Hyner | Soaringroadtrip

It turned out to be a nice day. We flew at about 2:45. I'd say Steve was over 400+? I was over by 150ft. We both flew about 15-20 minutes. The wind shut off and we had to come down. There was a few thermals over the highway and lz field that kept us soaring a little longer. I bought all the bread, milk and toilet paper on the way home that I could possibly stuff in the car and tie on the glider rack in prep for the big storm ;) Anybody have a snowmobile with a glider rack? Paging Spoons...Spoons! Let's fly soon!

Aron

12/10/2020

Unofficial report: We had a pretty nice day at Hyner today...not bad to have 7 in the air in December, T-Bone launched first at around 11 and got over an hour of airtime. I went 2nd and had say a 20 minute flight. Wind was getting lighter as the day went on making soaring more challenging, and causing some sledders.
Will H., Dennis, Sam and Chuck were next off. Steve launched later and the sun came out and blessed him with the flight of the day with 1:45!
I'm not sure but there may have been more HG attempts to try again after Steve was in the air...
Thanks to Will P., Pat and Julie for being the support crew!
Let's fly soon!
Aron

11/29/2020

The wind went slack in the afternoon at Hyner. Found some lift at the point but couldn't find enough of it to stay up.
Steve

11/21/2020

Great flying at Hyner today! Tom B led the charge. Dennis, Sam, Chuck B, and Will P all soared. And then in another league, pg Steve launched early and landed late.

04/19/2021

It was a changeable day. It was blowing in, then not, then spritzing raindrops, then little teasing rays of sunshine. T-Bone was in the air early say 1:45PM when Julie and I were driving up to launch. The rest of the gang setup and launched after 4:15PM since it was flag snapping strong wind. I'm on launch at 4PM and the wind quits as the sun pokes out. At 4:15 it is launchable after doing a dance between W and NW launch areas back and forth...so I danced over and off the NW one without putting the glider down. I worked to get like 25 over. Will P. Was next off, then Sam P. then eventually Dennis P. once the wind turned back on. Will P. was up say 75 over working it over the spine and over toward the point. Next came the landings, mine was uneventful to the W into a 5mph headwind. Will came in next to the W and then the wind switched on him. Sam comes in with his Alpha to the W for the slowest most graceful "dune goon" style landing...it was blowing hard at his 40 ft height and he is moving forward just above parked speed, the gradient wasn't bad and he comes almost straight down like an elevator and had a soft 2 stepper. Dennis comes in last and it seems like not much wind...go figure. The max airtime was like 10 minutes at best. Probably Will P. could have done more but the air was punchy and not so much fun.

We broke no aluminum, didn't get too wet.

The birds soaring made us look like fools...there were 30 soaring around the cell tower after we all landed.

Thanks to Julie and Mike for helping us get setup and launch.

All in all it was still a good time at Hyner.

Aron

5/6/2021

Tom, Sam, and I flew. Tom flew early and got 1K over in some very bouncy air. I launched at 6:30 into some really smooth air.
The Hyner launch and landing look great. The camping field has been cut. Looking forward to seeing everyone later this month.

