Volume: 14, Number 7, August 2004
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Editor's Note Written by Jeff Wishnie
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Your fearless editors |
Welcome to the first issue of the Ridge Dancer edited by myself and Tim Kuenster. Our goals for the Ridge Dancer are to:
- Publish information to help you be a better and safer pilot.
- Announce events, trips, clinics and other activities.
- Provide a forum for fun flying stories.
In this issue you will find two important articles on safety. As you will see from Wally Anderson's Safety Director's Report there have been too many accidents in our community.
Jeff Greenbaum contributes an important article on avoiding blowback at ridge sites with valuable tips on flying at Mussel Rock/The Dump.
Please read Wally and Jeff Greenbaum's articles carefully. It's our responsibility to fly safely and to watch out for the safety of our friends and fellow pilots.
Do you have ideas on how to improve the Ridge Dancer? Want to write an article or a column? Drop us a note!
And let me know what you think of these possible column names: Jug's Journey's; Moock's (Mis)Adventures; You Look So Small from Up Here—by Eric Reed.
;-)
Jeff Wishnie
jeff@pacskyways.com
Tim Kuenster
tim@pacskyways.com
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President's Corner Written by Ann Sasaki
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Party Officers -- photo: Wayne Clingingsmith |
USHGA Region 2 Director Urs Kellenberger asked me to remind everyone that the Silent Air Show will be held at Ed Levin on Friday, September 17 - Sunday, September 19. The air show will include hangglider and paraglider competitions (speed for hgs, spots for pgs?) and other aircraft such as sailplanes and sky divers. The third day of the event is open to the public. The organizers would like some more volunteers to help with the event. If you are planning to attend, why not help out as a volunteer? Please contact Rich Leggett at rleggett@sbcglobal.net to find out how you can help.
To see photos from previous Silent Air Shows and for more details on the 2004 event, please go to - http://wingsofrogallo.org/events/silent_airshow.html
Jug Aggarwal has proposed a 2004 photo contest with the best 12 photos going in to a 2005 calendar. Jug is currently figuring out who will organize the contest and calendar and will ask for the allocation of money for prizes at the September BAPA meeting. In the meantime, all you photographers out there, please give some thought to which photos you'd like to enter in a competition. I think ideally the photo(s) should be taken in 2004. (There may be some leeway on this - it will be up to the organizer to outline the exact guidelines.)
At the holiday party in December (which rumor has it will be at Tom Moock's house in San Leandro this year), I believe that Jug will give out the prizes for this year's XC League and also the photo contest winners will be selected.
Finally, the BAPA Beach Barbecue was fun. On a day when most of the Bay Area was very hot, there was a little strip of fog right along the coast. From Linda Mar beach we could see only about 1/2 mile away the sky was sunny. But we were sheltered from the heat and glare by a soft cushion of fog. This gave the bonfire a pleasant warmth. To see more photos of the barbecue, go to - http://ImageEvent.com/wind2walk/bapabeachparty
A few other items - Due to our lack of flying sites this year, there will be a Fall fly-in at Potato Hill on September 11-12. This may be a good time of year for newer pilots to try out Potato. Conditions should be more mellow than in midsummer.
On October 22-24, there will be a Fall fly-in at Elk Mountain, organized by Al Baldini and friends. Be sure to put that event on your calendar.
For more information on these and other events, please see the BAPA Calendar at www.sfbapa.org
Fly often and fly safely.
BBQ beach party -- photo: Wayne Clingingsmith
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Safety Director's Report Written by Wally Anderson
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Soaring the coast safely! -- photo: Andy Stocker |
We have had five reported accidents at the Dump/Mussel Rock this year. At least three of which have involved police and fire department response, two have need transportation by ambulance & one involved damage to power lines & residents' property. Needless to say this is entirely too many accidents over a short period of time.
I'll briefly summarize these accidents in approximate chronological order.
The first accident was an experienced local pilot getting blown back in strong winds off of Tom Cat resulting in a broken ankle while the pilot was attempting to collapse the glider. He was flying alone & fortunately had a cell phone & was able to call for help. The pilot was wearing "1/2 boots", i.e. low cut hiking boots.
