Back in the saddle: Part 1

A year and a half of doctors, specialists, insurance intermediaries, and drug coordinators to finally be able to have this view:

Health was slowly but surely worsening, bringing flying to a halt at the end of last season (the season in itself became more or less a write off after France). A brief respite was offered last Fall with one drug but with side effects it was not destined to become a long term solution.

But then hope. A drug regimen that could bring back a quality of life not known since mid 2013. There are risks (some potentially fatal), but what is the point to quantity of life if there is no quality. So here I am, plugged into an IV and getting pumped full of chemicals with one plan in mind - getting back into the air.

Cut to the following morning. FlyBC is the immediate target, the launch on Mt.Woodside is the ultimate goal. Upon arrival, things are little slow starting - the crew are awaiting students and tandems alike. It doesn't take for Jim and I to cross paths. Jim passes on that the Carrera+ line set kit should be in within a week. Aside from a few quirks - the initial brake travel deflects the centre trailing edge while leaving the tips unaffected (making it difficult to sense collapses without going well into the brakes) along the extremely short amount of play between the B+C risers (making A+C launches in strong conditions tricky) - I'd be singing praises to the moon about this wing with the feedback, handling and performance it has for a B. That said, rumblings from the interwebz hint that the kit might have swung the pendulum too far the other way - taming the tiger to the point of making it a house cat. For a few hundred dollars, I'm willing to take the chance.

Lounging in the barn, eyeing the launch webcam.

Looks like Degas is already up top and launching a pair of self landing students. The early days of being under instruction and having to be up at 5AM. Don't worry chaps - it gets easier (both with respect to flying and not having to be up before sunrise).

Then a 'Here!'

A dark mass hurtles my way.

A t-shirt. A new load of FlyBC branded wear just arrived. 'Shut up and Fly' remarks the back. Be in the moment, not a detached bystander I take it to mean. Very fitting in our social media age where posting about the event tends to trump the experience. Yes, I see the irony.

People filter in, the van fills, and we're off.

At launch, nary a wind this morning.

Oh well.

Tandems first, students second, then moi. I'm not being polite, just pragmatic. Students make good thermal markers - send enough of them out, they are sure to find something.

A few good launches, a few amazing launches (funny how you can spot the gifted ones fairly early) and Jim heads off to start collecting everyone at the LZ.

I hear a truck making its way up the road. This early in the day, odds are another school.

I like to think of schools as coming from one of two trains of thought - the German or the French.

The German school will lay the unattached wing out in the centre of launch and check every individual line from karabiner to attachment. Then they will clip in, perform their 15th preflight check, and wait. And wait. And wait. The elusive perfect cycle is out there.

The French on the other hand will preflight the harness and wing before packing it away. Then pull everything out, still attached, don the kit at the back of launch, preflight it again, and carry their rosetted wing out. The mass is tossed mid launch. The wind is used to work the wing into shape. The wing is then pulled over head, kited, and checked. If everything looks ok, they are gone.

Why do I mention this -> If a French school pilot gets in front of you - its no big deal, they will be in the air in a minute or less. If a German school pilot gets in front, break out a novel because its gonna be a while. The German school pilots are more commonly known in these parts as launch potatoes (I admit I am a reforming launch potato).

I fear this school might be of the German mindset and quickly get kit ready. The trucks pull into the parking lot. A FJ? I recognize it as belonging to Martina. Sigh of relief. No launch potatoes.

An entourage follows Martina up. Friends/family of a neighbour of hers who is going tandem.

No pressure. You only have your mentor and entourage watching.

A lesson in why kiting is an important part of launching soon follows.

Paragliding weather: Many watches

There is an adage,

'A man with one watch is on time, a man with two is confused.'

In the case of weather forecasting for paragliding, it is quite the opposite. The greater variety of sources for weather outlook one has at hand, the greater the chance of avoiding a 'better to be on the ground wishing one was up there rather than being up there and wishing one was on the ground.'

In the case of the Fraser Valley, we are very fortunate to have a number of tech savy pilots who want to help us have as safe a flying environment as possible.

Case in point:

Last Sunday, the wind forecast from Environment Canada looked particularly inviting:

* Note times are in UTC/Zulu.

Nil winds @ 3,000 feet. Looks like an awesome flying day for the Vancouver region.

But if we step beyond Environment Canada and look at the Rapid Refresh (RAP) data from the NOAA, visualized by Phil Ibis's display tool for Woodside, we see something a little different -> winds from the S/W at 15 knots. That certainly isn't nil winds when trim speed for most wings is around 20 knots. Launching would be challenging in the likely gusty conditions.