Steve

5/31/21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOIiEDcHQRc

From what I hear the Thursday flying didn't really happen until 6 pm, with earlier flights being slapped around, but then it went magic. Kudos to those who pulled it off. It must have been pretty good for they stuck through a rainy friday to greet the less hardy folks showing up after the rain.
Got up there saturday to find Jim, Bunk, Bob and Cookie, Eddie there. Was excited to finally meet Chris and Carey Boland, who perfectly fit into the Hyner gestalt. Dave Bodner and JB joined soon after. Overcast, and though the drizzles of Lock Haven rarely reached that far into the mountains there was a psychological feeling of dampness to the dry grass. Most of us ended up at Socky's for dinner. The fact that I even mention that shows how riveting the flying scene was at this point.
None of the pilots went up to launch, but Two-town was encamped at Hyner Run, and Emily went up with her boyfriend, and came down with a fiance'. Congratulations Emily!
Sunday I hear no reports of anyone bothering to go up to launch. Aron arrived, couldn't face camping next to the remains of his wall, which had been subject to legalized vandalism by someone who had taken out a permit to harvest stone. I could say more but don't like the cloud of rage that consumes me when I think about it. I have to feel that if Forestry had known the details they wouldn't have issued that permit. They've been informed it resulted in the destruction of a beautiful campsite. Okay, I'm backing out of that topic.
The Bolands were leaving sunday, and I returned to find folks ready for dinner and we headed down to Lock Haven for a mexican dinner with Rocco, who had surfaced as intended. Another reflecting on flying that I feel called upon to mention that. He was moving to another house, and had brought the contents of half his liquor cabinet that people had left after parties and he needed to dispose of. We spit most of it on the fire. It was fun making the rocks glow blue.
Everyone was looking forward to Monday. The sun came out, flowers bobbed in the breeze, everything had that glow that reminded us why we actually love the place. Headed up late morning to find it strong and crossing from the north, but it would die down with long launchable cycles between the two rocks. I was the first to launch a bit before 1 pm, and immediately felt like I was rotor surfing. Sharp edges and potholes. Got away from the ridge but still got kicked around enough that I couldn't hold a straight line on final approach.
Called up and relayed my experiences to Jim, who naturally decided to try his tandem falcon. He went out along the spine and caught a thermal that took him above launch, but didn't like being carried away from the LZ in that wind, so abandoned it to come land through the expanse of potholes and air cannon. Aron launched next and sort of enjoyed being roughhoused. As I broke down camp the flag was clearly cross and nobody launched. Looking forward to hearing what happened later in the day.
It was a weekend of contrasts. I don't regret at all making the trip to sit around a fire with friends under an overcast sky. Gave me time to explore the road that Joe Gorrie cut into the back 40, and that others have labored to improve. There's some nice campsites back there, and I see niches for more. So when great weather returns we'll have places to put visitors, as I foresee a packed July 4 weekend.
Brian Vant-Hull

6/6/21

Hyner was flyable all day long. A bit rowdy early but then things mellowed. Bill and I both got three flights in. We found some friendly folks to drive our vehicles down.

Here's a link to the afternoon flight just boating around in the SW wind...

https://ayvri.com/scene/e9k4nvr7jo/ckpmiltgh00013a6i637rhvet

Let's fly soon!

Steve

7/1/21

It was sunny and hot...big puffy clouds. Bunkhouse and Julie launched me slightly after 12:00 noon. I was flying the Liberty 158.
The flight was about 11 minutes and say 50' over, not impressive stats but it sure was exciting.
There was lots of lift right after launching but also lots and lots of sink...more sink than I ever encountered before on the way to the lz...then about 15 minutes after I landed it began raining.
I left the ridge with 1000 ft. Pulled the VG on full and headed out. Over the house by the bridge I was at like 800 ft...then down down down all the way.
The sink made me pretty concerned that I wasn't going to make it over the tracks on my turn from base to final.
Then on final just before touching down was rocked by a thermal in the lz. I was kissing the ground! Glad to be down!
Amazing how quick conditions can change with extreme heat and moisture! Later in the day the t-storms were wild.
Big thanks to Bunkhouse and Julie.
After a needed break at Sockey's we went back uptop to try and help Bunkhouse fly...when we rode up it was looking flyable. Soon after arriving back uptop it was starting to look grim with thunderstorm activity coming from the SW, so Bunkhouse decided to pack up, Good thing because it stormed hard.
Then later in the day we sipped some wine under Bunk's awning in the rain, ate olives, met up with Bob and Cook after they rolled in...
What a great day at Hyner!
Aron

07/19/21

Weather was changeable with big cumulus clouds, some turning thunderous. Flag uptop was snapping around 2:30 then calming a bit by 3:30 but still blowing in. It seemed like localized weather with the big clouds influence on the wind speed and direction. Rumble of thunder to the NE and that cloud was blowing away over the back...so I got in the air at around 3:15 and had my best ever flight so far at Hyner with just about a half hour and say 800-1000? over...need to review on computer. The thermals were fat enough to turn 360s in over launch. Anyways there was smooth lift all over the place until it shut down. Then it was widespread sink so headed to the lz. I think what shut it down was another big dark beast cloud near the village of Hyner...and moving in on us...it was good to have gotten down before that beast came over the lz.

Following the beast cloud departure, Steve did a hike and fly over to the pipeline and made it to the Hyner lz with success! Way to go Steve!

