- Tue Sep 06, 2016 9:19 pm
#391034
Arrived at launch Saturday Sept 3 about 7:30 AM. Campground was full with probably 50 to 100 pilots, both Hang and Para. Launch faces east. Wind was blowing 5 to 10 mph from the south east, with strait in thermal cycles. Most of the people were still in their tents when I arrived. By 8:30 the wind was building in a more south 90 deg across launch. By 9:30 one hang Mingus local was setting up and he told me, if I want to fly, I better set up and go ASAP. I decided to "watch" instead. He took his time, by 10:30 it was blowing 20, gust to 30 from the south, with strong thermals blowing strait in. He launched and was able to soar above the launch 5 or 10 minutes, and getting tossed around from air rotoring over the ridge south of launch. After being tossed around, he headed out to land. A couple of paragliders launched and got tossed about and left to land. No one else flew, except two or three later that evening (I was not around then.)
The next day, I arrived around 8 AM. The wind conditions were similar to the day before. There were a couple hangs setting up, so I decided to set up too. I launched around 9:45. I was the second to launch. The wind was 90 cross from the south again, with strait in thermals. The wind when I launched was about 10 to 15 MPH. Had an easy launch and flew out front, and soon felt the rotor, so I turned left, away from the rotor and thermaled up to about 8500. Launch is at 7800. After ten minutes of thermaling, and feeling the strengthening rotor, I followed the other hang glider and a paraglider out to the airport LZ. The air got very smooth the farther you flew away from the mountain. Unfortunately, I found no thermals and landed in 5 MPH east wind at the airport for a 20 minute flight.
For me it was an exciting flying experience. That day (Sunday) there were about 4 hangs and 4 paras that flew. For the two days I was at this "fly-in", probably less than ten percent of the pilots actually flew. I hope Monday was better than the two previous days.
Compared to my home site, Crestline, Mingus seems extremely complicated. I wish the flying conditions had been more ideal.
Frank Hamann
Orange, CA
Hang 4
Sport 2 175