SOGA-2018

"SKYDANCERS" July 15, 2018 Video

"SOGA " July 29, 2018 Video

The Skydog Report

Friday September 16, 2018 Patrick O'Donnell and I head up to SOGA field again. The sky looks great and Brennan Van Brenk is our tug pilot today and Brennan's Dad Ron is Hang Gliding with us today. There are eleven of us flying today and I am off fourth and Nick Jones has taken off just before me and by the time I get to release altitude Nick has left on an XC adventure. Ken Kinzie comes up next and we thermal together before Kenny leaves for his XC flight. Others get airborne while I have a 1 hour and 18 minute flight that had me to cloud base at 4,638 feet ato. At 4:30 Ron Van Brenk takes off ahead of me and I get towed up and we connect for some good video. I also get some great footage of the sailplanes from neighbouring York Soaring. My second flight was magic in that the lift was wide and smooth p to 3,650 feet and I log 1 hour and 15 minutes. Ryan Wood with his Atos VX later tells me that he was above me for most of my flight and I had not even seen him. This was one of the nicest day of Hang Gliding that I have had in a long time.

Photos Below

Take Off

Wingin

Ron Van Brenk Coming Up

Ron Van Brenk

York Soaring

Wingin

Ron Van Brenk

Pete Wall

Smile

Sailplane

Pretty Clouds

Sailplane

Ron Van Brenk

Ready to Land

Sailplane

Ron Van Brenk

Landing

The Skydog Report

Friday September 7, 2018 Patrick O'Donnell and I head up to SOGA field and the day looks so so as we arrive. There is high overcast with some blue areas. Tug Pilot Nick Jones is setting up his Fusion Lite Trike. We get set up and Lee Silver takes off first and soon he is off to the west and we cant see him. Patrick gets off next and seems to be doing very well. I get airborne next and Nick puts me into a good one and I take it up to 3,200 feet and soon get down to 1,600 feet ato and get another climb to 3 grand. Lee comes back and joins me and I see Patrick landing and then Lee lands and I am next on the ground with a 42 minute flight. Nick takes hid Fusion 150 up for a second flight while we wait for conditions to get better but the sky is filling in with high clouds. I take another flight and Ryan Wood follows me and later Charlie Tirone and Patrick get up. This flight takes me up to 3,438 feet ato and soon after release I have a sailplane join me for three turns and he flies off away from me. Ken Kinzie takes a flight and lands a little short of the landing field. I land with a flight of 52 minutes and it was an enjoyable and challenging flight. Randy Weiss and Willie VanCaulart decided not to fly but helped with launches.

Photos Below

Kenny, Charlie, Ryan, Nick, Willie and Patrick

Nick Jones Flying Fusion Trike

Nick

Nick Jones - Tug Pilot

Nick Tows Charlie

Charlie Tirone

Nick

Charlie

Nick Comes Around For A Fly By

Ryan Lands a Little Short

Nick

Nick Wings Away

Kenny, Charlie, Ryan, Skydog Bob, Nick and Willie

Nick Heading Away

Patrick O'Donnell, Willie VanCaulart and Randy Weiss

Nick Tows Ryan

Nick Jones

The Skydog Report

Saturday July 7, 2018 and this is my first day of Hang Gliding since Oded and I flew at Lookout Mountain in May. A few of the local pilots flew a few weeks ago but only got 30 minute flights so I have not missed to much action.

Patrick O'Donnell and I arrived around eleven am and there were a few pilots setting up. Turns out that by one pm there were eighteen pilots setting up and wanting to fly. The sky was full of cummies and I was eager to go. I was off third and right into a good thermal and up to four grand right away. Four sailplanes came in under me and we circled for a while. Later in my flight I had Oded thermalling with me. It was a great day and I had two flights and logged 1 hour and 35 minutes and 16 minutes and got up to 5,836 feet ato.

Sunday July 15, 2018 and this time I drove alone and arrived around eleven am. Oded and George arrived around one pm. and hurried their gliders together. I got off early and the others were soon in the air with me. Kenny came in close for a photo shoot. Today was very similar to last weeks episode with great cummies and light winds so we all had another great day. I logged 2 hours and 36 minutes and I got up to 5,603 feet agl. Oded and George logged 4 hours each and skied out again. George landing 14 miles out near Elora, Ontario.

Sunday July 29, 2018 and I drive up alone again and Find Mike setting up when I get to SOGA Field. I set up and get ready for another great day but the wind is stronger today. Mark Dowsett gets off first and heads out XC. Nick lands the tug and Oh No, a flat tire, so we work on getting the tire fixed and by the time we were ready to go it was 2:30. I was off next and found that I felt like I was flying fast or had a strong headwind. Mike flew close for a few shots. After 1 hour and 12 minutes I'd had enough and landed. I had only got up to 3,205 feet agl today. Not as good as the past two days but it was good to get in the air again.

Photos Below