Let's fly soon!

Aron

7/26/21

We flew, some conquered, others were slain by sink.
T-Bone must have launched soon after after 1pm. He was flying around as we drove up at around 1:45. He probably had around a 45 minute flight...don't know other stats.
Aron flew next with a 6 minute sledder around 4:15. Had a fairly good cycle and blew it...trouble zipping in harness got distracted and went too far out.
Will flew soon after Aron and scratched hard eeking out something like 75 over and 28 minutes! And boy did he work to get that!
When Aron landed the lz was pretty rowdy. The staging area N of the tracks had some abrupt sink pockets. On final an abrupt sink pocket rattled things. Trying for a better harder flare Aron climbed higher on the DTs, just about touching feet down got lifted off again, but then it settled in as the flare gently increased higher...no landing is ever the same as Will says! It worked ok. Nothing broken!
Not sure why we didn't get alot higher today. Here attached was the skew-t I looked at. As Bob B. says, the big H high pressure was sort of above us...maybe that was it. Just looking at it while there the big puffy clouds appeared to have a base of say 4000.
Let's fly soon!
Aron

8/2/21

It was NW uptop. We used the path over the rocks for a NW launch. There were times it was N cross, so we waited for a lull in the wind and some sun brought light thermals up that gave us enough NW direction to launch safely.
Flights were short. Aron went first and it was a true dogger.
Spinner flew and got a few passes and sniffed out a little lift making it an extendo.
The really neat thing about the day was to learn that Spinner was taken to Hyner as a kid by his father to see a HG competition way back when...and today he got to bring his father and his brother to see him fly there decades later!
Thanks to Julie for helping out and launching us!
Let's fly soon!
Aron

8/5/21

It was two sled rides for each of us. Very light wind and smooth air. Aron

8/24/21

We got 6 sled rides at Hyner this afternoon! Fun day but 5 minute flights!

6 sled rides were had. Dennis, G-man, Sam, Will, Mike with PG, Aron

I think I'm gonna have to get a PG for light days...and go to Hammondsport and fly till dark to get any airtime.

Aron

9/6/21

Monday morning I think it was Karen, Tim M., Brian V. And Dave B. Who flew and soared.
It was blown out from about 1:30 to 6PM.
Aron got one in after it settled a bit right about 6:00.
Somebody said "evening magic" but 6mph gusting to 15mph in front of the wall made me think of Black Magic Woman...Santana! And it was! Good thing to have the Liberty 158 today to penetrate the higher wind up there.
So the ride lasted 31 minutes and was work. Often was parked and still rising even out from launch past the tree line. One time I flew back over the outhouses uptop and slow penetration back out, I looked down at the flag and it was snapping and bowing, but then that gust fell off. Overall not terribly bumpy, but a few tosses here and there. Higest was 500 over. Flew my upwind along the mountain then over the Hyner 4 way intersection in the town, then back to the field with height to burn yet in a 360, then a DBF and west landing on the wheels in the wet dew covered grass...absolutely no wind down in the lz. Sun had set on the field.
Too tired to go home so we stayed another night and the campfire was nice and raucous.
Wanton disregard for proper fire tending from all around. Much poor form was displayed and "Precious 2" was found, a 6 ft stick used with lots of gibes from the audience of other would be fire tenders! Many took a turn with "Precious 2".
Let's fly soon!
Aron

1/6/22

On setting up it was sunny, then became overcast with little sun at 3pm.
Julie wire crewed today. Saw one other car up at launch but nobody was around.
Hardly any wind at 3pm, like 3 -4mph varying from SW to NW.
It was looking like a sledder day so I decided to fly without vario, since down was guaranteed :)
That was nice with no vario. JB had had advised to fly with no vario, so I gave it a try. In the air I felt some light uplift, then sink, then uplift and so on. Nothing enough to really turn in.
I liked flying without the crutch and the beeping noise. It was confidence inspiring to just totally look at the whole experience of flying visually with no glancing over at an altitude number.
For a January flight I'm totally happy with a 6 minute flight trying something new.
Yeah it is cold, but hell 6 minutes is bearable...a trip to the mailbox or out to get more firewood equates to that...
The reward was a Voodoo Ranger IPA and some 8.99 red wine...what a day at Hyner inspired!
Let's fly soon!
Aron