The second again was an experienced local pilot flying in strong conditions, but flying low and out front and able to penetrate at that point w/o speed bar. The pilot sensed that the conditions were strengthening & deciding to land. He did two tight 360's to lose altitude and instead gained altitude and found himself above the SW facing bowl behind Walker's. He initiated speed bar and Big Ears to no effect. The end result was that he landed in the grassy median of Skyline Blvd. without injury but narrowly missing the fast moving traffic.
The third incident occurred at the Knob at the north end of Westlake near John Daly Blvd, again with a very experienced local pilot. The pilot was low and "scratching" to get back up and the wind had shifted from WSW to SSW. The pilot was aware of the wind change but it felt more like SW to him and he thought he was clear of the rotor. He suffered 50% collapse, a very quick 90 degree rotation and impact with the hill resulting in a dislocated shoulder.
The fourth, was involving a non-rated pilot with 10-15 sled rides and about 40 total minutes of airtime with no reported soaring time. It was a moderately strong day with pilots tending to fly out in front and low for the most part everybody was launching either from Tom Cat or Lemmings. The wind gradient was pronounced and penetration rapidly was lost if one got up and back. The pilot apparently went immediately to Walkers without, as far as we have been able to determine, checking in with any of the local pilots. Upon launching the pilot went straight up and backward ending up in the power lines ENE of launch. He reports attempting to do Big Ears but had never tried them and was unsuccessful. He also reported that he was warned of "Dead Air" if he went to the left. It is believed but not confirmed that he had no speed stirrup or at least didn't have it hooked up. The pilot reported minor injuries to his elbow and ankle not requiring medical care. The accident knocked out power to several houses. The power surge from this apparently destroyed a number of appliances as well.
The last reported accident was an un-witnessed occurring before other pilots arrived. The pilot was unrated from out of town and had flown there the previous two days. He was flying an older glider that appeared well past its prime and he had repaired several broken upper cascade brake lines by tying them together causing a permanent large deformation in the left trailing edge about mid-span. The harness was also of an older vintage with minimal if any back protection. The pilot flew clipped in backwards, facing the way he came and looking over his shoulder to see where he was going. He had been approached about this, whereupon he claimed to have flown that way for five years. The pilot was soaring the Walker's ridge heading south over the "chalky" area just south of the Jungle gap when he reported hitting a strong gust which rocked him back then forward. He was turning away from the ridge when he took a collapse the spun him into the hill. It is unknown who found him and called emergency services. The rescue was in progress when some local pilots arrived and the police had the area closed to the public presumably because they were waiting for a helicopter to arrive. He suffered a broken pelvis which reportedly will require surgery and insertion of a metal plate.
The lessons to be learned here aren't new, but are important. As usual we have a cross-section of skills with several well skilled pilots well familiar with the site. In at least one, possibly two incidents, lack of skill and knowledge played a large factor. It's quit probable that bad equipment and unorthodox flying style were large contributors to one incident. Once again strong winds, steep wind gradient and venturis came into play.
Some things to be aware of:
Between Walker's launch and the Westlake cliff there is often a venturi even before you reach cliff level as well as the general one in the bowl south of the Walker Ridge & the usual ones in slide areas at the top of the cliff.
If you fly on windy days be sure to stay low and out front and absolutely have your speed bar hooked up and your feet in it.
We all should be vigilant for pilots new to the area and make sure they have the skills necessary to fly the site and have been briefed as to its peculiarities. Don't assume that someone else already briefed them. It never hurts to ask and could prevent an accident and save the site.
Don't fly alone! Anything can happen to anybody any time. Without passers by and cell phones two pilots would have laid were they hit for quite a long time.
Carry a cell phone and have the Daly City Fire Dept. (650 991-902) and Police (650 991-8119) direct numbers programmed into it. 911 takes forever to get through on a cell phone.
Beware of rotors especially in strong and/or crossing winds. It's easy to get complacent on this one and tuck in tighter and tighter until you get bit (I've done it!) and it's surprising how fast things happen.
