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@@andymccann2716The early morning air is like glass. Great for newbies and those who need an extra bit of confidence.

Falcon 3 and 4 go through the sail that wraps around the keel. Falcon 2 goes over the top (with coated wires), and this is a Falcon 2. Yeah, it makes a lot more sense for it to go inside the sail to reduce drag, but the model got better-designed with each new version.

I'm just sharing raw footage. If it bugs you, TH-cam has both mute and volume adjustors. :) I later ended up getting a sponge-like add-on that greatly reduces wind noise without degrading other ambient sounds, but the footage is still raw.

@@HeyThatsMyBeer Cold camping suuucks. There’s a Super 8 nearby that isn’t a dump and which rooms can be had for $70-80/night. LMFP also has some bare bones cheap cabins with heat and AC. They’re on their website.

@@mikebodary9758 yeah..I have stayed in the cabins before...better than a tent for sure ..keeping an eye on the weather the next couple of weeks for a possible break..just not this week haha

@@mexikids “We should eat him!” “No way! Look at all the packaging he’s in! That’s a sure sign of there being too many preservatives!”

@@DraxTube I was practicing flying at speed, since I don’t do that often or long on my usual sled runs. I did later on practice pointing the nose into the wind and trying to hover. That was fun and not as easy as I thought with the occasional gust pushing me off course. I don’t think I’m ready for wing overs yet.

If the voluntary exercise speed it was , that's great! Hummm... Safety in speed you find. Very easy exercise you could, young hang gliding padawan Facing the wind, you move away from the slope until you see it at almost the same altitude as your takeoff. Then, with the wind at your back, you return to the slope gliding. It's so exhilarating, and 360° piece of cake will be! Keep send your hologram images, your progression I follow. May the force be with you. 🤩 PS : Safe and controlled flights you want ? Never touch the dark side of flight, the paraglider 😝

@@DraxTube I hate that it is 4 hours away, but if I lived nearby, I’d get no work done!

I don't know what you do for a living, but once you've had a taste of free flight (hang gliding, paragliding or wingsuit), your whole life will be spent looking up at the sky. Free flight is the worst drug. Find yourself a job near a flying site, or even better, get hired by one of the US manufacturers or flight school . Working for what you love the most is like being on vacation all year long. Happy landings

They made it some time ago for someone else who was roughly my size. I don't believe they make the GT harnesses anymore.

There's posted limits with wind speeds and gusts for H2, H3, and H4--and a pro on the ramp during business hours to do a Q&A with to see if you're good to go.

Takin' Tim's advice and puttin' it to work!

Had a couple wire launches earlier in much milder conditions, but this was the strongest--by far--I'd launched in. Really had to fight to get that nose down coming out on the ramp, and that'd never been an issue before.

@@mexikids I’ve had three prior ridge flights where there wasn’t enough wind and I sank out after 20-60 seconds. Once I got up, I was NOT coming down until I had to. Been chasing this day for over half a year! Now to buy some better gloves….

@@DraxTube Those are sport sandals. Closed toes, ankle is strapped in place with Velcro. Soles that are as good as my sneakers. Very nice in hot weather.

🤣 Beware. The physiotherapists are waiting for you. Another flight in sandals and you're f**ked The only way to lift the curse is to wear high-top shoes.

I have a falcon I will have to check that

@@DraxTube Interesting observation. Yes, it might be better to run the cables inside the sail next to the keel. I’ll ask the shop pro about it next time I have a chance. The wires are plastic coated, so it’s not bare metal on the sail.

@@mikebodary9758 🙂 In my case, it is normal to observe well. I made my first flight with a Rogallo in 1979, (search in Google Images: Deltaplan_dobrogea_istorie_2.JPG, it's me), I built hang gliders and I was an instructor in my hang gliding school. I often looked at the photos in hang gliding magazines, with a magnifying glass and now the videos that show interesting details can take me a lot of time to study them. I watch flight videos several times. I noticed your detail of the cables while studying your beginner's flight. Besides, since the story of the cables, I have watched all your videos. It's nice that in 2024 there are still people who are interested in hang gliding and not paragliding. And it made me even happier to follow your progress and to relive with your videos the sensations of my youth. 🙂 Keep telling us about your progress. 👍 Is it your wing or is it the school's? Are the instructors in radio contact with you during the flight? Do they watch your videos? Because there are many lessons to be learned and opportunities to correct some small mistakes. I wish you happy landings, the most important thing, to enjoy this passion that is flying for as long as possible.

