On Sunday, I got out early to practice foot launching harnessed in my Moyes Matrix Race harness and being pulled from my aerotow pro-tow bridle. I wasn't sure how this would work out with the boot flapping at back of my legs as I ran along. Would it trip me up? Would I waddle instead of run? Would Steve pull me to the ground? Would the tow forces be too high up on my chest?
Right off, Steve talked about not holding the glider down as I had been, but just pulling the glider back with the palms of my hands on the front edges on the down tubes (I was still using the Wills Wing Falcon 195, one step at a time). I spread my fingers out and just pushed back on the down tubes while holding the glider up with my shoulders.
Here is one of the nine "flights" I had on Sunday morning:
It feels so good to get up early, get out to the launch area and get a bunch of launches, flights, and landings in before 10 AM. That takes care of flying for the day for me. Launching and landing are often the most "fun" you can have on a flight.
For these flights I concentrated on just pushing back on the leading edges of the down tubes with my palms, holding the glider up with my shoulders only, keeping the glider on the ground by pushing (pulling) with my palms, rotating my hands in place after a few steps, and now pulling back with my finger tips to keep the glider on the ground.
I did this time after time getting my body, arms, shoulders, hands to experience again and again the proper position and actions that make for a safe and proper foot launch. As soon as I got airborne and flying I would release as what I wanted to accomplish was over and I wanted to get back to the launch as quickly as possible. I took three launches in a row before switching back and forth with Craigin.
As I wasn't any longer holding the glider down with the grapevine grip, but holding it in with the grapevine position of my wrists and arms, but my palms just pushing back on the down tubes, the glider would rise up on its own. I would keep it flying and me on the ground by pulling in with my arms (pushing back with my palms), but the glider was free to rise on its own until restricted by the hang strap, even the extra long hang strap of new Moyes Matrix Race harness . This harness allows for the replacement of the standard DHV length hang straps with hang straps of any length that you want.
