Atlantic Sunrise

Left home at 4:00am to fly on the eastern shores of Cape Cod at sunrise today.

A couple hang glider pilots were rigging at White Crest Beach, while Jon was getting his paraglider ready when I arrived before 7:00am.  I quickly changed into warmer clothes, unpacked my paraglider, and walked over to launch.  Jon originally told me the winds were 13 mph (21 kph) but it was obvious the winds were stronger, probably closer to 16 mph (26 kph) with higher gusts.  We both decided to launch from the beach below where the winds were lighter.  Jon pulled up, backed up the walkway, and was soon up and away.  I had it even easier; I pulled up, and with the careful use of my brakes, managed to fly up the dune to the top.

It was easy to stay up but also easy to get pushed too far back in the strong wind.  I wanted to use my speed bar, but it just would not work.  After slowly inching out in front of the dunes I checked my gear and discovered the problem, I connected the speed bar lines through the inside of the shoulder strap and the friction was making it nearly impossible to use.  I disconnected the brummel hooks, rerouted the line, and reconnected it without dropping my gloves.  Whew.  Now I could continue to play.

The winds were forecasted to quickly shift to the southeast so I headed to the northern Highland Light before the wind became too cross.  I had never successfully crossed the larger gaps in a paraglider so I was prepared to land if necessary.  I barely crossed both, at times only a couple feet above the beach.  The initial progress was slow, but as the cape curves to the northwest and the wind became a crossing tailwind, I soon arrived at my first destination.

Highland Light

I played around the lighthouse before heading back in a strengthening cross wind.  I was using full bar to make progress towards the south.  I knew crossing the gaps would be more difficult in a headwind so I wasn't surprised when I ran out of altitude just short of the southern side of the first gap.  I landed with no forward speed and tried to walk forward to "float" up the dune on the other side.  However, the wind blowing through the gap was too much and I started drifting backwards.  I made the mistake of turning around and soon found myself being dragged across the sand for about 50 yards, laughing the entire way.  What a dope!

After emptying buckets of sand out of my harness I tried several times to relaunch but it was just too windy, too cross, and too environmentally sensitive for me to be successful.

Jim gave me a ride back to launch where a couple pilots were still hanging on in the strong crosswind.  Instead of doing the smart thing and leaving my packed glider in the car, I gave it another shot.  I managed maybe a minute of airtime before floating to the beach.  I took the opportunity to do some high wind kiting and practice cobra inflations.

A group of us had lunch at a nearby restaurant before heading home.

Flights: 2, Duration: 0:59

Dune Skimming

Yet another day when the conditions were not good for rookie paragliding at Wellfleet on Cape Cod.  It was marginally soarable for hang gliders so I gave it a go with my hang glider (Falcon).

I turned downwind, instead of the safer upwind, along the ridge since it usually provides better lift.  I flew as close as I dare and slowly gained only to be thwarted by a detour around old vertical pipes exposed by erosion.  I continued zooming along downwind until the ridge dropped below my height and I was finally able to get established on top of the ridge.

I was having a good time until I made risky move during a lull.  In just a few minutes I was back on the ground watching Max and Vitaly flying overhead.  Sigh.

Enjoy the video.

Flights: 1, Duration: 0:45

A Day at the Beach with Tom & Tom

I drove to Cape Cod hoping for a soaring flight in my new paraglider.  However the wind was too strong for a rookie like me.  Luckily, I brought along a hang glider!  I setup, launched, and bounced around the dunes for about an hour.

A fellow rookie paragliding student, Tom Peghiny, was also grounded by the wind.  Tom is also a hang-gliding ace, so I had no problem offering him a flight on my glider.  We squeezed him into my harness and shoved him into the air.

I patched together a short video of our flights, including a couple shots Tom got of seals swimming along the shore.

Flights: 1, Duration: 0:60

Lighthouse Tour

Spent the day before Thanksgiving racing over the sand cliffs on Cape Cod.  I picked up Randy and we started the 3 hour drive questioning our sanity given the marginal forecast.  John B called after he was on the road and told us he was turning around and going home.  Rodger called looking for encouragement.  Randy and I were committed, even after Peter called and informed us it was blowing in, but very light.  I asked "how light?"  Peter answered, "someone else is going first!"  Oh.

It looked soarable when we arrived, so we setup with Allen across the road.  Dan and George, who made the trek from New York and were setting up when we arrived, showed everyone it was soarable. With Allen and Randy's help I sauntered off launch into the air for what turned out to be a very sweet day.

The conditions were spot-on.  Every little nook and cranny was soarable and crossing gaps was stress free; at least for me.

I flew locally with fellow pilots and birds before chasing Randy south to Nauset Light.

We then turned around and flew back past launch, picked up Rodger, and continued north to Highland Light.

After performing for the spectators at Highland Light, we raced back to launch.  After diving launch for awhile, Randy and I made another fast round-trip to Highland Light.

Allen, Randy, Rodger, and I stopped for a late lunch before heading home.  It was definitely a good time that has me already longing for another racing day at the cape.

Update: Randy posted a video.

Flights: 1, Duration: 2:48, Distance: 50.5 miles

Sandy

Desperation was knocking at the door as the last bits of mountain flying for the year slipped through my fingers.  The weekend forecast for coastal soaring at Wellfleet had a Goldilocks aura about it; too weak on Saturday and too strong on Sunday.  I was in the middle of a list of chores on Saturday afternoon when I finally succumbed, tossed the gear into the car, and started the 3 hour drive to the Cape in spite of Hurricane Sandy's approaching visit.  (Most good flights at the Cape are followed by nasty weather!)

