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Owensp
Replies: 1
Views: 998

I might be willing to go for a day on Sat / Sun, or maybe both days.

Haven't been to Hoseshoe for a while...
by stebbins
Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:57 pm
Forum: Flying Related
Topic: California Alpine Soaring 6-15-2011
Replies: 2
Views: 1538

You can get new versions of the same flight!?!? ;-)
by stebbins
Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:36 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Couple of pics from Memorial Day
Replies: 2
Views: 1441

Amazing what you can do when you mess with a telephoto lens. And all without photoshop... ;-)
by stebbins
Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:27 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Volume of the Oceans
Replies: 2
Views: 1232

Average depth of the ocean is several miles (don't know the exact depth, assume 3 miles.) Earth is 4000 miles in radius. Water covers about 3/4 of the surface, so that works out to a rough estimate: 1/1000 of the earth's radius is water. Volume is 4/3 Pi R^3, so as you can see, the volume of surface...
by stebbins
Thu May 12, 2011 10:23 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Random Cloud Pic
Replies: 4
Views: 1613

Holy Mamatus, Batman!