Vlog 23: Truck Tow Hang Gliding at Blue Sky FP - One thing at a time

In these two flights, I FINALLY tucked away my tow bridle and zipped up my harness. I’ve had well more than a dozen truck tow flights and just now starting to do this…. I know… I just wanted to feel comfortable and get used to flying in my harness before I did those things. I’m an anxious type. Last thing I want to do is to freak myself out trying to do multiple things at once. But I believe that these baby steps are the best and the safest way to learn to fly.
I’m my own pilot. I decide when I’m ready for my next baby step.
During my first flight I got to fly really close with a bald eagle. Unfortunately the camera didn’t capture him/her but it was so awesome to see them so close and to fly with it!!

[@MyHangGlidingJourney-gy3cs]

“That's a hang 3 spot landing!” That is awesome! Grats! And you got an eagle nod! such a cool Saturday.

[@nanoraflyz]

I’m way far from qualifying H3 rating but one day! That experience flying so close to a bird of pray….. i always dreamed of that so it was a dream come true moment. I got the goosebumps🪿🪿🪿🪿🪿

[@feenix47]

Seen very good progress with your flying skills. Excellent content too. Loving the no background music!

[@nanoraflyz]

Thank you so much! I want to keep it simple and I know people enjoy the sound of the winds, I like that too. It takes lots of time to edit, tho. Lol I got only one camera and just using an app called Splice and do what I can with limited resources. frugal way of editing. My goal should never be to create a fancy content cos I can’t😂

[@Ayerstairs]

Great video, Nano! "Hang-3 spot!" Nice! 🙌👍

[@nanoraflyz]

Hehehehe thanks😁

[@relax9056]

Great flying Nano😁👍! And you zipped up your harness👏! You are actually flying now🦅! ATB.

[@nanoraflyz]

Thank you and I know I finally zipped up that thing after well over a dozen truck tow flights😂

[@andrewashmore8000]

Sweet Job , wholesome content , enjoyable to see this lady sharing her life adventure.

[@nanoraflyz]

Thank you very much☺️ Glad you enjoyed it.

[@adventureswitharizonaart6117]

I found a winter place in AZ. It's aerotow and warm, great folks, Sonora Wings. Come on out!!!!!

[@frostyfrost4094]

Another great video even the cat 🐈 throught it was purrrrrrfect

[@nanoraflyz]

Hahaha thanks😸

[@ecclesheat]

I really liked hearing you talk through your setup/checklist. We are pilots. Theres a reason why airline pilots do the same thing. I have had a very similar routine with check lists for the last 20years of flying. I find it relaxes me because if i get to the end of it i can be confident i covered all my bases.

[@nanoraflyz]

Thank you☺️ Honestly I’m still getting used to that checklist part. I want to be even more organized and have a fixed order for myself. The preflight check of the glider, my harness/helmet before getting on the truck and then the pilot check list on the truck. Wanna be as thorough as possible.

[@andymccann2716]

I love following your progression, for me this was probably your best video to date, the extra little bits of info and the tow hitch illustration was great. I have always wondered how the harness zip works, I know that probably sounds stupid but would love to see how that works. Thanks so much, can't wait until the next video

[@nanoraflyz]

Aww thanks. Comment like this means a lot because I do take lots of time editing. I’m not a professional videographer or a content creator. I just use a Splice app and do my edit on my phone. I can share only so much but I do try my best. Thank you so much for your support.

[@RCCanuck]

Thanks for explaining how you hook to the tow. Was always curious about that. Great editing.

[@nanoraflyz]

It’s so interesting ya? I need to ask Steve why that method… three rings. I can only guess that it increases the strength of the link. Thank you for watching😊

[@flyingtime5501]

​​@@nanoraflyzI'm no expert but I believe it lessons tension so as to make the release not bind up (have to much pressure on release pin) as in earlier designs. Beautiful flying btw!!! Where is this located?

