Oz Report

The Oz Report hang gliding event calendar

An event calendar that the hang gliding community can edit and use

http://ozreport.com/eventcalendar.php

You can add events to this calendar of hang gliding events.  Google Calendar requires that I add your email address to the list of folks who can edit this events calendar in order for you to be able to add events to the calendar.

So just send me your email address and I will add it to the list and I will reply with a notification when you are cleared to edit.  Once cleared to edit, open this calendar again, and click the "Google Calendar" button on the lower right corner of the calendar and make your edits.  You'll be prompted to sign in to your Google Calendar account or to create a new one on the spot, after you click this button.

I have put this calendar up on the Oz Report left hand menu and perhaps in the future it will take over the Oz Report competition calendar.  It totally depends on whether folks find this useful, and it will be useful if there is a "network effect" and readers and organizers start using it.  It's my job to promote it so that folks out there can see that it is useful and that it becomes useful.

Discuss Calendar at the Oz Report forum   link»

BlueSky, the really quiet tug

Why is it so quiet? (Blue Sky, Manquin, Virginia, USA)

http://www.blueskyhg.com/

I noticed right away when Steve pulled out the Bailey-Moyes Dragonfly last Sunday that this was an especially quiet tug.  I have previously written about the quiet tugs at Cloud 9 (http://ozreport.com/7.114#2), but those have the high power four stroke engines.  This tug has the two stroke Rotax 582.

I asked Steve what made it so very quiet?  Four things he said.  Six bladed prop, four to one gear box, intake manifold silencer, and second exhaust muffler.  You could barely hear the plane and it was hangared right next to us.

In the air it is nosier than it is on the ground, where it is especially quiet, because it is running at full throttle, but still it is exceptionally quiet.  I don't see many flight parks that make a huge effort to keep the noise down, but I consider this a priority in order to maintain good relations with one's neighbors.

Discuss Quiet tug at Blue Sky at the Oz Report forum   link»

A really small camera

Capture flight

Richard Siberell <<rixhaus>> sends:

In air camera.

3" x 1½" x ½" (camera only), 1 oz.  V.2 changes include: larger resolution, LCD display, rotating lens, longer battery life, and a thermal activated motion detector.  Video camera includes audio, still photos, a voice recorder, USB drive, and a Webcam.  Unit is small enough to mount on just about any model airplane, small park flyers, RC cars, trains, skate boards, or even a kite.

Videos are recorded with a resolution of 640x480 for clear playback, complete with sound, and 1280x1024 pixels for still photos.  Camera lens rotates 90 degrees so you can take photos or video from multiple angles.  Built-in rechargeable 200 mAh Li-Ion battery that charges via the USB port on your computer in about 1 to 1½ hours.

With a 2GB SD card (not included) the video recording time is about 30 minutes.  Webcam use requires the included software and USB cable.

Discuss Small camera at the Oz Report forum   link»

Electric "Scooter" towing with Jim Rooney

This is so much fun (Highland Aerosports, Ridgely, Maryland, USA)

On Thursday we drove a few hours up the road from Manquin, Virginia, to Ridgely, Maryland and Highland Aerorsports.  Jim Rooney knew that I wanted to check out the Highland Aerosports' golf cart "scooter" tow operation that Jim was running.  I've published Jim's earlier reports and couldn't wait to try it out.

http://ozreport.com/1191350971

http://ozreport.com/1191444371

This "scooter" golf cart towing system is made up completely from golf cart parts.  Adam Elchin just went to the local golf cart dealer and purchased used parts.

After setting up camp I headed out to the air strip at 6:30 PM and with a nice south wind it looked like electric golf cart towing would be a breeze.  I borrowed JD's Wills Wing Falcon 3 195 and grabbed a Blue Sky training harness (they are used every where).  Jim offered to tow me high, as I wanted to fly back and land where I landed, so I said why not.  Here's what it looks like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC7SChM1F0g

Now Jim has you start running, instead of pulling you with the tow.  He keeps up with you keeping the rope out in front of you, but he's not going to start pulling you until you are running fast enough to get the glider off your shoulders and the straps tight.

You've got to keep the attitude of the glider a bit higher (relative to the horizon) than you would if there was an actual slope in front of you.  You actually keep it at the same angle relative to the actual slope (none) that you have in front of you that you would have on a hill side.