360's are not a good way to lose altitude in ridge lift as you can drift back into the lift band surprisingly fast. Big Ears, Big Ears and speed bar and reversing 180's allowing the glider to fly faster that usual through the apex of the turn are better ways.
If you're going up be going out. The lift band tilts forward somewhat anyway and you have space behind you which gives you maneuvering room and time to make decisions.
Don't let yourself get stuck without a way out (Plan B & C & D!). On north days you can crab off to the south and when away from the cliff descend. On south days you can crab right and back up down the beach. The most dangerous days are when the wind is straight in from the West. Give yourself more room behind you on those days.
Read and comprehend well the Coastal Site Advisory, Dump Site Check List & No More Nar Nar's found on http://www.sfbapa.org under safety articles and on the Dump page in the site guide section.
On a slightly different subject, many of us also fly the mountains inland. In the last couple of years our accident and death rates have increased dramatically, due in large part to more pilots challenging stronger conditions. While paragliders have improved substantially in stability and performance, the fact remains that they are the slowest, lightest wing-loaded craft around and as such are easily overpowered by even moderate mid-day mountain conditions. It's important to be weather wise and make informed decisions as to when and where to fly.
Many thanks to those of you who submitted accident reports. Julie and Ann have done a wonderful job of getting our confidential, integrated w/USHGA on-line report up and running. Please continue to use it as it will help all of us be better safer pilots. To file and incident/accident report, go to www.sfbapa.org and select Accident Report from the front page. When you complete the form online and hit the Submit button, the report is sent electronically to the BAPA Safety Director AND to USHGA. You do not need to file a separate report with USHGA.
Fly safely and have fun!
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Mori Point Update Written by Ann Sasaki
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Flying the Dump with Mori Point in the background -- photo: Andy Stocker |
Mori Point is the large open space and point of land that sticks out to the south of the Pacifica Pier. In the photo above, you can see the western tip of Mori Point in the near background (the distant background point is Pedro Point). Mori used to be privately owned and paraglider pilots occasionally flew there with no problem. However, about two years ago, the land came under the control of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The GGNRA has specific guidelines for land usage and it was no longer OK to fly at Mori without official permission.
As a result, Dave Sondergeld embarked upon an effort to gain official permission to fly at Mori. Dave handled most of the negotiations with some help from Dan Byrne and Chris Jones. On July 28, 2004, the GGNRA gave a six-member survey team permission to fly at Mori for one year.
Having a one-year survey team is the same procedure that was used when BAPA opened the Mt. Diablo and Mt. Tam flying sites. The survey period gives the GGNRA a chance to evaluate how much we will be using the site and to work out any issues of trail access, parking, landing zones, etc. Once the one-year period is over, it is likely that we will sign a permit that allows the general population of pilots to fly there.
For the next year, only the six survey team members can fly at Mori Point. The team is made up of Dave Sondergeld, Dan Byrne, Chris Jones, Ann Sasaki, Gever Tulley and Stefan Schulz. Dan, Ann and Stefan live close to Mori Point and Gever, Dave and Chris have flown there a number of times in the past before the land was controlled by the GGNRA.
Each time a survey team member goes out to Mori Point, they will log whether or not they were able to fly, how many hikers and other users they saw at Mori Point and whether they saw any wildlife such as snakes or coyotes. This information is forwarded to the GGNRA to give them usage data.
During the one-year period, if you are not on the survey team, please do not plan to fly at Mori Point. We do not want to jeopardize obtaining official permission to fly there in the future by having pilots bandito the site.
Mori Point is a scenic spot but it is definitely not the most soarable flying site. On some winter days when the wind is North or NW, it may be soarable at Mori. The site is a hike-up site and it does not work all that often.
However, as I've said several times before, getting a permit at Mori is a strategic move that may help us secure more sites in the future. It is always to our advantage to have official permission from the landowner or land manager to fly there. The more official permits that BAPA has, the more bargaining power we have. It's likely that once we have a general permit at Mori, it still won't be flown all that often. However, it's great to have more flying sites and it's great for us to build good relationships with the organizations that control potential flying sites.