5/30/22

Overall lots of flying at Hyner the last 3 days.
This is no official report...lost track of it all with the activity going on in full swing!
Monday was pretty good. Light WSW and cooking hot out! We had several PG pilots flying and several HGs.
An early morning group flew, then more batches later on. Rocco, Brian, John?
A near noon or a bit after as a batch Steve, Leo, Rocco, Dave B. Tim, maybe others.
PG pilot Stacia got high and so did HG pilot Dave B. around the same time of 1:00?
A later group flew with Tim, Aron, Rocco, Will P., Sam, Dennis and Mike on PG. They soared a bit.
Will P. got a half hour flight. Rocco soared above the wall for the first time!
Probably missed some of it, but that gives you a sample of the day.
Let's fly soon!
Aron

5/31/22

Tuesday flight report:
Dave, B., Steve V., and Aron set out to fly.
We got uptop by 10:45 -11:30 timeframe and leisurely set up.
Wind was light NW at first, then thermals and stronger wind arrived around noon.
Aron was in the air right at noon, then Dave followed.
Good lift at times but it seemed thermals were broken up by the wind. There were some strong sink cycles that ended our fun.
lz was on and off for sink and turbulence. Approximately 15 minute flights with 150-200 over.
Steve made a wise decision to not fly the PG.
We flew olde Hyner lots this Memorial Day weekend. It was a string of 4 flyable days in a row with some days better than others.
Let's fly soon!
Aron

6/13/22

Four of us flew. Dennis, Will, Aron, Steve, in that order. Will P. had the flight of the day with 40 minutes and 900 over. Wind was NW to W and varying.
Flights ranged from short soaring flights to Will's 40 min.
Conditions were odd, with kind of lighter base wind say 7-8 mph then blasts of thermals that were quite strong but kind of broken up and there were turbulent patches.
Flights began around 4:15 to 5:30, with Steve flying PG as last to launch.
Dennis had worry about making the field. Aron had turbulent sink at lz on reconnaissance run and blasts of thermal out by cell tower, stayed too high based on the reconnaissance and went long into the overshoot grass. Will came in hot wagging his body all over to keep the glider straight down the lz. Steve had a bumpy flight and reported a partial wing collapse and stuff like that and decided to land.
Ok day, but we've had better conditions. It wasn't an evening magic type day even though it kind of looked like it might be.
Let's fly soon!
Aron

6/20/22

We had 4 pilots fly Monday.
When we first got there about 1PM the sky looked really strange, there were the short domed lens clouds everywhere that looked like flying saucers...they were up high.
Those clouds spead out eventually forming a high overcast with some sun holes.
It was about 3:30 when the fun began. It was pretty gusty and north cross before that. Still the north cross seemed to come back whenever the thermals were not actively coming up.
Aron waited through some cycles on launch eventually going in a light wind which was maybe the start of a thermal...sinking out but making passes below launch. Over by the bowl to the left and over to the point found some thermals and climbed back up above launch for a bit, then got flushed as the sun went away.
Will P. was next off, probably 45 minutes later and got into a cycle that was long and sunny. Will got a 30 minute flight and like 1200 over. Aron was in the lz observing Will and noticed that it was sunny and hot in the lz, all the wind was straight down the runway and on the hill all the trees looked "lit up" for like 25 minutes...then the sun went away, Will got flushed and on landing pattern it got very turbulent going completely cross in the lz for a bit and Will ended up making some unwanted turning becase conditions sent him into a turn at say 150-200 ft up.
Later say after 5pm, Joe flew around a bit and was going mostly down it looked like, but he decided to try scouting around over by the old lz and then went on to land in the big field east of the Lion's Den. Joe was really excited for ice cream so he carried his still set up glider along the edge of the road all the way to the Lion's Den! Someone stopped and yelled "you picked a hell of a spot to land a glider" as Joe was part way there. Once there he was greeted with lots of smiles and photo ops.
Dennis was next and flew his Gecko for the first time in quite a while. This was getting on 7pm. Dennis had a nice long smooth sled ride and was ecstatic about flying that glider again.
Thanks to Karen, Mike, Julie for assisting on launching and driving!
Dennis and Mike headed out for a Mexican meal and Joe, Karen, Aron and Julie went to "Good Neighbor" restaurant by the old lz. You can see launch from the right table!
Again Monday was pizza night there...and how appropriate we had a new spicy pizza called "Hell Bird". Porters, IPAs and wine was flowing. Karen bought a t-shirt and it has a hang glider on it. We noticed the restaurant displays Hyner Challenge t-shirts on the wall. Maybe somone has an old Hyner Club shirt or artwork to give them to display...just a thought.
Anybody take any pictures of the sky or the flying, etc? Please post 'em.
Let's fly soon!
Aron

