Pilot Stories & Interviews

Follow up:

Sure as the buzzards return to the Arizona northland, good soaring is not far behind. The Thermal Flyer (TF) caught-up to Cottonwood resident Tim Costello to obtain this TF exclusive interview.

Thermal Flyer: Give us a little background on yourself and your flying.

Tim Costello: I started hang gliding 19 seasons ago. I lived in Phoenix at the time. My formative flying was at the Craters. Russ Gelfan was teaching there at the time. He mentored me even though I was not a paying student. Kevin McClure gave me my H-4 while I was active flying Oatman in the late eighties. Eleven years ago, I landed a job in Cottonwood and now I fly Mingus most of the time. I consider myself a recreation pilot.

Thermal Flyer: Last season you flew a Falcon. What led up your decision to head down this path?

Tim Costello: It started with reading the Pete Lehman articles in the Hang Gliding magazine. He is a big time comp-pilot that decided to kickback and fly for fun on a Falcon 195. Its clear Pete was having fun with less stress and turning in some impressive X-C flights to boot. I was intrigued. I started to note flights in my logbook in which I felt a Falcon would have been an advantage over my small Sport AT. I found 50 percent of my flights to be good Falcon material. These flights typically involved light conditions either early or late in the season. Then I had my epiphany as Pete Lehman describes in his article. I blew a launch at Apache Maid and hammered my Wills Wing Sport. I was completely unscathed but had an immediate need for a glider. I got a Falcon 195.

Thermal Flyer: How do you like it?

Tim Costello: The Falcon is a lot of fun. It sure isn't fast but it captures the simple joy of personal flight so well. It takes me back to my very early days in the sport in New York. I flew a 1981 UP Firefly. When I bought the Firefly in 1982, it was crispy new with about 2 hours on it. Everyone flew single surface gliders at that time. The fun-factor was high.

Thermal Flyer: From the perspective of an advanced pilot, does the Falcon have any advantages compared to modern double surface ships?

Tim Costello: Yeah. It has some clear advantages over modern blade wings. To start with, at only 45 pounds for 195 square feet, it's easy to lug around. Launching is amazingly easy. Landings are truly kid-stuff. Handling is so straightforward, it's easy to work in close and exploit the small stuff.

Of course, there are performance downsides. X-C is more challenging. The usable speed range is tiny. The glide ratio is pretty weak compared to modern double surface wings. They are also not appropriate for windy conditions.

But after owning only one glider for so long, what's really nice is having a choice of wings, a big floater for the light days and a small double surface for more crank-it-up conditions.

Thermal Flyer: I know you are a frequent flyer at Mingus. Ever get bored with the same old site?

Tim Costello: I may have muttered that once. Then the site was closed in 1996 due to extreme fire danger. I had to put in serious windshield time to get to flying sites. I vowed never to mutter that again. Mingus is a great site for local flying and X-C. I do a lot of local flying because I rarely have a driver. Admittedly, my X-C attempts with the Falcon last year would be best described as "local".

Thermal Flyer: Living below Mingus has got to be great!

Tim Costello: Actually, it is great! I especially like the 45 minute drive to a world-class launch on a world class mountain. However, it's a curse when I'm not flying. I have to endure seeing my compadres core-out and glide high overhead all to often.

Thermal Flyer: Do you have any secrets for predicting the day's conditions at Mingus?

Tim Costello: From living in Cottonwood, I have found that northern AZ is much windier than Phoenix. Looking outside in Phoenix, prior to departing for Mingus, is practically useless. Mingus is generally a lee-side site. At nearly 8000 MSL, it is very high compared to Phoenix. The strength and direction of the winds aloft is a great indicator for the conditions at Mingus. The Prescott Flight Service Station (1 800 992 7433) has great info. Their Weather Product No. 18 gives forecasted winds in the Prescott area for 9000 feet and 12,000 feet. These two wind values are great predictors of whether Mingus will be blowout, blow down early or be launchable all day. Winds in the low 20's at 9000 feet are OK. The afternoon blow down will likely occur. Winds at 30 or more indicate blown-out conditions. If you fly a Falcon, its very important to know these numbers. A Falcon will have trouble penetrating in winds over 20 MPH. I also use the Flagstaff National Weather Service Web page. It's a great general discussion of the weather conditions.

Thermal Flyer: Got any safety tips for us as the season gets going?

Tim Costello: Yeah. Don't get a big head. it has a way of humbling you in this sport. Be realistic with your assessment of conditions and your skills. Don't hesitate to choose to fly a glider below your skill level. Fly safe --- have fun.