If you have any questions about Mori Point or the survey team process, please contact Dave Sondergeld at dsonder@mindspring.com
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Avoiding Blowback Written by Jeff Greenbaum
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The site is called Mussel Rock, but the slang name is even better known - "The Dumps". One of the greatest hazards that Paraglider pilots face is getting blown behind a ridge or mountain. This site is different from most ridge soaring sites because the launches are well below larger cliffs. Both visiting pilots and local pilots have been blown over the back at the Westlake Cliffs. Prevention is the best way to avoid such a scenario. This article is intended to provide techniques for managing wind increases and what you can do to prevent a Blow-Back when you notice that winds are reaching higher levels.
The launches - Tomcat, Lemmings, Walker, and The Jungle are all at the lower levels of the Westlake Cliffs. There are ridges in front of and to the side of these launches that can be flown without going to the higher cliffs. On windier days, this is the place to stay. Next to Walker launch, there is an intermediate ridge which transitions to the high cliffs. Behind all of the launches are the cliffs of Westlake that are about 600 ft high. The winds can differ greatly between the lower, intermediate and high cliffs.
As a means of preventing Blow-Back, never fly when the wind is stronger than you are comfortable to launch in. On some days, the winds are light at the lower levels, but stronger at the upper cliffs. The key to all flying at these cliffs is to use your senses and observations to continuously observe the wind-speed. On the days when it is stronger at the lower launches, I promote that "if launching will take the top of your ability", you should consider staying on the ground. Flying in very strong winds is just not worth much effort and risk. It should go without saying that if your glider has a speed system, always fly with it ready for use.
Any time you launch at the Mussel Rock/Dumps, a system of wind-speed awareness should be second nature to you. On lighter days, your crab angle will be less than on a day with higher winds. As the wind speed increases, two things will happen:
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Your Crab Angle will need to be increased.
- Your speed parallel to the ridge will start to decrease.
Keeping tuned in to these two factors at all times will help you manage wind increases. It is even more important when you fly at a site like Mussel Rock. At the launches, Tomcat, Lemmings, Walker and The Jungle, the wind might be 12 - 13 MPH, but at the top of the 600 ft cliffs the wind may be 20+ MPH.
When ascending from the lower cliffs of Westlake to the upper cliffs, you must continually monitor the wind speeds and your ability to penetrate. It is best to stay further in front of the cliffs when it is moderately windy or above. The higher you go on the cliffs, the more clearance you should give yourself in front of the cliffs. If the wind increases suddenly at a higher level, this extra distance will aid you in getting back below the stronger winds and keep you in front of the increased winds that are at the top of the cliff. Never fly above and behind the high cliffs, it just is not a good place to be.
If You Fly On A Windy Day
Notice that the gliders in the below
photo are pretty much following
the recommendation of staying further out as they go higher
up.
Photo Provided by Andy Stocker
When your crab angle is increasing and you need to point more into the wind, you are being warned that the winds are getting stronger. If you notice that it is getting strong and your ability to penetrate is being compromised, take action right away. As you rise higher, there is normally more wind. It is the awareness of these wind signs that will keep you out of trouble with blow backs. When the wind is blowing stronger, fly immediately upwind away from the cliff and descend to winds that you will have good or better penetration in. Point straight away from the cliff and combine the use of your speed bar and Big Ears to achieve the combination of descent and high end speed. If the wind is not straight in, there is not much difference. For example, on a day when the wind is blowing from the Northwest, you would best get away from the cliff by pointing between straight away from the cliff or slightly toward the Southwest. If there are smaller cliffs to the south, this will serve as beneficial. You just need to adjust the angle to find the one that gets you away from the cliff the best.
When you learn to gauge the wind-speed better using these techniques, you will be able to make adjustments when getting higher and before it becomes critical. Using the speed bar alone will help you penetrate the wind, but a better approach is to try to fly below winds where you would ever need to use it. Once you decide you need to get on your speed bar, if you can penetrate without climbing, you may be able to take care of the situation without using Big Ears. But, there are times where you are penetrating with the speed bar, but still climbing. Remember, the higher you go, the stronger the winds will be. Whenever the situation is getting critical, the combination will work best.
