Summer's End

The trees on Mount Greylock were turning, the cummies were popping, the wind was lightly blowing in, and the spectators were excited.  However I was a little melancholy since I knew it might be the last mountain flight of the year.

The video does a better job of capturing the aerial action.

Flights: 1, Duration: 3:10

Checkout Flight

I needed to check out some tuning changes I made to my glider so I waited until the air was smooth and the sun was sinking towards the western horizon.  I had a relaxing and scenic tow behind Eric and even found light lift to play with on the way down.

I set up my landing approach so I would pass mid-way between two wind indicators at the northern end of the field.

Here are a few clips from the flight,

Flights: 1, Duration: 0:27

May I Have Another, Please?

Yep, another day at Mount Greylock.  Soarable.  Uncrowded.  I guess someone has to do it.  ;-)

Flew over Greylock for awhile, then over the valley, and then over Ragged before landing at the driving range.

Flights: 1, Duration: 2:52

Better Than Working

The morning sky, blanketed with a sheet of thick cirrus, prompted pilots on Mount Greylock to complain about the expected lack of lift.  But as a friend said "its better than working".  How true.

Even with the milky sky and weak autumn sun it was soarable.  A small group of us took advantage of our good fortune and soaked up what mother nature was providing.

Peter Judge

The high clouds moved on and we were treated to trips to base.

Mount Greylock

Adams (lower right) and North Adams (left)

Racing

My video camera run out of power before the sky did, but here is a sample of what the afternoon offered.

Flights: 1, Duration: 2:39

Aerial Playground

I've been lucky enough to fly hang gliders in many places; sometimes racing across the countryside with a hoard of friends, sometimes helping new pilots find their wings, and sometimes just chill'n at cloudbase watching the world unfold below me.  I had a flight today that stirred memories of my first soaring flights when just staying in the air was magical.  I didn't see any new terrain, didn't set any personal bests, experience any "special air", or even experience anything new.  On the contrary, it felt old and familiar, like relaxing in the backyard on a peaceful summer afternoon with friends.

It was special to be back in the old aerial playground again.

Here is a video sample of the flight.  (I included the complete landing sequence to shows how a complete approach can be flown on the uprights avoiding the complicated transferring of hands from the base bar while close to the ground.)

Update: Max wrote about his flight that day on his blog SkyMax.

Flights: 1, Duration: 3:47