Yet another source, Canada Rasp from Andrew Berkley and Peter Spear, provides a sense of how the airflow is setting up in the valley.

Launch is at the lower edge of the reddish zone in the centre of the map (30 to 35 kph). The further west one goes, the wider the valley and lighter the wind (as can be seen by the trend to green).

Two sources contradicting our assumption of light winds based on the Environment Canada forecast for YVR.

So how did it turn out?

Note the far windsock. This was a brief lull in amongst the quintessential 'salmon swimming upstream' dance by both windsocks. Launch was rather blown out. The pilot wisely packed up.

The lesson, have many source 'watches' for weather data and pay particular heed when they are not in alignment. Might save an afternoon or more.

This is why we can't have nice things.

Chatting with a flying counterpart a week or so ago, they mentioned they wanted to try flying Austria one day.

"You can't."

"What do you mean?"

"HPAC paraglider ratings are not recognized in Austria, IPPI card or not."

"Huh?"

"It appears our licensing system wasn't judged to be up to par. The Brits, Swedes, Germans all ok. Us, not so much."

A discussion followed suit on how best to bring this to the attention of HPAC and see if there is a way to address. The rating system went through a recent overhaul and surely would match up against the best Europe has to offer (at least thats what we were lead to believe).

Then a few days later, a posting by one of the HPAC SIs (a Senior Instructor - the folk who set the standards for our ratings):

I think the Austrians are onto something.

Purchasing a used paraglider.

By this point, you've gotten a sense that I am very much in favour of finding the most cost effective means possible to get and remain in paragliding (and still retain a high degree of safety).

I've outlined how you can go about evaluating your local schools to find the true 'soup to nuts' cost of getting a license with Paragliding Economics 102: Lessons.

I've also outlined why with your first wing you should favour a used paraglider over new and rental over used with Paragliding Economics 101: First Wing Purchase.

But lets say your local school does not offer wing rental? Now what? Assuming suitability (as discussed with your instructor) and availability, into the 'pre-owned' bazaar we venture.

Two Simple Rules

Rule 1: The seller needs my money more than I need their wing. 

This is my variant of the age old 'there is no such thing as savers remorse'. I remind myself of this before any interaction with someone looking to sell. Putting myself in this frame of mind helps keep me objective and enables me to easily walk away - a deal that fails leaves me with money everyone wants and the seller with a wing few people want.

Rule 2: Trust no data that is not readily measurable. 

Launched off grass, accordion packed, no SIV, closet stored. None of these statements mean anything to me as I can't readily verify them. As a buyer I want to know four things - the 'Four Ps' - price, pilot, pics and porosity.

The Four Ps

Price - Price is self explanatory.

Pilot - I want to know who has been flying this wing. This info allows me look up the flight logs in Leonardo and XContest. I can also look up videos on YouTube and Vimeo. I can even look the pilot up in ParaglidingForum.com. Sounds creepy? I don't think so. This is how I determine if they are being honest with me - compare the description of the wing with their digital paragliding foot print. I have seen cases where a pilot selling a wing claimed it had only X hours but was bragging a month earlier on Paragliding Forum how they had clocked 2 times X on the wing that summer. Likewise with track logs and videos. Only grass launched, how about those tracks in Turkey? No SIV, funny that video of acro over Annecy. If there is any inconsistency, remember Rule #1 and walk away.

Pics - Pictures of the wing are always nice, but what I am after is a pic of the manufacturer label. This will have the Make, Model, EN rating, Serial Number (S/N) and Date of Manufacture (DOM). With the DOM I apply my previously suggested depreciation of 20% per year and check it against the sale price. Also, if there is any doubt in the legitimacy of the sale, I ask that a sticky note be placed in the photo of the manufacturer label with my name and date. I would reserve the use of the sticky to be a condition of final sale after price is finalized and not something to push for right away.

Porosity - I will not touch a used wing that has not had a proper test done by a porosity meter. I would also ask for a photo of the test result.  My minimum is leading and trailing edge centre top cell - it is the part most likely to be smacked nose first into the ground on landing and dragged tail last during take off. I suggest researching the relationship of porosity to wing lifespan, there are a few graphs floating about. One note of caution - a wing can retain porosity well after the fabric has passed its useful life - you will frequently see this with wings from the last decade flown only one season and closet dumped. The porosity will be high, but the fabric will have the strength of tissue paper. Another reason to ask for a pic of the manufacturer label. I personally will not consider a wing more than a few years old because of this.

