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| [Eagle Paragliding] 9/2022 Pine XC Clinic [Overview] [Fri 9/2] [Sat 9/3] [Sun 9/4] |
| view or download Photos and Video from [Google Drive] |
Summary for the 2022
Eagle Pine XC Clinc
held over labor day weekend of
Friday 9/2 through
Sunday 9/4
The weather was robust with a strong high-pressure compression driven lapse rate which equates to strong climbs but also heavy sink (what goes up must come down?) and some sharp edges in places. There was some monsoonal moisture, to the East on Friday and Saturday but pushed more to the west on Sunday. Typical summertime onshore flow form the SW down low, but up higher there was increasing wind from the east which prevented open distance eastbound. The upper level east wind clocked around through the weekend with more of a NNE on Thursday shifting to SE flow by Sunday. To the west there was stiff NW wind at the medium and lower altitudes. Pine was somewhat the divide between the mid level NW flow to the west and East flow to the east, but the divide was not stationary and fluxed. The NW was more dominant on Friday. Saturday and Sunday the east was dominant mid-day but the NW pushed through later in the day. Cloudbase was high but lowering through the period. Chris Gulden got over 17K on Thursday but by late Sunday cloudbase was down to about 13K.
We flew 2 rounds each day. One mid-day flight and one later day flight. We did 3 flights from Chiefs and 3 from Pine (2 from the south launch and 1 from the 5650 north launch). All the participants flew each day, but everyone did not fly every round. Everyone did fly the Sunday mid-day round from Chiefs with 11 pilots airborne (getting over 9K).
The individual pilot info and flights are archived in the [Paraglide.net/amigo.index]
The Eagle Clients were:
Mike Perrin is a new-ish P2 pilot who had 30 hours airtime at the start of the clinic. Mike began his Eagle training in February and earned his P2 in March. Mike flew 5 of the 6 rounds over 3 days with mid-day flights from Chiefs and Pine South Side, plus later day flight from Pine NS and Chiefs. His clinic flights are archived in [Mike's flight archive index] under , but we are still waiting on Mike's IGC because he needs to figure out how to get them off his new Flytec Volirium flight instrument. Mike is somewhat of a traveler based out of Castiac and will likely camp frequently along our local South Coast this winter season? Mike is in his early 60s with 4 children and 10 grand children. Mike is an electrical engineer by schooling and works for a bio-medical company directing their compliance department.
Arthur Wu is a new-ish P2 Eagle pilot who had 5 high flights to the start of the weekend. Arthur flew the mid-day round each day with flights from Pine SS and 2 flights from Chiefs. He didn't have any instruments until the 3rd day, but still managed to get high at Pine on Saturday before pulling a glide to the back side of to somewhere in Matilija Canyon near the Murietta Trail. We have a track for Arthur's 3rd day (from Chiefs) archived in [Arthur's flight archive index]. Arthur is a mechanical engineer living in Long Beach with his wife Therisa Chiu. He teaches part time at the Long Beach city college and directs his own company designing and producing "travel accessories".
Kayoko Gray is a P4 pilot who has been flying paragliders for 14 years with about 500 hours. Kayoko flew all 3 days for a total of 4 flights over the weekend, including mid-day flights from Chiefs and Pine, plus a late day flight from Chiefs, landing on green grass football fields on all 4 flights. All 4 of Kayoko's clinic flights are archived in [Kayoko's flight archive index]. Kayoko works for Microsoft near Seattle WA and lives with her life partner. Common (accepted but not accurate) English pronunciation is Coco.
Arya Tafvizi is a P2 pilot who had 30 hours at the start of the weekend plus an SIV with Dilan Benedetti. Arya's weekend flights are archived in [Arya's flight archive index] but we currently only have an IGC file for his flight from Pine SS to Ventura. Arya had flights from Pine SS, Pine NS, and Chiefs, almost reaching the beach on his final Sunday flight (from Pine SS in front of towering and dumping development). Arya works for Google in the Bay area. English pronunciation is "Area" but with a leading "R", not an "A".