Another reason for staying further upwind of the cliff as you go higher is to stay well clear of the wind just above the cliff. As a result of a couple of factors, the wind just above and behind the cliff edge will be about 5 - 7 MPH stronger on a windy day.
Virtual Venturi and Horizontal Winds = Higher Perceived Winds
There are two causes for this 5 - 7 MPH wind increase. One is that the air changes above the cliff from angling upwards to moving horizontally at the top of the cliff. The second is that there is compression of the air mass just above the cliff causing a virtual venturi, so there is actually higher wind velocity compared to the wind in front of the cliff.
In front of a cliff, the air is rising as a result of being deflected upwards by the cliff. When you fly in front of the cliff, your wing will not see the full force of the wind. Your wing's penetration is only related to the horizontal component of the wind's speed. Because the wind in front of the cliffs deflected up, wings are better able to penetrate there. Once the wind rounds out and moves horizontally above the cliff, you lose the extra bit of penetration that the vertical vector of the airflow helped you with. No matter what speed the wind is blowing, you will have a slower ground speed (lower penetration) behind the cliff than in front.
In addition, there is a virtual horizontal venturi that is created at the top of a cliff. The rising air in front of the cliffs is compressed as it merges with the horizontal air above the cliff. Wind speed increases because more air is trying to fit through a smaller area. As a result of this virtual venturi, the air must move faster. Notice in the above drawing how the lines representing the wind become more compressed above and behind the cliff.
On a strong day, if you were to reach a point of not penetrating right in front of this area, you would be a prime candidate for getting blown back. If you somehow got into this situation without being on your speed bar, it may not help now because of the increased winds that you could be backing into. If you were going backward into this area with no speed bar and push it just after you realize, it may not be enough. The key point here is that drifting back into this area on a strong wind day is risking your life!
To summarize:
- Check the Wind Speeds
before you fly.
- If you are new to the
site, get a full introduction. Read the below Checklist before flying the site.
- Have a speed system
ready on your glider. This means connected, adjusted, and ready
for use.
- Know that the winds
can be dramatically stronger and dangerous at the top of the
Westlake cliffs.
- Continuously monitor
the wind speeds as you fly. (Do this via your crab angle and
lateral groundspeed along the ridge).
- Avoid flying higher on
windy days.
- If you do fly higher
in stronger winds, fly well upwind of the cliffs as you ascend
and traverse the cliff.
- Know how and when to
penetrate out in front and how to descend to lower winds.
- Penetrate and get down as soon as you
notice that the wind is getting strong. When you get on your
speed bar, your purpose should be getting down, not staying up
in the strong winds.
- Avoid the area above and behind the top
of the cliff at all times.
- Below is a Checklist for other safety issues related to flying at Mussel Rocks / The Dumps.
Jeff Greenbaum
6-30-04
More paragliding articles
Dump Site Checklist
June 26, 2004
Ann Sasaki
The Dump is a great coastal soaring site with varied flying conditions and terrain. Over the years, there have been many serious accidents and incidents involving visiting and local pilots. Please review this Checklist and the more comprehensive Coastal Site Advisory before you fly here. Thanks for your cooperation.
Required Pilot Skills:
• Minimum of a Para2 rating (or
foreign equivalent)
• Able to ground handle the canopy in high winds
• Have a strong reverse launch
• Know how to deflate the wing quickly upon landing in high
winds
• Know how to increase penetration and decrease
altitude
• Familiar with Ridge Rules
Conditions to be aware of:
• Large Wind Gradient: The
wind can be MUCH stronger above than at launch. Stay LOW and well
in front of the ridge on strong days.
• Shear Turbulence: There can be strong
turbulence where two air masses going in different directions
meet. Shears are common at the Dump and pilots should not launch
into or fly in strong shears.
• Whitecaps: Whitecaps on the ocean
indicate strong winds. Pilots should consider landing when these
form.