I arrived to a mostly sunny sky filled with paragliders bobbing over the sand dunes.

Many hang glider pilots were standing around; on the ground.  PK showed up and snagged a tandem paraglider flight with John while Keith and I convinced ourselves it was strong enough for hang gliders.  Keith, who had been there most of the day, was already rigged.  I helped him launch and watched him soar before going to setup my glider.

I had to step over three paragliders laying on the sand to reach launch.  The wind was good when I arrived, but pilots were literally flying a few feet over and along both sides of my glider.  I had plenty of  people watching for an opening.  Finally everyone standing around my wing started shouting "go, go now, go, go".  I took a quick look at the streamer and was unimpressed.  Against better judgement, I started running.  A pilot laying out the lines to his canopy stood up as I started moving, forcing me to immediately turn away from the ridge and its precious lift.  No problem I thought, I can deal with this.  However I had to make another turn away when a pilot dropped below the ridge directly in front of me.  Uh oh.  I was down, but maybe not out.  I spied a low spot in the dunes ahead.  If I maintained my altitude and got a tip above the ridge at that dip I might save it.  It probably would have worked except a pilot flying low in the same direction in front of me decided to stop and turn; right there.  It might have still worked if he didn't slow down and turn again when he saw me approaching.  I was yet again forced away from ridge and I knew that was it.  I flew as close to the ridge as I dare, occasionally dipping a wing tip into the dune.  I squeaked out a mile before landing close to an easy access point at the Beachcomber.

Several pilots came down to the beach to chat while I broke down.  One was George Ferris, whom I hadn't seen in ages.  Pilots were still soaring in the fading daylight as Ilya, Keith, Kevin, Peter J, PK, and I headed off to find food and sleeping arrangements for the night.  We celebrated Ilya's first soaring flight at the Cape at Land Ho! in Orleans.  PK mentioned several times that he saw me standing on the beach as he soared overhead.  Thanks pal!

We were up and at the beach by 6:00 am Sunday morning.  We expected the wind to be stronger, but not gusting over 30 mph (48 kph).  The strong wind and the forecast for increasing winds, increasing chance of rain, and increasing tide heights due to the storm surge momentarily stunned the growing crowd of pilots.  I, and several others, decided to "give it a go" and planned to land if conditions got worse.  While others struggled in the wind Jeff C and I setup sheltered behind the restrooms across the road.  The humming wires reminded me that the wind was strong but the rain was not really necessary.

John A, Peter J and a few other pilots helped me walk the glider across the road and then into the air.  (I love walking off launch into the smooth coastal air with my hands on the base bar).  Unlike the previous evening, I quickly got above the ridge and made a few strafing runs at the pilots gathered on launch.

I don't have pictures to share since it was too wet for a camera.  Scattered showers blew through and beaded up on my visor.  It is a good thing that the rain drops blow off at high speed!

I flew north to Highland Light.  I saw a dozen seals, usually in groups of 2 or 3.  I flew into, and then with, a flock of seagulls so thick I lost sight of the horizon.  There may have been 200 of them.  It was a truly amazing experience.  I rounded the lighthouse and then shared most of the return trip with PK.

PK

Crossing gaps was easy so I continued south past launch towards Nauset Light.  I decided to turn around when I noticed the tide was starting to consume the beach.  If the forecast had been any less dreary, I would have continued on.  It just wasn't worth pushing my luck.

Instead I decided to push my luck back at launch where there was plenty of beach left.  ;-)  I mapped out the rotor around launch so I could eventually top land.  I then started trying to hover motionless directly over a clump of grasses to the north of launch.  The pilots on the ground thought I was getting ready to land and gathered to lend a hand.  I appreciated the gesture, but I wasn't ready yet.  So I let them know by tossing out a low diving turn over them that had at least a couple ducking.

Ilya and Kevin

Remembering the lines I scratched into the dune the previous evening, I thought a wing-tip drag across launch might be a worthy maneuver.  (Remember, you only stop playing at the Cape when you break your toys!)  I thought I had it perfectly planned out, but alas, not quite.  My previous dives through the rotor were straight through.  This maneuver required making a turn within the rotor which meant I would be in the rotor much longer; a fact I didn't account for.  I started my run, initiated the turn and immediately knew it wasn't going to end well.  I was short on energy (altitude and/or speed).  I dragged my wing tip on the parking lot and ended up face-first in the sand.  Although it wasn't the "show off" move I planned or the tip-toe landing I expected later on, I didn't damage the glider or myself.

Nick also played around top landing and diving at pilots.  He had many sweet landings but got everyone's adrenaline pumping on his final landing that was too complex to describe!

Nick diving through the rotor

Touching down

Duck!

Only one paraglider pilot with a speed wing showed up, but decided it was really not that much fun.

Randy was the last pilot to land.  Allen S, Jeff C, and I drove north to our favorite landing spot to watched him land and then helped him carry his glider to the parking lot.

Randy

It was gusting to 40 mph (65 kph) by the time we left.  The next day Sandy was throwing 86 mph (138 kph) gusts at launch and smashing tall waves against the dunes below.  I watched the rain, leaves and branches blow by my window for most of the afternoon.  I was content, at least for a few days, thanks to Sandy.

Update:
Pilots have posted videos here.

Flights: 2, Duration: 1:35