Francois Appere is a P2 pilot from France with some hike and fly experience. He started the clinic with 33 hours airtime. He had 5 flights during the clinic including mid-day flights from Chiefs and Pine SS, plus later day flights from Chiefs and Pine NS. Some of Francois's flights are listed under [Francois's flight log index]. Francois is a mechanical engineer and works as a manager for a large global company based in the Netherlands.
Stef Henderson had to work of Friday but joined us on Saturday and Sunday, logging some impressive flights archived in [Stef's flight archive index].
Luise Gleason was our designated driver, ground crew, and communication coordinator. Luise was also able to get airborne with a late day flight from Chiefs on Friday and a mid-day flight from Chiefs to Nordhoff on Sunday. Luise's clinic flights are archived in [Luise's flight archive index].
Austin Cantrell was our Eagle Instructor providing launch assistance and guidance plus driving the van on the uphill legs. Austin had a mid-day flights from Chiefs on Friday and Sunday. Don't have Austin's IGC files (yet?) but his clinic flights are archived in [Austin's flight archive index].
Randy Liggett (aka Mystery Man) was a clinic guest billed as the 1st pilot (or one of the first?) to start flying paragliders on our South Coast back in 1989. Randy was my PG instructor when I started paragliding in 1992. He has taught for a number of schools across the US and worked as a guide on international PG tours in Europe. Randy flew all 3 days including a late day flight from Chiefs on Friday, a mid-day flight from Pine SS to Nordhoff on Saturday, and a mid-day Sunday flight from Chiefs to the Topa Bluffs and back to Nordhoff HS. Randy also provide ground crew (Jimmy Bean) for Sunday. Randy's clinic flights are archived in [Randy's flight archive index], but we won't like get Randy's IGC files because he is old school and doesn't know how to get them off his Flytec navITer flight instrument?
Chris Gulden joined us on Sunday as an example of a local advancing Eagle pilot and apprentice instructor. Chris had a recent 115 mile flight from Pine on 8/23 and climbed above 17K from Pine on the Thursday, the day before the start of our clinic On Sunday Chris flew from Chiefs westbound over Casitas Pass to land by his vehicle parked at Viola Field (the beach) in Carpinteria. Some of Chris's flights including his clinic flight on Sunday are archive in [Chris's flight archive index].
Tony Deleo (aka Diablo) made guest appearance at Pine on Saturday. Diablo started flying hang gliders in the 70s and is currently retired from active flying, but he still holds the current Pine Mountain Open Distance record with his [139 mile flight from Pine SS to Trona on 8/28/1999], which was the US foot launched open distance record at the time. Tony has also flown sailplanes and holds the many of the current hang gliding records with more +200 miles flights than any other local pilot. A few of Diablo's flights are archived in [Tony's flight archive index]
We also need to thank Jimmy Bean for crewing on the Sunday mid-day flight from Chiefs. The Eagle van took 11 pilots (12 bodies) to launch at Chiefs on Sunday...
I (Tom Truax) was the clinic "guide". I flew all rounds all 3 days plus a bonus round on Sunday for a total of 7 flights.
I suspect everyone "grew" as pilots, logging personal best in various categories like altitude, distance, duration, glides, turbulence, smooth air, and ambience... We had to contend with record hot weather, which was a multi-edged sword. Our group absorbed a few scratches plus some wear, but we all returned home without broken parts or equipment damage.
Our stated objectives at the first day pilot meeting were (in order of priority):
The Eagle crew acted as service providers and strived to facilitate, guide, and enable potential for a positive experience.
archive in process... but mostly complete. We still expect to add a few IGC files and some more video from Randy. The archive is structure with this clinic overview page, and seperate archives for each day which include both the weather, summary, and links the individual flights. We encourage pilots to submit (share) narratives about there personal mindset, perceptions, emotions, decisions, and experience, but to date no one has?
Note that there are also links to photos and video in the headers...
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