Kagel 2 Glendora 9/6/2011

A place to stretch the truth a little...
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Dizzy
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Kagel 2 Glendora 9/6/2011

Post by Dizzy »

Good weather today, base around 7K, light SE shifting to SW, even some nice looking clouds was forming over back country. I launched at 1:22pm, which was at least one hour late, but still made it to Glendora, 32 miles out:
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/502847

Jonathan made great out and return. He passed me near Lukens and then we meet again near Mt. Wilson when he was flying back. Thanks for the ride!

Alex
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JD
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Post by JD »

Fun and challenging day today. Alex and I had big plans. Fell far short of forecast models here while Kevin W got to nearly 13K at Crestline where it matched or exceeded forecasts. Alex did a typically great job on his PG and I was delighted to see him at Little Lukens when I first caught up. I looked back from East Lukens and Alex had very nicely climbed out and was coming my way in a hurry. I elected to dive into the foothills of Brown Mountain and just go for it, figuring I could always bail at JPL or La Canada/Flintridge Country Club.

Here's my flight to/from Wilson: http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/502850

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OP
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Post by OP »

wilson and back? nice!

Why don't you fly the Covert? Is the ease of the cocoon worth the trade off?
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JD
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Post by JD »

OP wrote:wilson and back? nice!

Why don't you fly the Covert? Is the ease of the cocoon worth the trade off?
Thanks. My Covert was an early prototype and it the process of putting a lot of unusual stress cycles on mine I found some areas that needed alterations. It's on its way back to me now. A properly adjusted cocoon w/ thin Spectra ropes is a potent X/C harness. I wouldn't knock it. Look at the flights Loren gets on his Sport 2 w/ a cocoon. For racing above 40 MPH, the Covert really shines.
macklow
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Re: Kagel 2 Glendora 9/6/2011

Post by macklow »

Dizzy wrote:Good weather today, base around 7K, light SE shifting to SW, even some nice looking clouds was forming over back country. I launched at 1:22pm, which was at least one hour late, but still made it to Glendora, 32 miles out:
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/502847

Jonathan made great out and return. He passed me near Lukens and then we meet again near Mt. Wilson when he was flying back. Thanks for the ride!

Alex
Alex,

I put a couple of flights I made 10 years ago on leonardo... try heading back towards mendenhall and gleason and there is plenty of good lift back there.

link to flights

-Jim
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Dizzy
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Post by Dizzy »

Hi Jim,
Thanks for sharing your flights, very impressive. Joe also mention that few pilots use this route in the past. My main concern is hike out time if I land out there, but I may try it eventually. Do you fly PG nowadays?

Thanks,
Alex
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macklow
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Post by macklow »

I fly out in Las Vegas now.

But don't worry about sinking out... I used to fly back along the mendenhall ridge all the time, in a 1997-era dhv 1-2 with no instruments (no vario, altimeter, gps, nothing).

And that was when I just got my p3 (or was it p2?). Anyhow, just aim for where the road to launch leaves the pavement and takes a left (west) and turns dirt. If you aim right at that saddle, and fly over the road to launch on your way there, even if you sink out you can still land on a road, and probably hitch a ride back to launch.

I've landed out back there and hitched rides back to launch on the back of motorcycles. A truck (nearly full) of hang gliders also makes a good lift vehicle.

If you get up at the saddle, it's pretty easy to follow the mendenhall ridge back as far as you want; I usually went as far as right behind big T and then headed straight towards big T (like the triangle track I posted).

I may try to get out there in the next couple of weeks; september's a great time for kagel.
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Dizzy
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Post by Dizzy »

skydizzy.blogspot.com
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