Waiting on Lake George, watching the others launch, and seeing some long runs and some 'interesting' launching in really cross wind, I thought to myself...is it really worth it? It really made me think about what I feel I am capable of.
Even Trent waited for ages to launch, and that alone made me nervous. I still do not have a lot of confidence in nil wind or cross wind in my glider. The A-frame is swimming on me and my head hits to keel post when I try to hold it on my shoulders, showing that my shoulders are just not broad enough at the top of the frame. All this adds to my nervousness about my control when I launch. Need to shorten my speedbar, have no doubt it will help.
My launch technique could probably be better too. If you do not have 100% confidence in your own launches then how do you think you would feel in sub-standard launch conditions? I found myself wishing I could aerotow. But that's not what I want going on in my head. I want to be able to launch in x-wind, light wind, nil wind and know exactly what i am capable of.
I know I just need a lot more practice, like anything, this will build my confidence no end. Like Jonathan who, even though has had most of his hours in Stanwell, he has done countless launches in all different conditions. You could see he was pretty OK with the conditions yesterday.
I want the glider to feel like it's a part of me, an extension of my body...not something I fear in any way. How can you fear your arms, your leg, your toes? :) You just accept they are there and use them automatically without thinking.
Storms coming through near the lake yesterday
The 'out of towners' waiting for the locals to show us the way.
So my aim? To make my wings my arms. Wish me luck :)
Hi Kathryn
THe large A-frame as you have seen is a trade-off - better handling for you in the air because you hang lower and have more weightshift authority to the sides, but trickier launching and groundhandling - I remember the pic of you holding my Litesport at Tumut and you could pretty much stand up completely inside the A-frame! But as you know, it's not just your height - a man of the same height would have wider shoulders; the glider then sits higher so the basebar has more clearance from the ground, and also the man has more leverage because the pivot point on the shoulders and his hands are further away from the apex.
If you're aerotowing off a dolly, the small frame would give no advantage, but IMO in footlaunching you would have much more authority over the wing.
Pilot Eva is coming to WWW2 but I'm not sure if she's bringing her Litesport with the small frame, which used to belong to a friend of mine who is 5'1". If Eva does bring it (maybe ask her to?), you should be able to at least do some groundhandling in it, or possibly even a fly but of course that's up to her.
I agonised for ages about getting the L3 or the 4, with lots of people saying I should get the 4, but the people who knew me best, and who knew my concerns, including highly skilled people like Adam Parer, all advised the 3 would give me more confidence because I would have more control over the wing in turbulence. When I contacted Moyes they said I'd have no trouble climbing in the little wing.
Anyway, hopefully you'll get a chance to compare at WWW2; Tove is about your size also,, and will have useful advice I'm sure. If you decide on a smaller A-frame, I'm sure you will be able to get one from Moyes.
Posted by: helen | January 24, 2011 at 09:26 AM
I'm not getting a smaller a-frame - just a shortened speedbar, uprights still the same. They will have to lengthen the sidewires. Like Zhenya has in her LiteSpeed. It just narrows the top of the triangle so it helps get my shoulders in there. You don't really lose handling supposedly...
Posted by: kathryn | January 24, 2011 at 03:33 PM
> Even Trent waited for ages to launch, and that alone made me nervous.
As I understand, the launch is quite low there (100-200 meters?) So without a good ridge lift it could be just waiting for a good thermal cycle. Or at least it should be 50% of the reasons.
Posted by: New-mikha | January 25, 2011 at 11:47 AM
Ah, I should have read more carefully - yes, a narrower speedbar will be ideal.
Posted by: helen | January 25, 2011 at 03:54 PM
Don't worry about handling with the shortened basebar, Kath!
When I got my Liteseed with the usual big A-frame, I flew it for one season, always foot launching.
Then I flew for one year with the shortened basebar (big big thanks to Gerolf and Moyes guys for giving me this chance to try it).
I didn't lose any bit of handling.
I guess, you lose handling if you need to hang higher (in case of small a-frame with smaller uprights that is).
But when you just shorten your basebar, you don't hang higher, you can even hang lower.
I like the handling of my Litespeed now, and it is easier to take off in difficult conditions, no doubt:)
Posted by: Evgeniya | January 25, 2011 at 11:13 PM
@ new-mikha, yes it's not soo high but it's always better when the wind is coming up the hill, even if it's not ridge soarable! The thermals were there, but even they were cross most fo the time too
@ Zhenya - good to know, look forward to trying it out myself, must get onto it ASAP! If you are going to Stanwell let me know, maybe I can try your bar on my glider for size?
Posted by: kathryn | January 26, 2011 at 11:10 AM