slope soaring

sprzout

Knower of useless information
Mentor
Couple ways to land: start partway down the slope and fly it upslope eating up airspeed. If you have a big place behind you land crosswind there providing it isn't too turbulent, land on Beach below, crosswind nose catch it if you're good and it isn't a really fast ship (my favorite) or the perennial favorite: carrier arrest landing into a small tree or large bush. Go to TORREY Pines and watch them they know.

LOL I need to make the trek to Torrey and watch the guys there. Only problem with us flying where we are is that there really isn't much "beach" to land on; it's all done at a fenced in area of a cliff, where the are "Unstable cliff" signs warning not to get too close to the edge. I'll have to watch the guys that fly close to where I work, on Wednesdays, and see how they pull it off.
 

bracesport

Legendary member
@thenated0g - here is the south facing beach with a big bank behind it - the only issue is dropping it into the wet stuff!

1.jpg
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Piotrsko

Master member
What a monster sight!!!!!
The high point on the upper right by the end of the trail is killer when the wind is north west unless I got my direction wrong again. The other side by breaker road where it bends to follow the bay is #2. Car park might even work on a odd wind day, just don't go around past the south end where the road goes right.
Take a fishing pole with some sort of streamer and hang the streamer over the edge to see how strong the lift is. If it bends the rod and the streamer goes straight up, you dont need wings. Land behind you. Best lift will be the area with the most direct wind.

You DO use a lift detector streamer, right?
 
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thenated0g

Drinker of coffee, Maker of things
Mentor
just looked around in street view and i would say anyplace on that southern peninsula would work great assuming the correct direction. Nice spots.
 

Piotrsko

Master member
Ok how to dispell doubt: take aforementioned streamer to original flying site, hang at 45 degree angle to face of hill. Notice how it looks, how much is pointing up, how much is dangling. You just calibrated your lift detector for minimum acceptable lift. Less dangle equals more lift. Go to your monster site and dangle the lift detector over the edge on a fairly calm day after local lunch time. Should be less dangle and more pointing up. I suspect bending the stick and having the streamer point straight up is a wee bit beyond your skill level and I know you don't have a fast enough plane for that yet. Heck I don't have a fast enough plane for that, betcha thenated0g doesn't either. Try all the easy access places that have decent room behind you for landing. Take pictures of streamer, post them so someone can judge for you. Good luck
 
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Piotrsko

Master member
The issue with flying from the beach is getting high enough to get into lift or about 1/3 of the way up but it means a small slope or highstart which has different issues. The other issue with the beach is schlepping all your equipment down there. Didn't see much beach access fron the picture you posted. But hey, try it with a cheap chuck glider or kite, might work.

If you have flown the hotrod and are comfortable, use it but I think it's a bit much right now.

Check your sites on a relatively CALM day, say about force 1, 5mph, or 10kmph. If they are working the streamer will indicate that.
 

Piotrsko

Master member
Hot liners should make good slopers, as long as you remove the motor and flight battery so it’s not weighed down. Aerodynamically it’s a great platform, just keep it as light as possible with a proper CG.

Id yank the prop, baggie the motor, and use as is heavy on a screaming hot day on his bowl site in the upper right hand of the picture. That's me, YMMV. My Zagi combat has flown with a pound of tire weights stuck underneath, wont do that again.

BUT we have a low time learner here who isn't confident of his skills and has no one HANDY to demonstrate anything.

What would HAI-LEE do?
 

bracesport

Legendary member
@Piotrsko - the hotliner is for the future - it is rated to 200+kph - I promise to start gently! - Sunday morning might be a possibility (light southerly) if the family is ok with it!

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Piotrsko

Master member
Did something useful yesterday: #1 20 mph wind, no lift. #2 20 mph wind, streamer matches slope. Hawk (not shown) doesn't flap chasing raven. THAR BE LIFT MATEY. bird flapping: don't fly. #3 current rather just ok flying site
 

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Tronglodon

Junior Member
I'll remember to try out the streamer trick. This morning I sloped a Dream-flight Alula off a hill overlooking the Pacific in just barely enough wind. I'm sure a more experienced pilot would have been able to stay up indefinitely, I was happy to get a few minutes of flight then land gently right next to the trail up to the ridge. I learned that a light, expertly designed glider like the Alula can find lift in much lighter wind than something like a converted Versa wing.