Re: launching
Posted: 2016/07/07 11:09:08 UTC
http://www.shga.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=5272
Another blown launch in the saddle
Another blown launch in the saddle
Who'da thunk.Rob Burgis - 2016/07/05 23:37:08 UTC
Last Saturday I blew a launch in the saddle during strong, gusty conditions. My right wing got blown up on my first step, causing my left wing to drop.
Can we have that list to compare to the one of blown launches at Ridgely? Discounting Rooney Link increases in the safety of the towing operation I can only cite John Claytor, 2014/06/02, whose lockout coming off the cart in the strong crosswind with his easily reachable bent pin pro toad release was the signal for the ECC Safety Committee to scrub the day.I powered off the hill, sure I could pull it out. I'm not sure if the left tip dragged through the tall grass or not, but I do know that I was stalled in a left turn as I got airborne. I threw my weight forward and to the right and the glider began correcting. I was pretty sure I was going to pull it off but my left wingtip contacted the hillside, causing the glider to twist into the hill 50-100 feet below the normal launch area.
The only injury I sustained was a wire burn on my right forearm. I wish I could say the same for my glider, which suffered a broken outboard leading edge. There are some pretty big rocks down there and it looks like my leading edge hit one of them.
Please add my name to the list of saddle launch blowers.
Oh well, at least you weren't an unobserved Two.There were better launch cycles to be had that day. Obviously, I should have waited longer to launch in one of them.
NMERider - 2016/07/06 00:14:11 UTC
"Launch Blower"? Sounds Kinky
Thanks for the report. Glad you weren't badly injured or worse. Why did you choose to launch the saddle? Was there a slow line on top? I know that I'll use it when I don't want to wait in line or carry my gear up to the top. But after a blown launch there four years ago I've become very picky about my cycles.
I will confess that I actually felt unsafe trying to launch the top of Marshall Peak on Monday so I carried everything the 100 yards down to the proper ramp. Embarrassing but true.