Back to Manilla and the Wedgie attack

Wedgie: 1  Dan: 0

March 16, 2013: Back to Manilla and the Wedgie attack

 We finished 18 days in Bright on March 12 and headed back to Manilla.  We had some nice flights around the valley including the 125k cross country flight and a new 6 hour and 48 minute endurance record. I left with a much greater appreciation of the site.  I still need to get out and explore some of the other valleys but that will have to wait for next year.

The Pathfinder has been running well for the 12 hour, 963 kilometer trip.  The gas mileage has been our only frustration.  The official numbers are 10 liters per 100 kilometers but we only got 16.6 on our trip to Manilla.  The bull bar, UHF antenna, all terrain tires, roof rack, and snorkel all are additions that do not help fuel economy so there may not be too much that can be done.  I probably could drive a little slower—Naugh.

It was great to get back to River Gums Caravan Park in Manilla.  We love the “Bungalow” cabin  Some pictures are here.

Flying in Manilla has been OK but nothing spectacular.  There has been a lot of rain so things are a lot greener than usual.  High pressure days with not so many clouds have made things challenging. Some nice flights but no distance and way more visits to the west bomb out than I have had in a while.  One thing that I have improved on (still have a lot to learn) is judging clouds and triggers and when to launch as well as the usual watching other pilots and seeing where they go and the result. 

Heading southwest along the ridge

On Saturday March 15^th I waited until the cycles coming in to the west launch were more consistent and got above launch easily struggled to find a good climb that did not take me way behind launch. Finally I climbed up to 1200 meters or so before heading southwest along the ridge.  The wind was fairly strong west so I decided to try an ice cream run to the River Gums.  Land there and get a free ice cream.  I would fly on the west side of the range till it ran out just outside Manilla and hope for a big climb to get me over the city.  That was the plan.

I had a nice line across the saddle between launch and the ridge line southwest of launch losing only about 200 meters along the way to a bowl I was sure would provide lift.   I was about three and a half kilometers southwest of launch and coming up on a bowl that I was sure would produce lift when I arrived. Then it happened.

A wedgie was coming towards me screeching loudly.  I made a turn and began wondering what to do next. I really wanted the altitude but was concerned about what was coming.  We made a turn or to and I tried to keep him off my tail by turning towards him as well as I could.  Eagles can turn a lot tighter than paragliders so in the end that strategy did not work so well. 

He came in behind and above and I heard a “twack”.   Then he flew away as I continued down along the range with my racing heart beat but now slowing.  The wing was flying just fine so I continued down the range hoping to find the house thermal at the antennas that Fredrick had told me always works.  It didn’t work for me.  After a few searching turns I headed on down the range hoping to catch a thermal off the last peak.  That didn’t work either.

Last chance thermal at this brown field

Finally there was the proverbial “brown field” just west of Manilla.  I glided on speed bar hoping for that “last chance” save.  The winds were strong but there were thermals coming off the field.  I struggled or a few minutes but the best I could do was maintain and the drift was going to take me into an area where the landing options were limited.  Finally I gave up and landed in a nice grassy field.

Nice grassy field for landing

Mary Beth had been following my track and was soon on site to pick me up. I was in a hurry to get back to launch and try again so I didn’t check the wing carefully.  I packed up quickly using the stuff sack. I figured I would look at it back on launch and try again.

Meanwhile, back on launch things had blown out.  I waited a half hour or so and then decided it would not back off any time soon.  It was time to make my retrieve driver happy.   I offered dinner and a movie in Tamworth.  That offer, Mary Beth quickly accepted.

Arriving back at River Gums I decided to quickly check the wing.  OMG!  I had a 20 cm tear in the wing just back from the leading edge on the LH side.  I had already committed to the movie so after a quick shower we headed for Tamworth, McDonalds and the theatre. The repair would have to wait.  Glad I brought Tear Mender along.  I have used it before for smaller tears but nothing this big.

All I could think about during dinner and the movie was my wing.  My beautiful new wing now shredded on one cell by that dammed bird!

When we got back from the movies Mary Beth helped hold the wing while I applied the tear mender.  The repair should hold up but it just hurts to have to do that to a wing that has only 35 hours on it. 



Wing repair.  Tear mender on both sides.



There are a lot of different strategies in dealing with wedgies.  Some argue flapping your wings and making noise and turn into them so they can’t come at you from above.  Others say turn off our vario and fly with them.   Depending on the bird and your location they may just fly with you but if he is screeching at you had better run away.  I’ve talked to one hang glider pilot who stayed in a thermal with one and had eleven strikes on his leading edge.  For the hang glider it was not a problem but that would certainly have brought down a paraglider.

We’ll see how it flies.  I’m sitting on 95 hours this trip with less than a week to go.  I’m hoping to get to break 100 hours before leaving.