[@nanoraflyz]

@@flyingtime5501the park is in Manquin, Virginia🇺🇸

[@MarcusKyo]

I usually don't like side view camera angles when watching these kinds of videos, but it was actually kinda nice. Normally I like to imagine myself flying when the camera is in the back, but this time it was nice to see how much you enjoy the flight through seeing your expressions. Makes me so jealous! ;) I tried contacting my local hang gliding instructor, but still haven't gotten a reply back. I want to learn so bad. I look forward to every video! It's nice to see someone learn on video with minimal cuts and no annoying music. The sound of the wind is the best.

[@nanoraflyz]

Thank you for this comment☺️ my preference in my camera view is depending on whichever view that will help me to review what I want to work on or get better at. I knew I wanted to put the bridle away and try zipping up and down the harness. Side view made sense. I really want to show Steve’s truck running the runway in my view next time. I def should invest in another GoPro, thinking about it. Thank you so much for noticing about my video editing. Look, I’m just self teaching and I want to say I came a long way😂 i like to keep my content genuine and not too dressed up since it is an important personal journal at this point. I’m excited for you trying to take a class!! Hope you got a reply from your local hg flight school😃

[@johncrabb806]

Love the camera angle. Great landings. Also, thanks for sharing how the tow release is set up. The cat was not impressed, but I was. :)

[@nanoraflyz]

I’m glad you like that side view! Thought it’s more helpful to see my zipping up and down the harness. Yep, my cat, he was not impressed at all😂

[@johncrabb806]

@@nanoraflyzI got out of hang gliding in the early 80's right when they were developing safer ways to tow. I lived in Dallas Texas and had to drive 4 to 5 hours to hills in Oklahoma to fly. :( How close do you live to where you fly? BTW, we've had a cat for almost 3 years now that I have not yet impressed even once.

[@nanoraflyz]

Wow 4-5hr drive… but a handful pilots who fly at Blue Sky have a couple hours drive. Im only like 40min away from the park. But once Im ready to venture out and start flying mountain sites, it’ll require 2-4hr drive depending on the local sites. Cats are very hard to impress and they make you feel like you are never enough for them. I enjoy the tough love they give.

[@yoshidragonaga]

You are hitting your progression! And flying with an eagle! What a feeling!! ❤❤❤

[@nanoraflyz]

I really appreciate you always there encouraging me and suppprting me. I need to come see you again soon!

[@user-xe4fm1sr7r]

Can't wait for you to get some mountain weather and launching instruction

[@douglas.turner]

Great flights! Hands-off relaxed, so nice. And your feline observer is very handsome! Blackcats for the win. I think it will be really cool to see the way things change through the winter and then into spring. The fall has been amazing. Thank-you for your videos.

[@nanoraflyz]

He is extremely handsome and old, 17yr old. Don’t know how much longer he’ll stick around so trying to include him whenever possible. Thank you so much for checking out my vid and leaving me a nice comment as usual😊

[@azharc123]

Lovely cat! I notice when you turn, you are re-centring the wing now sooner to be 90 degrees to whichever part of the runway circuit that you're on. So you're not having to keep correcting etc. That takes some practice to get used to and you seem to be there now. Lovely landings too. Hope the dumplings turned out nice and tasty. :)

[@nanoraflyz]

Wow what an observation! I wasn’t thinking anything but those are things that I probably should pay more attention to and do so intentionally, not just say, “oh im gonna turn now” but also how much do I wanna turn? How can I make that turn efficiently? Thank you for noticing and letting me know!

[@azharc123]

@@nanoraflyz my microlight instructor said when I was at your stage "now you can start putting the finesse into your turns". I miss flying those.

