Ryan, yesterday four SSA members were available to give a new pilot an orientation. The SSA honors temporary USHPA memberships for foreign pilots. A weeks notice could have resulted in an enthusiastic welcome, an orientation, a ride up the tram to the new groomed launch and a waiver for the P4 requirement if you worked with the SSA. We don't launch from where you did because the area out front of that bare spot is known as the Devil's Cauldron, and its potentially very bad when there is a north component to the wind, as there was yesterday. You were fortunate it worked out.
I would have loved that!! I wish the club or Facebook group would have directed me to the SSA. I wrote my situation and schedule in detail to the club in June but never heard anything. I was following a couple of other pilots who launched from the same spot and flew a similar route. Do you have an email for my next trip through in 2023? Do you guys have any Delta4 wings for sale? My Delta II is close to needing replaced.
@@pilotparagliding www.flysandia.com/membership-siteguides I was one of the 6 pilots who flew yesterday. None of us launched from the bare spot because it is not insured and because of the potential for rotor out front. In the USA, most USHPA chapters do not rely on social media for communication. For example, many of us do not use Facebook. Regarding a new D4, I would guess it would be simpler to buy it from a local dealer back home.
@@NelsonsWings The launches were on Thursday in the early evening. According to the website, after I paid my dues I would be emailed instructions to contact the pilots for a site orientation but was never sent the information. Can you forward the instructions? I'm moving from Ukraine to Tanzania. Not sure if there is an Ozone dealer in Dar Es Salaam but I'll check it out. Safe landings!
@@pilotparagliding So glad to see you hooked up with us! All is well that ends well. Hope you enjoy your D4, I just sold my Alpina 3 to finance the A4 when it is available in September.
@@pilotparagliding ph okay, This is another small college town called las vegas near Albuquerque, New Maxico. The other big city Vegas is in Nevada. Thank you for the info. Fly safe.
Ryan, I'm a club officer for Sandia Soaring Association. Please email me a phone number through our contact page to get a hold of you, the one you left in the club application didnt work with standard dailing. Glad you had a safe flight, and I appreciate you attempted to get a hold of us. I mainly want to help you get set up for official flying wherever you go in the US. As others have written here, your flight went into areas we dont recommend, and, had it become an emergency, you could've jeopardized our launch agreements with the local agencies we are permitted through. This will be the case wherever you go in the US, so you need to get your USHPA stuff straightened out immediately if you hope to fly. And do not fly a P4 site EVER without talking to locals first, that's asking for trouble, especially as a "P3" on Sandia. It's a harsh mountain in July, and you got away with a beautiful, but potentially very dangerous flight.
The phone number was only good until July when I departed Ukraine. Emailing now, thank you for reaching out. I would love to figure out a way to get a checkout flight when I return in three years. I have driven up to launch each time with my family of five and in-laws. I'm not totally comfortable with the tram while COVID-19 continues to be an issue. While a unique location, it wasn't much more technical than the Himalayas, Botswana, or the Dolomites. However, I would have MUCH rather spoken with a local club pilot before flying. Thank you for reaching out, better late than never!
I knew there was some place on them cliff to launch! I'm excited to see this video
I live in Los Alamos,NM there are some places. Really amazing places,north of anq😮
Sweet video and channel. Barry showed me. He says hi
Thank you!!
That looked like a rad place to fly! Thanks for sharing! Beautiful landscape.
Thank you Robert! It was a great few days of flying!
Ryan, yesterday four SSA members were available to give a new pilot an orientation. The SSA honors temporary USHPA memberships for foreign pilots. A weeks notice could have resulted in an enthusiastic welcome, an orientation, a ride up the tram to the new groomed launch and a waiver for the P4 requirement if you worked with the SSA.
We don't launch from where you did because the area out front of that bare spot is known as the Devil's Cauldron, and its potentially very bad when there is a north component to the wind, as there was yesterday. You were fortunate it worked out.
I would have loved that!! I wish the club or Facebook group would have directed me to the SSA. I wrote my situation and schedule in detail to the club in June but never heard anything. I was following a couple of other pilots who launched from the same spot and flew a similar route. Do you have an email for my next trip through in 2023? Do you guys have any Delta4 wings for sale? My Delta II is close to needing replaced.
@@pilotparagliding www.flysandia.com/membership-siteguides
I was one of the 6 pilots who flew yesterday. None of us launched from the bare spot because it is not insured and because of the potential for rotor out front. In the USA, most USHPA chapters do not rely on social media for communication. For example, many of us do not use Facebook.
Regarding a new D4, I would guess it would be simpler to buy it from a local dealer back home.
@@NelsonsWings The launches were on Thursday in the early evening.
According to the website, after I paid my dues I would be emailed instructions to contact the pilots for a site orientation but was never sent the information. Can you forward the instructions?
I'm moving from Ukraine to Tanzania. Not sure if there is an Ozone dealer in Dar Es Salaam but I'll check it out. Safe landings!
@@NelsonsWings looks like the nearest dealer will be South Africa, 3000 miles away. That's the equivalent of Albuquerque to Honolulu :-0
@@pilotparagliding So glad to see you hooked up with us! All is well that ends well. Hope you enjoy your D4, I just sold my Alpina 3 to finance the A4 when it is available in September.
How far is it from Albuquerque?
It's in Albuquerque.
@@pilotparagliding great. And how far from the Las vegas? How many months you get a good flying conditions? Nice view thou.
@@adventureleopards I live in Tanzania, but I think Sandia is flyable almost year-round. Google maps shows eight hours from Vegas to Albuquerque.
@@pilotparagliding ph okay, This is another small college town called las vegas near Albuquerque, New Maxico. The other big city Vegas is in Nevada. Thank you for the info. Fly safe.
Ryan, I'm a club officer for Sandia Soaring Association. Please email me a phone number through our contact page to get a hold of you, the one you left in the club application didnt work with standard dailing.
Glad you had a safe flight, and I appreciate you attempted to get a hold of us. I mainly want to help you get set up for official flying wherever you go in the US. As others have written here, your flight went into areas we dont recommend, and, had it become an emergency, you could've jeopardized our launch agreements with the local agencies we are permitted through. This will be the case wherever you go in the US, so you need to get your USHPA stuff straightened out immediately if you hope to fly. And do not fly a P4 site EVER without talking to locals first, that's asking for trouble, especially as a "P3" on Sandia. It's a harsh mountain in July, and you got away with a beautiful, but potentially very dangerous flight.
The phone number was only good until July when I departed Ukraine. Emailing now, thank you for reaching out. I would love to figure out a way to get a checkout flight when I return in three years.
I have driven up to launch each time with my family of five and in-laws. I'm not totally comfortable with the tram while COVID-19 continues to be an issue.
While a unique location, it wasn't much more technical than the Himalayas, Botswana, or the Dolomites. However, I would have MUCH rather spoken with a local club pilot before flying. Thank you for reaching out, better late than never!