Saturday, 1/31/2015 [Weather] and [Flight Articles] by [gracecab] [OJ] & [Sundowner]
plus SD's Saturday [Photos] Google Earth [KMZ] file or [IGC] Data File / and NMERider [Photos]

Chris Ballmer  aka gracecab
Saturday, 1/31/2015

First trip to Cloudbase

Article Copied from: http://scpa.info/bb/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3143#p9333
Posted: by gracecab » Sun Feb 01, 2015 8:08 am

Yeah, it was a three emoticon day yesterday!

Many pilots both HG and PG came to play. (a well-behaved group of HGs from Sylmar, whom we saw at Padaro Grill afterwards).  Eagle van, and Peter R generously boosted and crewed; only sundowner needed a pickup from Lake Casitas (taking the back ridges East), etc, and Tahoe Eric ended up near Padaro too.  It was like a who's who of local pilotry, even Aaron had to get some with pneumonia still, loco esay... too many to name, but everyone except the Eagle tour in Columbia (so, no don't feel bad for them ... Maybe they can write up something for us to drool over?!

I won't attempt a description of the weather, might hurt myself, but mainly there were what looked like to me a fusion of a whispy foggy-like semi-defined affair out there all day, coming and going over the course of the day... It would be clearish, and peeps would launch away...then it would blank out for awhile... I know a whole vanful tried at EJ and had to wait a 'long' time to get off... anyway... it made it interesting, fun, and there was plenty of sun noon to soar. Low inversions, but also moving up and down it seemed.

Personal firsts: (I launched two times, first was a 15 min, second was 40) Both Skyport launch, and calm, buoyant landings at Parma LZ.

1. First twofer (most people except Tim B.(timaaay) i think had short flights, he found a happy place high over antenna farm in and out of cloudbase and just owned it... nice flying.. i think inspired us all to try again... lol)

2. First backward launch (just kidding, wanted to make sure you were reading... )

2. First sharing a pretty tight and persistent thermal with one other pilot between monastery ridge and parma somewhere...  It was totally fun, amazing, peaceful, up, and no fears I was having about flying so close with someone else, thanks Dirk, that was a great first for me).

3. First lowish save from around a ridge using speedbar. ur..good technique to know, eh.  AND this was the same first thermal with another PG right after that... so, lesson: never give up... you don't know what can happen from minute to minute up here.

4. First trading off between thermal trigger spots! This was hugely important in my evolution of flying, as it gives me the knowledge that i CAN get from one point to a different point, thermalling, and then staying in the next thermal.  I went from Skyport to HolyHills to Antenna farm with room to spare.  If I was more patient I could probably have got back to holyhills, but wanted to keep it a 'success' for now. ;-)

5. First flying with someone for any length of time.  Dave B. was my muse the second flight, and we toolied around together... which was more like, he watched where I went and 'herded me' around (his words)... lol.  So fun.  I caught one thermal and ended up OVER, way over him, which was amazing to experience...a first... then he ended up over the same trigger and went to the floors high above me... trading off...

6. First time reaching cloudbase.  Actually it was not even over launch altitude.. but it was still cloudbase ok... let's go with that.  Cool to look up... and see ... well... cloud.  Very easy type clouds, but I can see why you wouldn't want to get into something thick and no visibility...  I was on the edge of it and just flew out away from it... etc.

7. First truly in control, tight coring thermal.  I'm getting deeper in my coring turns which is getting much tighter circles, hence staying in up air longer and hence more options to travel to new and exciting places... i should probably do more pushups.

So, lots of firsts. Ended up home at 4... from 8am... long day but felt so good! More please.

Chris Ballmer
Ventura, CA

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