6/29/22

Down at Hyner today it was lackluster. Although the sky looked pretty good at times, we had scratching and trying but nobody got high. 3 of us flew later afternoon with a T2c, Falcon, and NW Liberty...the tool didn't matter either way.
This weekend there is camping and flying from today on through the 4th if anyone wants to travel down.
Let's fly soon!
Aron

7/4/22

Da Ole Hyner Hag was her usual self.
Friday she kept the heat turned up sending us to hang wait on top in the South crossing breeze. With a repeat fcst for Sat a few of the guysfigured they would out fox da ole bitch and sneak away to the super bowl, out of her bony grasp. After a grueling hike to launch her cruel buddy, Thor, visited a mega Tstorm upon them with a drenching rain and hail storm. Never deterred they waited it out and still had fun in soaring air. Saturday was another cruel day with a cool but brisk NW cross. There were a couple of gnarly attempts at soaring but no real success. One determined pilot waited it out until most had broke down and was rewarded with a late day 2 hour ridge soaring flight. Reportedly he would have landed sooner but he over slept. Sunday opened with a NW cross fcst but with a STFI breeze. Several pilots took advantage it and had smooth soaring. By 1300 it had picked up and turned NW. Still launch-able but any attempts at flight were met with gnarly air, massive sink, and a cruel high pitched cackle. About 1515, tired of tormenting us, She took a nap. The flag, in her absence and in a thermal induced stupor, wafted in gently. By 1530 the first 4 were off and were rewarded with STFU (straight the fuck up) launches. The set up area soon cleared of gliders with flights ranging from doggers to near cloud base at 4000' above, and a nice eagle assisted lowish save back to 1800' above. At 1700 she arose and with a shriek turned on the sink machine. All safe launches, safe landings, and silly guffawing camp fires until 0100 every nite. It was a MAHVELOUS Hyner weekend...............B & C

Bob compresses his flowing prose, leaving an opening for individual reports. Sunday marked my best Hyner flight EVER, by a huge margin.
It started with everyone noticing that conditions weren't looking quite as sour as earlier, but JB was the first to act on it. I was his sole wire crew, so was the closest witness to his slow but steady climb in the firmament. I think it was the slowness of it that forstalled the general rush, but I suited up and bumped noses with Jim who was having the same idea. I suppose by traffic rules the vehicle to the right has right of way, but Jim generously gave way and I crabbed my way down.
I had noted that JB's success was due to not being satisfied with just the trees in front wiggling suggestively; he wanted the whole ridge lit up. I determined to follow the same course of action, and after a few false starts finally found a balanced cycle and cleared my wire crew.
I've heard that Wallaby used to have this gag where they sunk two posts in the ground, positioned a volunteer in between with a climbing harness, stretched bungees from the top of the pole down nearly to the ground, and attached them to the previously mentioned harness. Several burly fellows pull the hapless volunteer as far back as they can, and let him go. That must be what my launch felt like. I shot up perhaps a hundred feet, then just like the bungees running out of steam at the top of the trajectory, I went over the falls with a thunk. Circled around and went right back for more. Eventually I caught up with JB and repaid him for showing me the way by an unannounced (and unintended: I was fiddling with my harness) attempt to land on his wing, which he took with ill grace. I left him to fume and headed north so I could play in my own sandbox.
Then like switching a light everything turned to sink. It was widespread and uniform: no texture that I could see. I thought either my glider or my vario was busted and headed out to land so that I could fix them without interference from the quickly approaching ridges and trees. The others joined within the next 10 minutes.
3000 foot climb above launch, at least an hour airtime. I know others have routinely done more at Hyner, but Hyner typically only treats me right in the morning, then sours on me by mid day. But she's awfully sweet when the mood hits her.
In other news, Rocco had a choice between Hyner and Ellenville, and performed his calculations wisely. 1.5 hour flight in magic air, and climbed out above the bowl. Perhaps we can coax the full story out of him?
Brian Vant-hull