• Fog: Fog can develop quickly and creates
a dangerous lack of visibility. Do NOT fly into the fog.
• Rotors: Rotors are found in the lee side of a ridge,
spine or other formation. Rotors CHANGE according to the wind
direction. Do NOT fly into rotors - you will find severe
turbulence.
• Wind Direction: Wind direction can
change. Check the direction as you fly and before you land. Do
not fly downwind close to the ground or land downwind.
• Changing Conditions: Wind direction,
wind speed and gust factor can change quickly. Fog and shears can
develop rapidly. Always check for changes in the flying
conditions and land if prudent.
• High tide and no beach: In the winter
and at high tide other times of the year, there is often NO beach
in front of Westlake. Be aware of this and be within glide of an
alternate LZ if there is no beach. Check the beach size before
you launch.
Hazards to beware of:
• Power lines and houses along the ridge,
major roads and highways behind the ridge.
• Bowls and gaps where the wind is stronger because of the
venturi effect.
• The ocean is extremely cold and often has large waves.
Landing in the water can be fatal due to hypothermia and getting
tangled in lines and drowning.
• Concrete and other debris at this site because it has 20
years of landfill use.
• Heavy traffic in the air - paragliders, hang gliders and
RCs. Clear all your turns and follow Ridge Rules. Be respectful
of other pilots in the air and give them plenty of room.
• The high Westlake cliffs have a big wind gradient. Do not
fly Westlake if you are inexperienced.
Equipment all pilots should have:
• Certified glider in good condition
• Harness with quick release buckles
• Helmet, proper footwear, gloves
• Hook knife or other knife that can cut through risers if
you go in the water
• Speed bar to increase penetration in strong
conditions
Please note: It is important to get a site intro from an experienced local pilot or instructor.
In an emergency:
Daly City Fire Department - (650) 991-8092
Daly City Police Department - (650) 991-8119
Please note that calling 911 from a cell phone often results in a
long wait so it may be faster to call the direct phone number
listed above.
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BAPA Meeting Minutes -- 04 Aug 2004 Written by Pete Norlander
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General Members Meeting
The July meeting was conducted by Rolf Bienert; Vice-President. Officers present were, Stefan Schulz; Treasurer, Tom Moock; Site Co-Director, Chip Sheppard; Activities Director, and Pete Norlander; Secretary. A total of 9 club members were present
New Members/Visitors
One visitor was in attendance at the August meeting: Pat Krause. Pat lives in the North Bay area. He has a P2 rating. Welcome Pat! We look forward to seeing you in the future.
Officers' Report
Vice-President - Meeting called to order by Rolf Bienert. Rolf reported on the accident originating at Slide Mountain involving a tandem pilot and his passenger. Initial reports were not complete. The pilot was hospitalized. The passenger suffered fatal injuries. The accident occurred at the end of an approximately 20 mile cross country flight, during the approach to landing. It is thought a dust devil was encountered about 100 feet above ground. More will be reported as details become clear.
Treasurer - Stefan Schulz reported approximately $4,869.00 in the club account. Three new members joined during the month of July bringing total membership to 131 members.
Co-Site Director - Tom Moock reported that there still is not an LZ available at Dunlap. Official talks are still under to remedy the lack of an approved LZ. Tom has been discussing the situation with Russ and Connie. Separately, Tollhouse remains closed to paragliders. Paul Splan, the owner of the Tollhouse LZ discussed the issues with Tom. At this time it is not known when or if Tollhouse will become available again for paragliders.
Activities Director - Chip Sheppard reminded all the annual BAPA Beach Party is set for Saturday August 7.
Old Business
Minutes From Past Meeting
The July minutes were not approved due to the lack of a quorum. The July and August minutes will be submitted for approval at the September meeting.
New Business
A permit has been granted for the Mori Point survey team. The team will consist of Dan Byrne, Ann Sasaki, Dave Sondergeld, Gever Tulley and Stefan Schulz
Entertainment
The entertainment for the evening, by Tim Kuenster, was rescheduled due to last minute personal commitments. Tim will present at a future meeting.