Jim tensions the rope and you say, "Clear," and start running.  Jim has a small lever on the golf cart, and he just moves it a small amount to tension the rope, then just a little more to keep the rope tight as you run.

There are no hiccups or non linear relationship between the throttle position and the pulling power.  The control is absolutely smooth.  Double the movement of the lever, double the power.  This makes it very easy to keep the pilot low to the ground for low and slow instruction.  This is the smoothest system I've seen.

After four high tows, I got a chance to run the throttle/lever myself.  It was as easy as pie.  Just tension the line, then keep the rope tight as the pilot runs, then as the glider comes up, add power and get the pilot off the ground.  Go to full power to get them high.  Keep it on low power to keep them low.

Jim knew it, but he didn't tell me that the belt on the pulley was wearing out.  When I pulled Jim up, he pushed way out and when I went to full power the belt started slipping and coming apart.  I backed off on the power and Jim released.  Otherwise it was no dramas towing Jim up high.

With the rough belt we were still able to tow JD low and slow.  This was his first foot launch in five years:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDtH4outg2g

JD loved golf cart towing.  He couldn't believe how much nicer it was than learning on the training hill.  He had read about scooter towing in the Oz Report, but was blown away by it when he actually tried it.  Jim was helping him with his landings.

More pictures of the setup here: http://ozreport.com/images/HighlandAerosportsGolfCarttow/

Discuss Electric Scooter at the Oz Report forum   link»

East Coast Championships

(This topic is in: Jun.2 May 5 Jun.11'07 Jun.7'07 --> )

The thunderstorm came through quickly (Highland Aerosports, Ridgely, Maryland, USA)

Open flex wing results, Rigid wing results, Sport Class

Blog from here: Jonny Durand, Jamie Shelden, Tom Lanning, and Linda Salamone

Saturday 5:48 PM: It was clear a couple of days ago that there would be severe storms on Saturday, the day before the ECC started.  All day we watched the radar traces of the thunderstorms as they headed east through Pennsylvania.  Then the warnings came on the radio for a Tornado watch.

The winds, then the rain and hail came through quickly in the early afternoon, thoroughly soaking the ground and making sure that Sunday would be a day for hanging onto whatever lift you are in.

Sunday 6:30 PM: The task was 54.4 miles to the south east given the forecast for strong west winds (going east just puts us at the Delaware Bay rather quickly).  There was supposed to be a little bit of north in it.

We wanted to start a bit late to let the day get started after all the rain, but we risked the chance of later showers, 20% forecasted.  With three separate competitions here, we had to make sure that everyone could get off and get going.

No one wanted to go at 12:45 for the rigids, and no one wanted to go at 1 PM for the open flex wing class, and it wasn't until 1:30 PM that pilots got in line and got going.

I went about fifth and found a thermal right at the end of the runway at 700' AGL, so I pinned off and hit some 600 fpm.  There were lots of clouds to the south, though none over me.  No other pilots got off in this lift, so I was alone.

The lift only averaged 300 fpm to 4,100', but it was a good start for the day that looked pretty iffy with a few cu's around and patches of high altitude clouds that brought areas of shading.  The wind was 16 mph out of the west southwest and it was hard to head south to find lift.

I was a bit early so I was staying in the five mile start circle and went to find more lift to the south.  I saw the Millennium lower than me and the rigids even lower further downwind.  I headed under one cloud after another but didn't find much.  The Millennium was just down wind of me and got a little higher and then went way south.

 I didn't find enough lift and landed.  Looks like I should have followed the Millennium further south.  I went back for another flight as I was still in the start circle.
 
As I got up, my weaklink broke at 1000' AGL at the end of the runway in lift.  I climbed out slowly as I watched rain and thick clouds coming my back from the west.  The lift was getting better at the edge of the dark clouds, but I wanted to stay out over the sunny fields to the south and east.

I pushed forward being chased by the shade.  I didn't find great lift and finally I couldn't outrun the shade and it brought me down 10 miles out.

Jamie reports that the Millennium made it to goal.  Then Jonny and an hour and a half later Dustin.  That's it.  Looks like a low scoring day.

Great job on Jonny and Dustin's part.

Discuss ECC at the Oz Report forum   link»