7/13/22

Aron went first about 1:40 and had an extended sledder with the Liberty 158. followed by Will P. about 30 minutes later Will had 30 minutes and about 300 over? It became really strong halfway into Will's flight. Flag snapping and steady 20mph wind after Will had landed. Steve backed off launch with the PG after he saw what Will was facing up there. Then say 5pm Steve flew and it was a little rowdy at first then calmed some and he got some good thermals and headed for Lock Haven xc. Landed out 6 miles? down the river. Aron flew again at 5:30 with the Sting 175 that James had set up but decided not to fly...a 9 minute scratching effort got above the wall for a bit then the sun shut down and so did the air. Maybe tomorrow we will do some more. If anyone is coming Thursday and has a spare pod harness, or knee hanger please bring it along...maybe James our visiting pilot could use it for the day. James was uncomfortable trying to use an old cocoon harness that I had brought so decided against flying.
Let's fly soon! Aron

7/14/22

Steve had an early flight before the rest showed up. I think we started getting in the air around 3:00. Aron the wind dummy got a sled ride even scouting out to the point searching in the Liberty 158. Dennis was off next off with the Gecko and found a thermal getting 2 turns and got a few hundred over. Sam was next and had a nice flight, not sure how long or high but he boated around for a bit. Steve and Aron went up for round 2 around 5:30-6pm. Both were up for a while in some smoother lifty air finding some broken thermals and ridge lift to try circling in. Bet Steve gained 900? Aron got in the air shortly after with the Sting 175 and maybe gained 300? Aron felt the lift giving out as shade came and the flag went north cross and headed out to the town of Hyner for some sun and a pop, nothing found so landed. Steve landed a little bit later. Thanks to Julie and James for assisting on launches and driving. Let's fly soon! I hear Steve and Leo are flying today if anyone has the itch for a Friday flight. Aron

8/18/22

The day ranged from Epic to nasty. T-Bone flew first and got a sledder. Steve went next. Steve flew PG to Lock Haven and landed at the Piper museum. Steve ended up running away from the rain that was closing in on him and kept on going to LH. I flew after I saw Steve getting up. There were some big over developing conditions happening to North it looked like, but at the time it seemed safe to launch and get a short flight.
I flew and was getting up above the wall...it was nice...till it wasn't! ...then headed out as conditions got worse. I saw rain up the valley that the road to launch goes up as I was going out to land.
My rushed landing approach was not so good, I ended up too high and had to circle again over the field to the north of the tracks. Ended up hitting heavy sink and had to end up landing in that field. Almost hit the little trees toward the road, scraped above them in a turn. Leveled up the wing and down...down...got trashed a bit and broke a dt. Not too bad. It could have been much worse. About 3 minutes after that the gusts became stronger and it began raining. T-Bone and Julie helped get all the stuff dragged over to the real lz. Then it got sunny and nice trying to lure use into flying. We went back up. I almost set up my undamaged Sting 175.
Dennis and Sam were ready to go...but then rumbles of thunder to the north. Oh no, more nasty clouds moving in. Soon enough...real thunder and lightening. We helped pack up Dennis and Sam in a real hurry! Avoided getting wet. It poured, raining cats and dogs as we all drove down the mountain.
I learned some lessons today as I about got in two tangles with mother hyner. One was enough and then some. Aron

9/4/22

On Sunday Bodner, Tom from Indiana and I got in pre-travel sledders at Hyner. Despite storms in the general region the flag was limp. After the morning rain we only got afternoon sprinkles so light we wondered if we were imaging it. But looking at the radar today I"m glad everyone (except Jonathon) left on Sunday. BVH

9/16/22

Winds were light ranging from zero to 6mph when one would blow in. Lots of limp flag time. Clint got a PG sled ride. And another. Then, Steve with PG had a 25 minute flight around 2:30? After that...Will P. and Aron each got pretty much a sled ride.Steve had an extended sled ride around 5pm.
And it was a nice day for being out. Not a great flying day though. Let's fly soon, Aron