Photos credit to paraglider Fly Dunes (Cape Kiwanda)

 Photos credit to paraglider Fly Dunes

 

Fly Dunes added 15 new photos.

January 20 at 7:26pm · 

The "Big Waves" event had me nervous about the condition of my favorite dunes, I did a loop tour of the NW coast today. My worries turned out to be unfounded, even though an off shore buoy had reported storm swells of up to 60 feet, and there were a lot of news reports of flooding and damage.

30 mins Cliffside 1/15/2018

Cliffside Monday report:

The fog kept on rolling into launch on and off today, with wind decreasing as the day continued. Quite similar to yesterday's condition, but with more lower cloud ceiling. I launched around 1:30pm in 2 to 5 mph ESE winds from the regular launch and flew for 25 minutes. Fog was thin enough to provide me with full visibility during the whole flight (see footage). I got above launch a few times with some extra work. The moisture from the fog affected my glasses , helmet visor and radio.... so definitely wasn't an enjoyable flight. Four PGs decided to call off for the day around 2:30pm.

 https://www.facebook.com/pdxrick.lai/posts/10155514901669285

1 hour Cliffside 1/14/2018

Cliffside Report :

It was blowing at about 2-5mph ESE at the lower launch from 10- noon. The LZ by the river looked dead calm. The cloud ceiling was getting lower with decreasing wind speed as the day goes on. The upper launch (1100ft AGL) was on and off under the thin layer of clouds with no sign of improvement. I waited for a couple of hours at the upper launch watching few paragliders either taking sledders or scratching low to stay up. The air was very damp too and slightly wet with really weak east wind blowing approx 2-5 mph at the upper launch. I decided to launched at 2:00pm and surprisingly was able to stay up for 50 minutes flying real close to the ridge to maintain between 20-30 ft altitude above launch.

 https://www.facebook.com/pdxrick.lai/posts/10155512698119285

1 hours and 20 mins Oceanside 1/12/18

Youtube link: https://youtu.be/N1xW3grR0iQ

FB video link: https://www.facebook.com/pdxrick.lai/videos/10155508241409285/

Three hangs (Ray Berger , Neil Clark , myself) and one bag (Jay Z) flew Oceanside today. It was blowing SSW with speed of 25-30+ mph when we arrived and began decreasing to 15-20 mph around 1:00 pm. We hang waiting for an hour and I launched first at 1:30 and flew for 2 hours and 20 minutes. Ray and Neil were able to make it to Happy Camp. My maximum altitude was about a thousand feet above launch. Wind speed kept dropping as the day goes by, so Jay was able to get his flight in as well around 3 pm. Plenty of beach for landing. Another successful day at the coast.

2 hours dodge the showers at Cape Lookout. Oregon Jan 9th, 2018

Cape Lookout flight report Jan 9th, 2018
The hang pilots who attended: Ray Berger , Gabe Dinu, Bob H, Greg K and Craig D.
Rain stopped around noon. The wind was light at launch but it was blowing approx 13-15mph above launch out of NNW. I launched first at 1PM and flew for over two hours. The lift band was huge so everyone launched and went straight up. Max altitude 2,000ft AGL/MSL. Everyone soared for one to two hours. Great day for this time of the year. Congrats to Bob H for his first flight at Cape Lookout.

https://youtu.be/03_1QbwqJuo

30 mins First flight of 2018 at Dog Mt 1/6/2018

Video of today flight Youtube link:
https://youtu.be/Q0NQaRmMSLk

First flight of 2018 at Dog Mt
Flight time: 2 to 2:30PM 
11 pilots came out fly Dog today. Rain ended around 1:30 with 0-3mph light west winds at launch and almost dead calm at the LZ. I launched at 2:00pm , Eric and Gabe launched 5-15 minutes after and we were able to work some light ridge lift for a good 15 -30 minute. Eric and l were working separate ridge for a while. I was scratching the tree tops in front of launch most of the time and was able climb up almost to launch level. I landed after Gabe and Eric at 3:30pm.

Hang gliding flight log from year of 2017

I was lucky again to have only been skunked 4x's and had 12 sledders out of 156 flights in 2017.

2017 No of flights: 156  Hours: 260  (12 sled rides out of 156 flights)

>>>How does that compare with prior years? They're pretty much the same every year. Although each year it feels repetitious, I've found that the unpredictable elements of this sport most enjoyable. You never know how things will turn out until the end of the day, even with forecast predicting promising conditions. Keeps me motivated in flying especially when you end up with a great flight on marginal/sledder conditions. What other sports have that privilege? Wouldn't you agree?

2015 No of flights: 214 Hours: 276 2016 No of flights: 193 Hours: 240 2017 No of flights: 156 Hours: 260

Sledders report from 2017: 

Jan    Tiger (1)/ Dog (5)
Feb    Cliffside (2)
July   Black Mtn (1)
Sept   Peterson  (1)
Dec    Cliffside (1)/ Bingen(1)

Skunked report from 2017:
Jan 24 Peterson  (too strong)
May 03 Cape Lookout (Flyable but too light to soar)
May 29 Cape Lookout (Flyable but too light to soar)
Oct 13 Cape Lookout (Glider missing leading edge Tip Wand)

2016 No of flights: 193 Hours: 240
2015 No of flights: 214 Hours: 276

Skunked report from 2016:
Dec 3. Wishram,Wash new site (too strong and too west)
Dec 20 Oregon coast. Had a 10 second sledder at Tierra Del Mar
Dec 24 Christmas Eve Cliffside 3K west launch (too NW)

Skunked report from 2015:
Nov 5  Bingen (too strong so Mark R and I didn't fly)
Nov 14 Peterson(too strong and I was alone so I didn't fly) 
Dec 5  Cliffside. It was flyable but I chose to be Mark R driver so he can get 5 sledders for that day.

Summary of 2015 & 2016
http://pdxhanggliding.blogspot.com/2016/12/summary-of-2016.html

2017 Skunked report link:
http://pdxhanggliding.blogspot.com/2017/01/1st-skunked-at-peterson-butte-12417.html
http://pdxhanggliding.blogspot.com/2017/05/cape-lookout-may-32017.html
http://pdxhanggliding.blogspot.com/2017/05/cape-lookout-skunked-report-52917.html
http://pdxhanggliding.blogspot.com/2017/10/clumsy-hang-glider-fri-the13th-report.html