Bo Criss
Sunday, 9/25/11

Training Hill to Wilcox to Shoreline Park

Article copied from http://scpa.info/bb/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2320

Personal Best Training Hill flight
by Bo Criss » Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:41 pm

Conditions were good for a time at the training hill today. I launched around 1:45pm and immediately got a bubble in front of launch. I worked it enough as it drifted back over the top of the hill to set up for a top landing, but got a little lift as I was setting up for the landing. I continued in front a bit and caught the next batch which eventually took me pretty high. I could see the cruise ship that was stationed down by the harbor. I decided to take my altitude and cruise over to the Wilcox. I was kicking treetops when I got there and the wind was light, but I figured it was good for a few passes. The wind was light, but I could maintain. 10 passes across the face before I tempted the crossing to the west near the Boat House restaurant. It was pretty light, so I ran back to the main ridge and milked it for a few more passes. Then everything got buoyant and I gained a good amount of altitude. Not enough to go back to the Training Hill, but I was 50 feet over the tallest trees, so the adventure continued. I decided to run east and the glide was going well. The further I went the more the cliff bends to face east, so the lift ban got smaller. As I approached Shoreline Park, it felt like I had a bit of a tailwind and I considered pushing further and landing below. I know the the far end of the park on the east side has a significant bend in the cliff direction, so I figured my flight would be ending soon. I opted for landing in the middle of the park, right down the fairway. Lots of cheers on my landing from those bar-b-queing. Great place to fold a glider. Big thanks to Rob Sporrer for driving out to get me. Short but sweet XC. I pulled a similar flight back in 2003 crossing from the Training Hill to the cliff right as it turned on, but I didn't push for going further that time. Today was a bit of magic.

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