[@chih-weichuang6272]

ooo, get them H3 spots, hell yeah! you need to get a wing, the Alpha is easy to handle and flies great but has a pretty mushy sink rate, step up to a falcon/malibu so you can go FAST(er)!! still relatively easy wing but you're outgrowing the Alpha :)

[@nanoraflyz]

Thank you Chu!🐶 Ya, I need my wing pretty bad. I did consult with Steve about it. Will see! I need to get out to Lookout again for more foot launch practice and mountain flights! Hope to see you again soon😉

[@RocketSailing]

Looks very good! Keep it up! 👌

[@gregsaracino3252]

Beautiful! You are getting better and better every time I watch you fly. And you’re right - great therapy! Regarding the winter, you can always head south to NC or FL during the winter but if you learn how to foot launch, you can fly some of the mountain sites all winter as long as you are willing to brave the cold. Great job, Nano! 👏🏻👍🏻😎

[@nanoraflyz]

Thank you so much☺️ Yes, once I have my own glider I’ll definitely pursue more mountain flight experience. Meanwhile, I’ll fly as much as possible at Blue Sky and probably should plan a Lookout trip again for foot launch practice and mountain flying.

[@SVSky]

Great flying! Fantastic editing too

[@nanoraflyz]

Aw thanks🤩

[@penrynbigbird]

Nicely done!

[@nanoraflyz]

Thank you☺️

[@karavalle12]

Bonjour, j'aime vos petites vidéos! 👏👏Vous avez eu de la chance, pratiquez le delta avec une remorque! J'avais essayé il y a 40 ans, mais j'ai dû décoller d, une petite montagne! L'école était difficile, difficile ... (nous sommes dans les Alpes)Le Delta était lourd ... J'ai abandonné! Je me suis tourné vers le parapente.J'aimerais avoir une école comme toi ...l'école" tractée", c'est la vie.😉🥴 

[@justhangin7186]

Sweet 👌I'd lower your harness a fair bit , your arms look they are straight down when your flying , you want your chest only a couple of inches above the base bar it gives you way more control and less tiring , nice landing

[@Highrockman]

No I think her harness height is ok if you notice the shoulder lines tend to go soft because she likes to arch upward bit..I dont see that as a problem though..I owned that same harness and at times I liked to do the same thing..If anything maybe Steve could increase the length of her shoulder lines to let her ease her upper body down towards the control bar a bit but other than that it looks good..

[@justhangin7186]

@@Highrockman yeah lower you are the more control for me anyway , flying with straight arms is very tiring , I like to fly low so need the extra control hanging lower provides , each to there own though on this one 👍fly high and far 👌

[@Highrockman]

@@justhangin7186 no one would argue that hanging as low as reasonable does help in glider control but your thinking that because she has a tendency to push up a bit on the control bar and /or arch a bit ..that she needs to hang lower her hang point is wrong. If anything as I mentioned possibly a bit longer on the shoulder supports..Actually this exact point was mentioned by Steve Wendt in an earlier video..VLOG #21 / 59 Sec.

[@justhangin7186]

@@Highrockman it's her stomach not her head that's too high , if you arc up so much you should be way lower , also the instructor should make it clear the base bar is for control and not to do push-ups on , terrible technique and very tiring , I urge her to at least try it and see how much easier it is to control that big alpha 180 for such a small girl , much safer as well , remember the hang strap is for hangin and the bar is only for control not climbing on 😆👍🇦🇺

[@josephstearn3393]

Yeah, if you notice, this harness (which Steve sold me earlier in the year) has a sliding hang point provided by two aluminum tubes. Nano’s basically not actually proned out here, even though she zipped up, hence her chest being high over the bar. In order to get the harness prone there are chords which go from the boot to the hang straps which pull the hang straps back on the aluminum sliders (when you push on the boot) to bring the harness balance to prone. Steve and his student do doubt know all this and are working up to a fully proned position. Just thought I’d clarify incase anyone’s interested in the harness ...

[@johngormley2192]

I always wanted to go. How long does it take for flying to become natural, without any thought or concentration?

[@nanoraflyz]

As far as steering the glider goes, mmmmm good question🤔 I remember how hard my brain was working to steer the glider at first. I’d say maybe by 5th classes(after about 15-20 flights in). But then there are always things to think about and concentrate on.