The Video Here

The Skydog Report

Friday February 12, 2016 and here we are at The Florida Ridge Hang Gliding facility. A blue sky day with no clouds. We arrived at 11 am and tandems were under way and Patrick and I set up our gliders after talking with James Tindle and signing the waivers. By 1:30 we were ready to go along with four other pilots. I took fourth tow and Patrick was right after me. James drops me of at 2 grand and I fumble around looking for lift and after 15 minutes I am down to 700 feet ato and desperately looking for lift when I spot ten ravens thermalling below me so I join them and after another fifteen minutes I am at 1,700 feet when I finally spot Patrick well above me at 2,800 feet so I work the thermal that I am in and finally catch up with Patrick and I take the lift to 3,500 feet and Patrick heads back toward the landing field and I stay with the lift and work with two other pilots and eventually get up to 4,130 feet ato. Patrick lands with a 1 hour and 15 minute flight and I come down after everyone with a 2 hour and 50 minute flight and land close to the break down area. We have decided to stay for Saturday as well so I will report tomorrow.

Amanda Lovell

Amanda Being Towed

Amanda

Maureen and Bob

Patrick O'Donnell - London, Canada

Patrick O'Donnell Launching

Josh

Malcolm

Local Pilot

Josh - Tandem Pilot

The Skydog Report

Saturday February 13, 2016 and we have a bright sunny morning with a ten mph wind and the tandems are rolling off. A few solo fliers get off before noon but no one sticks and then at 1:30 the longer line forms and I get off third with Patrick waiting until 2:30 or so. Derrick pulls me up and drops me in good lift and I work it up to 3,600 feet following it west about four miles toward Fort Meyers and then I work my way upwind to where I had encountered my first climb and there was still some lift coming out of the field near take off. I followed it back again in the 15 mph wind but this time did not get as high but maybe 3 grand and when I force upwind again I loose my altitude and soon land after a 31 minute flight. I get back in line again right behind Patrick this time and Derrick puts me in another good one and I see Patrick up at 3 grand and work my way up to him and finally above as Patrick is shooting with the GoPro. There is pretty good lift in this one and I take it up to 3,864 feet ato and Patrick is following me back to the northwest. Next I see Patrick about 400 feet below me heading back to launch and I think that is likely a good idea for him on his Sport 2 but next thing I know he is coming back downwind and a grad below me and I think, wow you are getting pretty far back in the strong wind and after a few minutes I go on glide into the wind and I loose track of Patrick. When I get back to the Ridge Flight Park I am a 2 grand but can't find another climb and work with two other pilots until we all land and this time I have logged 38 minutes. I figure that Patrick has landed out and try to phone him but no answer so Derrick flies the tug downwind and sees that Patrick has safely landed about a mile downwind of launch so Maureen and I go pick him up. Patrick reports that he had topped out at 3,930 feet and landed after 47 minutes. Back to Wallaby we go tonight.

The Video Here

Maureen Shows Our Great Accommodations at The Florida Ridge

Approach

Skydog

Landing

Approach

Patrick Landing Out