Summing it up

With a little 'leg work' and an objective mind, there is quite a bit of savings to be had by going into the secondary paraglider market rather than purchasing new outright. If you keep the Two Rules and Four Ps in your kit while evaluating options, you stand a much better chance of walking away with a deal you are happy with as opposed to an unexpected surprise a season or so down the road.

Reserve Parachutes.

Reserves...

The 'backup', the Plan 'B',  the 'last chance', and the 'when in doubt, whip it out'.

Anyone familiar with sport aviation knows the importance of having a reserve - either attached to the aircraft or to the pilot proper.

Thankfully I have not had to use one paragliding, though came close with a spin-stall-cravat-spiral-stall-spin free style set. I have had to use one skydiving and fully appreciate the importance of what is certainly a second lease on life.

Likewise we see reserves employed in financial circles, typically under the guise of diversification. Nassim Taleb's suggested barbell investment strategy is an extreme case - where assets are allocated heavily into ultra safe, highly liquid, low return short term Treasuries at one end and the remainder into high risk, high multiple return long shots at the other. There is little allocated in between.

If we look at paragliding and Taleb's investment suggestion - we certainly see parallels.  The wings we fly are cutting edge technology, high aspect ratio, non rigid gliders and many of us offset this with round reserves not far removed in design/function from their mid-century grandfathers.

I could go on about the proposed introduction of increasingly rectilinear reserves, AADs, cutaway systems, and/or SkyHook clones. But the reality is, I am not a test pilot. I leave early adoption to those far more talented and braver than I. For the time being, I will stick with my 'T-Bill' round as others prove out more nascent paragliding techologies.

So why all this talk of reserves?

Because for all this talk of backup plans, few of us have a Plan B for our primary income stream.  Attempting to correct this lack of reserve brings me to more recent events.

Over the span of three days, a full time job offer coupled with a trio of parties looking for p/t freelance help. When it rains, it pours. In the past, I would have said yes to the f/t and politely declined the freelance work.

But this is not the past and I am no longer in the games industry (and with it goes the 60 to 80 hour work weeks).

A plan is hatched. A thumbs up to the f/t work followed by a yes to the first client, suggestions to the second on how they could solve the issue on their own (to see if they are serious about needing my time), and a 'Let me get back to you' to the third.

A fair amount of research followed on the pros and cons to sole proprietorship vs incorporation (especially in terms of liability), how to incorporate, what can be written off, record keeping, how to avoid becoming designated by CRA as a Personal Service Business, and marketing.

I also kept three starting out lessons in mind:

1. Have no partners, a ship has only one captain.
2. Have no employees, subcontract.
3. Have no inventory, avoid front loaded risk.

So in September, 2014 - Levemus Software Inc. was born with the tag line 'Silicon 2 Server Solutions' (reflecting a background in embedded through to cloud development).

Levemus -> Latin first person, plural, subjunctive conjugation of leve -> to rise, to lift, to climb.

Loosely translated -> "Let's climb together."

The first thing I noticed on LinkedIn with respect to many of my peer who have gone f/t freelance is the lack of a website (it may just be that they have too much work and not enough time), in this day and age not having a website is akin to not having a yellow pages listing in decades previous. Website issue: solved -> www.levemus.com

Then a business bank account with a local credit union, followed by the first of my CapEx - office furniture. Computer equipment is 'borrowed'/repurposed until the first client cheque allows for a more mobile solution.

A month has passed. First invoice issued to the first of the trio (a rather happy client it would appear). The second had a change in direction, no longer needing my help. And the third indicated possible work come the beginning of next month. All of this without any marketing. Fortune smiled indeed in September.

A reserve was added to the employment harness.

Sled run for one, sled run for all.

Day two with my sheep in wolfs clothing (the recently acquired Gin Carrera Medium in Apple).

The atmospheric sounding for the day is looking promising with moderate lift to above launch height and an ever increasing prefrontal inflow. Get out early and stay up all day is the plan. Too bad reality doesn't always mimic the forecast.

Arriving at the FlyBC Ranch, I see a number of cars parked about but zero activity. Maybe everyone has already headed up the hill?

A quick peek through the spyglass reveals the Russian collective up on launch, but no sign of Jim or crew.  A few wings eventually launch and make their way down to the Riverside LZ. From the direct route they take I suspect lift is as elusive as ever today.

Half an hour passes and a truck pulls up carrying one of our 'long lost brethren', Robin, who has been pulled away by the real world for the last season and a half.  We catch up on how things have been and Robin provides some suggestions on shows to watch to help kill time as the long white cloud of winter dampens flying. Gary and (the other) Martin soon arrive and we make our way up to launch.

