Joined: 25 Apr 2008 Posts: 725 Location: Long Beach, CA
Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 10:38 pm Post subject: An Epic Day @ Kagel
At about 9:50 AM I happened to glance at Greblo's forecast on the Kagel Kam site and he's saying climbs to 11,000' and I'm saying "Cowabunga!". But I'm thinking that I need a ride up! So, I shoot an email to Greblo asking for a ride and then I call Hungary Joe who tells me to call Greblo but get my gear up there regardless because I may get a ride with some other SHGA flyers anyway. To make a long story shot--that's what I ended up doing. I'm horrible with names and rode up with 3 other flyers and a driver. Sorry I forgot everyone's name.
I think we launched from Kagel between 12:300 and 1PM. I was the last of the four of us to launch and I was by myself and overdressed in all the heat. I decided not to wait for a good cycle and was so hot that I didn't care if I sank out and just landed. I got down to about 900' below launch and looked up and saw everyone else getting high. I'm happy for them, I thought to myself. I just want a safe landing. I made one last pass at Trash Mountain and snagged some light lift. I worked it for all it was worth and came up to about 200' below launch and headed back toward Kagel. I scratched around there for a while then headed over toward Towers and lost even more. I headed back to the large bowl in front of Kagel and it was on! I put my Sport 2 155 up on a wingtip and rode it about 60 revolutions until I was about 4000' over launch. I then got out my camera and started taking some photos and video. I just flew around and wished I'd hit Cloudbase. It was much cooler now and I was dressed just right.
Eventually I headed over toward West Towers and it was there that I hit some really good stuff that launched me up to 11, 366'. My high for the day. I got busy putzing around with my camera and wasn't paying too much attention to working the lift. I didn't care. I was happy. The views were quite beautiful in every direction. Eventually I tried to fly toward Mt. Wilson but hit massive sink for several miles and gave up and headed back toward Kagel. I noticed that everyone else was heading for the LZ.
Right about this time a sailplane came by within 1/4 mile of me. He did a large U turn around me and then headed back North where he came from. I caught some video and a few snap shots but they really didn't show much. I landed after about 2:45 and was satisfied that I finally had an epic flight.
When I launched I had a Kodak V705 camera attached to my keel and when I landed it wasn't there. I had previously removed the safety leash because it was too short and never replaced it with a longer one. My Bad! I may have fallen off on Kagel launch. If anyone finds a small silver camera with a clear piece of Lexan attached to it, please notify me. Another screw-up was I didn’t have my GPS set to record and so I have no track log!!!! At least my hand-held photos and videos came out decent. You are all welcome to enjoy them here: http://imageevent.com/aero92/kagel20080930
Some video too: http://www.veoh.com/videos/v16110182qJaXzXtw
Hey, that's a very natural and realistic video--really gives the bouncy fun of things, be great for new candidates to enjoy. (Not that Im against the current poetic standard of HG vids, in which one floats to mellow jazz)
Are you using Windows Movie Maker? You could easily tone down the wind noise. Nice job.
Joined: 25 Apr 2008 Posts: 725 Location: Long Beach, CA
Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:07 pm Post subject:
Christian wrote:
Hey, that's a very natural and realistic video--really gives the bouncy fun of things, be great for new candidates to enjoy. (Not that Im against the current poetic standard of HG vids, in which one floats to mellow jazz)
Are you using Windows Movie Maker? You could easily tone down the wind noise. Nice job.
Thanks Christian, Sorry about the wind noise. I left the house in a big rush yesterday to get a ride to launch and didn't put cotton over the camera's mic like I normally try to do to suppress the wind rattle. I also didn't bring a longer safety line from my keel camera and lost it either at launch or in flight.
I have several more vignettes from earlier in the flight and at higher altitudes that should add some more interest to the flight. What I posted was the raw 400MB of 640x480 30 FPS AVI JPEG footage that I compressed into 480x360 XviD for decent resolution in YouTube. Windows Media Maker is a great program but won't render MOV format which my lost camera uses to store its data. Normally I use Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0 to do my edits becuase it handles mixed formats.
If you think it's worth it to the club, etc., I will do another edit that combines all 8 vignettes I shot yesterday and maybe a few stills. I can always dub over with music or narration.
- Jonathan
Well, Jonathan, since you have the means and the skills and the interest, maybe you are doomed to make the SHGA introductory video.
There's lots of great video, from dockweiler to epic flights. What's missing is a narrated club video that starts with assembly of a glider, learning at the beach, the first tandems, the months long progression through hang 2, and the removal of the streamer at hang 3.
At best it would star a newbie and follow him or her through the process, with interviews before and after key flights. Other club members would chime in under the trees, talking about H4 and H5 life. Instructors would be heard from. The pros and cons of HG would be realistically aired.
Lot of work, but it would be a gift to the club and the sport.
Christian
(I use WMM for video, and Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0 for DVD slide shows)
Joined: 25 Apr 2008 Posts: 725 Location: Long Beach, CA
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 2:34 pm Post subject:
flyingfred wrote:
Great video Jonathan!!
-Fred-
Thank you, Fred.
Christian wrote:
.........maybe you are doomed to make the SHGA introductory video............
Gosh Christian, Sounds like you have the whole storyboard visualized from start to finish. I'd be happy to loan you my ultra-low budget equipment. Give me a holler when it's finished and I'll be happy to give it a look see..........LOLOL. Maybe I really am doomed?
Honestly, that's a pretty ambitious project. Perhaps we should first find out from the other clubs around the US and even abroad what types of media have worked and which haven't? In fact, it doesn't even have to be a hang glding club per se but any sort of unique interest club, of which HG is one of probably hundreds of thousands of unique interests.
What may immediately grab your attention or mine may not have the elements that the uninitiated person will relate to. I know damn well what drew my interest into hang gliding and will never forget it. It was a skinny picture book called, The How & Why Wonder Book of Flight that I read very early in elementary school. I was instantly hooked in {pun intended}. But I really don't know what draws others to the sport. Perhaps the USHPA has some club marketing materials or back issues of HG Mag or other magazines have some articles?
I still know a few folks from back when. I'll ask around. Otherwise, anyting I produce will be from my own perspective but I would attemnpt to convey the story in a way that the viewer can see through my eyes and perhaps, personally relate.
Coincidentally, my first mountain flight was in August 1974 at Sylmar off of Polk Street near where Free Flight Systems used to be located. Prior to that it was the sand dunes along Lake Michigan. I guess it's time to practice my narration skills.
Joined: 25 Apr 2008 Posts: 725 Location: Long Beach, CA
Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:06 pm Post subject:
Hey everyone! Check out Chadness's video of his out and back flight on the same day. We crossed paths a few times during our flights except I just boated around while he took off.
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