I have the Falcon 195. My cables definitely run _inside_ the sail, along the keel.

@@johnhall7475 I had a chat with a guy who does repairs and inspections. The Falcon 1 and 2 have the wire over the sail. The Falcon 3 and 4 have the wire running inside the sail.

@@nomoreidea No radio, but I’d had about 60 flights off of two training hills before this, passed a “so you want to launch off the mountain” test, had a pre-launch verbal discussion with an instructor who made sure my glider was set up properly and I knew my flight plan, and there were folks on the field below keeping watch for the landing. I honestly would not have minded a radio, though.

@@VisitWorldWithMe I’m not sure where you live, but this was at Lookout Mountain Flight Park in Georgia. They have multiple packages that range from a tandem flight to a single morning on the training hills to taking you from ground school all the way to 5 solo flights off the mountain. People routinely drive up from Florida or Texas because there are only a few places like this in the US. Here’s the link if you want more info: flylookout.com

@@HeyThatsMyBeer Thanks! It’s agony that it will be November before my next free weekend, so about four weeks between this and my next flight-assuming the wind cooperates. Stupid responsibilities getting in the way of fun!

🎉 Well done! Great landing 🤙

Glad you enjoyed it! More to come!

Hey, Chris! Thanks for reaching out, and I hope to meet you sometime at LMFP! I'd love to tell you more about flying the Falcon 2, but my experience (possibly like yours) is (currently) limited to the Alpha 210 on the training hills and 5 mountain flights, a Falcon 3 195 for a few flights on the training hills and 2 times off the mountain, and a Falcon 2 195 for 38 mountain flights and a handful of training hill flights. I am REALLY underqualified to talk about the Falcon 2 195's distinct flying characteristics beyond "it's faster and more maneuverable than an Alpha 210 and I liked it better than the Falcon 3 195 rental I flew (but that's likely a sunk-cost fallacy on my part because I own my Falcon 2 195)." Also, in transitioning from the Alpha 210 to the Falcon 195, I needed to have an instructor adjust the trim speed from the default "all the way back" hang point as the Falcon 2 wanted to stall on me if I let the bar out to trim whereas the Alpha 210 trainer was far more forgiving (as it was designed to be). DO NOT adjust the trim yourself; have an instructor do it for you and explain what they are doing. The absolute best advice I can give you about flying the Falcon 2 is to go talk to one of the instructors. (Mike and Scott would likely be best, but I understand that John used to have a Falcon 2 before trading up, and he's quite approachable.) They are WAY more knowledgeable than I am, and they will give you far, far, far, far better advice--and far, far, far, far safer advice--than I can with my extremely limited experience. In summary, "I'm still a complete idiot, and I want you to get good advice, so please take your questions to an LMFP instructor who knows you, your capabilities, and the different gliders. Don't listen to people on the internet." And that is the absolute best advice I can give to you.

@@mikebodary9758 Thank you for your reply! Hope to meet sometime soon. We are planning a trip the first week of Nov.

@@tomjones2202 Yup!

@@KeithMilton-rl1mg Yeah, I definitely got too close on this flight. I wasn’t sure when I was flying, but after looking at the footage later, I should have gone to the LZ at least 15 seconds earlier.

​@@mikebodary9758it's tough to try to ridge soar in marginal conditions. You'll soon feel comfortable launching in stronger wind and then you'll get up on the ridge without even trying!

@@hanggliderspotter I have learned so much watching other people’s videos (and reviewing my own videos to critique myself). If you don’t have one, invest in a GoPro. It helps a lot. I’ll be out at LMFP again in early October. Maybe we’ll bump into each other!

@@mikebodary9758 yeah thanks. I have one. Hero 3, works fine will use it. Maybe o see you flying in October!

@@yoshidragonaga Like a moth to a flame! And it was great getting to finally meet and fly with you, too!

Lookout Mountain Flight Park in Georgia (USA).

Thanks! It was indeed getting busy in the LZ!

@@andymccann2716 This was a bit before 10am and the air was pretty calm on the ride down to the field. No need for big inputs. I don’t think the GT is related to bicycles.

@@Bob-ct2hd I plan to be back Oct 5-12 (weather and life permitting). The trees will probably be stunning and the weather far less oppressive. Hope to see you!

Also, if you do not have a GoPro (or equivalent), I highly recommend one. I learn a TON watching my own flights.