Up top appear a few other faces we rarely see these days - Mia and (the original) Martin. Must be a special event bringing everyone out.

And that there is - an ash scattering.

One of the local landowners, Joe, who had been a big part of the flying community passed some time ago and his family wanted him to enjoy one last flight. It would be another few hours before that flight was due to occur, but folk were making their way up to launch and getting a first sled run in before the main contingent arrived.

The first flight off was uneventful aside from the nuisance of the brake line 'ball' on the right toggle getting fished through a pair of twisted C lines. Basic preflight failure - not following the line from the toggle to the 'swivel' after an abort. Not impressed with the loss of the flight, I make a point of swinging further south over the ranch to put myself in clear view of anyone in the parking lot - hoping someone might look up and hang around a few mins while I pack up.

The gambit pays off as Jim pulls the 'bus' around into the LZ and a few students hop out to give me a hand quickly packing up the wing.

Round 2.

We arrive to find a decent size crowd on launch just as the Joe's ash flight is about to take off. They are away without incident and head south-ish. Another tandem quickly follows suit (I suspect a second family member). It is certainly a perfect day to see Joe off - not a cloud in the sky and silky smooth air.

My flight was another of non drama - smooth inflow, little to no lift. A textbook student first flight day.

Landing, I figure I am done for the day and have the car packed up. Robin lands and starts discussing with Martin about the possibility of time for yet another go at it.

6.2 aspect ratio in an EN B, who would have thought?

Round 3.

The cycles are dying off in the setting sun. The Carrera is as easy a wing to forward launch as any and I am away knowing this will be yet another top to bottom. Might as well make the best of it and it's varying degrees of speed bar all the way down.

An amazing weekend to break in a new wing, catch up with old friends, make new ones and, most importantly, to send one of our 'family' off.

If the season ended here - it would be on a perfect note.

*contented sigh*

Take some Gin (Carrera), add some Apple, shake (Part 2).

...

not even packed up and the Atlas pulls up in the landing field. The query from the cab, 'heading back up?'

That is an affirmative, Ghostrider.

Back on top of the mountain and every one is milling about, not a wing in the air.

Curious.

A gust comes through rustling the trees and ... blowing downhill. Ah, so ka.

An hour later, having gotten my fill of jawboning with local and student alike I realize that we are starting to see marked lulls in the downhill flow of wind. There is going to be rotor at some point away from the hill, but the sound of the wind in the trees hints at peak speeds less than 20 kph. Definitely choppy, but manageable.

I recall a piece of advice from Chris over the summer regarding boundaries and a shrinking flight envelope. If we never test our comfort zone, the conditions within which we are willing to fly will continually shrink until even the tamest of conditions will be perceived to be beyond our ability. In other words, from time to time we have to be willing to go to where there be dragons.

Begin pre-launch montage.

And so the cycle begins of waiting for the elusive lull, hoping the mountain doesn't go completely katabatic before I can get away.

I feel the slightest hint of uphill wind, the flag at the bottom showing wind coming in, the sock beside me limp. Its enough and I am off.

3...2...1... cue 'Highway to the Rotor Zone'.

I drift rapidly to the left and turn quickly right 90 degrees to face into the wind coming over the ridge to the north. The aggregation of the wind being driven up and over that ridge line has me parked in its lee. I am not entirely sure how far this compression extends, so the thought of a straight downwind run leaves me iffy with the river in that line of flight. I feel my best chance is cross wind it and face west again. My active flying skills gets their first real test since France, with the wing rolling, yawing,  and pitching about in the turbulent churn. It is under these conditions I get a better sense of the pitch stability of the Carrera. On the Delta2 I would have my work cut out for me with the wing reacting to the gusts in a series of sharp pitching motions. The Carrera remained more or less overhead, freeing some mental effort from having to be hyper vigilant in trying to prevent a full frontal via an errant gust. The roll on the other hand demanded more attention, with one cross wind gust announcing itself with a rapid twacking of the fabric in the speed bag of the pod followed by my losing the left quarter or so of the wing.

A minute of riding the chop and I am in dead calm air. Jim had chimed in on the radio suggesting pushing further south towards the Riverside LZ as opposed to my drive west, pointing out that the wind would die off quickly as I move further downwind from the northern ridge. In retrospect, it would have provided an increased chance for success over my eventual route towards the Ranch LZ.

Lesson learned.

After the mountain tried its hand at shaking up a Gin/Apple martini I feel that one could sum the wing up as "feels like a 'C', recovers like a 'B'".