Dinosaur 2017

A discussion restricted to the topic of hang gliding.
Previous topicNext topic
User avatar
The Oz Report
Posts: 145052
Joined: Thu, Feb 27 2003, 06:38:33 pm

Dinosaur 2017

Post by The Oz Report »

<div id="1498054348"><i>Niki Longshore launching from Dinosaur</i><br><p><img border="0" src="../pub/images/20170619_125206.jpg" width="640" height="360" style="width:auto;height:auto;max-width:100%"></p><p>Photo by Mike Degtoff.</p><p>Niki decided to stop flying in the Dinosaur 2017 after having landing troubles. While she didn't break anything, there was one free flying pilot with a broken arm and a competitor with a chipped elbow so far on the first three days.</p></div>
User avatar
Beardog
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon, Sep 05 2011, 04:28:28 pm

Landing and Launching at Dinosaur

Post by Beardog »

I am sure that Niki has loads of great instruction, advise and help passed to her from all of the comp pilots with her, but Mountain Flying is a whole different type
of flying. (launching and landing included)
I guess quite a bit of apprehension and anxiety is to be expected when coming from mostly flatland flying to a Big Air site such as Dinosaur.
All of the altitude Density schooling and training can not replace the experience of being on approach to a LZ that is going to most likely
be above 4000 ft., will have high temps on the ground, and most likely the landing will end up being mid day with little ground wind indicators to boot. Even if you have
knowledge and some experience with powered aircraft and sailplanes, it is something that is a work in progress for each individual when it comes to
hang gliders. And a Competition does not seem like the best place or environment to figure it all out.
For 15 years at my last site I watched flatland Pilots and Pilots that normally fly at the Beach and other mild condition sites, come up with supposed "loads of instruction
for mountain conditions and altitude density" and watch them fly off in mid day conditions either blowing launches, making questionable decisions about speeds to fly
on launch and landing and being medivacked out with worse conditions than previously described.
Sometimes actual time and experience in those conditions can not be stressed enough in the learning curve. It has been almost 26 years since I last flew at Dinosaur recreationally, but I
recall the bail outs(snake pit?) to be a small and tight LZ's. I heard they were made larger but…
Good choice by Niki if that's the case here.
Previous topicNext topic