The Day started off rather hopeless, conditions deteriorated after I got there. Wind was light and switching, there were large pockets of sink and the cloud deck was lowering. However it all turned around after 2:30pm The wind strengthened and straightened out and was perfect for flying Tandem. A weak wave formed up over Westlake a couple of miles to the south, we headed down there, knowing the chances of making it back to top land were slim. No big deal its a short climb and worth it. Our glory was sitting there on the wave cloud right behind us in the buttery smooth air. Charlie was flying around us with a big grin on his face. My thoroughly spoiled student got to fly for about 8 mins in the fresh Autumn air. We even made it back high enough to land on top.
Also in the news today was the Good Morning Americ ABC news clip put together from footage in Big Spring Texas. Niels Dachler did a great job of weaving the footage together into interesting segment. Check it out :)
Outstanding hospitality curtousey of the Mother Lode Sky Riders this passed weekend. There were more pilots and people than I remember in recent history. The club does this twice a year with an open invite hosting a number of different skill testing competitions. Speed gliding, spot landing, pylon course, Cross country and the infamous "WHACK" award. I was pleased to see considerable entusiasm for all catagories, Whack - no exception, thankfully no-one was hurt. I overheard someone say "I tried not to yell "WHACK" but all of a sudden I was overcome, just couldn't keep it in me". The club also BBQ's for all the pilots, which in turn creates an awesome social environment at the end of the day. It is great to see this event going from strength to strength over the years. It creates a perfect scene for the new pilots to meet different clubs. The club deserves a whole hearted thank you from all of us visitors. Especially Dan, Jay, Brian, well heck all of those guys. A highlight for me this weekend was the speed gliding event. I put in a good time on the speedgliding course. Brian had the fastest time (and a new course record), but since he made the prizes and "has too much practise" I was given 1st place. Well Brian watch out! Now you've guilted me into justifying the title, I'll be back and faster! Heh Heh Heh. Here is the video from Carmela. Thanks Carm :) I was able to take a couple of excited students up for a tandem flight. From the size of Crystal and Lise's smiles I'd say they had a good time. Carmela also made a nice video of the general event. Some more footage from a different angle.
Another fun day at Marina Beach. I missed yesterday, having some work to do. Today though, the wind blew straight in for a good 6 hours. Trey was there tearing it up. Donny has a new helmet, and looks like he is flying even faster. I took his girlfriend (Terry) up for a couple of flights and flew 4 miles down the beach, and came back too ! Which is good, 4 miles would be a long way to walk with a 230 sq foot sail in a 15mph breeze.Trey shot some video, of us flying full sail flap down to sand city and back. Interesting to see a slider landing from above on video. The wing completely yaws around from mostly downwind into wind - no flare obviously.
What a great time, and a pleasure to share is with many of the great friends I fly with at home. A huge thanks to Wendy, Christina and Bill, that put up with our babblings on the radio and then came and reteived us from hot dusty fields. Kraig won many of the days in the meet and took first, Robin placed consistently and took second, Derreck flew great and took third. It was 110'F in Palm Springs on the way home. Now 55'F at my house! Time to get to work.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Apparently I flew with a crack in my downtube today. Err Brazilian I beleive... The day seemed to be really booming and I raced to the first turnpoint and half way to the second. Then I went right of the dropzone for Eloy. It is an Skydiving airport - one of the busiest in country, on a saturday to boot. I went wide and sank into the soft farmland. I had almost given up. but held on for some weak climbs. I was 5kms from the turn point. One hour later I was still 5km from the turnpoint but now downwind in the desert and way off courseline. I was starting to lose hope. Yet I could not give up. Eventually I tagged the second waypoint and went on glide for a landing. Star of the Day Brian came in and landed right next to me. He is star of the day because Mother nature swatted him yesterday, and with some great WW help expoxied his glider back together and had a great flight.
Flying with my old bobblehead team mate Bruce, we struggled our way along the course. Landing just short of goal. I think we both could have made it if I hadn't left that last thermal. It was still going up at 75 feet/min. We only needed another 1200 feet to make it in. I figured I would find something better in 16km, nope. It was a mistake that cost 300 points or so. Batten fixing for the last day. Last day today, fingers crossed.
Task 3 yesterday was really fun. Its the first time, I've been able to almost keep up with the lead gaggle - although I didn't realize it was the lead gaggle at the time. It was a short task, so a good start was going to be critical. We were not in a good position for the first start and actually started to sink out, so I started to head back to the tow paddock. At the northern racetrack I ran into 400up and stuck with it to 7200ft. James joined me and we took the second start. It was a long glide to the first thermal and I even had to backtrack a bit, putting me at the bottom of the stack. The climbs improved with altitude, so I stayed a bit after Kraig and the top guys took of just to match their altitude. A gaggle formed up ahead ahead I joined at the bottom and found a better 1300ft/min climb a little upwind. This caught me up to them. From there we just needed one more climb to get to goal. It was quite a race. From the last thermal I waited for 8:1 as the ground is almost all 7 foot tall cactus on the way to goal. I raced off and caught Robin and Phil. A really fun fast glide.
A little later Wayne made it into goal, his first I think. The first goal smile lasts a while - it is a defining moment. Arizona has retired military jet everywhere - probably because the climate is good to them. Gila bend airfield was no exception.
Task and Results I made a big mistake pinning off early yesterday, thinking I could climb out myself. I went down and had to re-light. The second attempt the air had softened significantly. Chris, Alex, Wayne, Scott and D.Dave all struggled like crazy getting out of the start circle. I got to 3300ft, actually back to what I pinned off at the second time, and decided to leave to get to a better air. I was down to 500feet just inside the start circle, when I felt the bumps. Taletell signs of a thermal over the quarry I was hoping would produce. I got up through the 3300ft inversion and went on my jolly way.Picacho peak below. The others caught me at the 2nd turnpoint, having climbed to 10k in a ripper somewhere. From there it was pretty straight forward to goal. Chris did exceptionally well getting out of the start circle. Here is a big solar power plant, rows of mirrors focused on water pipes. Steam to turbines.<Brian had a great flight too. Pinal Air Park - where planes can take a nap. Came in to goal late, but no surprize since I was 1/2 hour after the last start clock. Good flight anyway.
Yesterday was a fun first day. The conditions were a bit soft, and the day a little short. Here is the task at 111 km. The team members that performed best were Wendy and Christina, thanks guys :) Wendy found me before I'd had a chance to even get my phone out. She'd been keeping an eye on us from the ground. An almost impssible task. I made several misjudgments that slowed my up yesterday. Overshot the start cylinder a few hundred meters, had to go back to the first turnpoint, as I wasn't sure I got it the first time. Most importantly after the last turnpoint there was a choice of go wide around the dry area to goal, or go straight. The pilots that made it went around to the south. I chose straight, and had a bouyant glide to this cow...
The wind strengthened and straightened out and was perfect for flying Tandem. 
A weak wave formed up over Westlake a couple of miles to the south, we headed down there, knowing the chances of making it back to top land were slim. No big deal its a short climb and worth it. 
Our glory was sitting there on the wave cloud right behind us in the buttery smooth air. Charlie was flying around us with a big grin on his face. 
My thoroughly spoiled student got to fly for about 8 mins in the fresh Autumn air. We even made it back high enough to land on top. 
