Tuesday, 4/7/2020 [Weather] and [Flight Articles] by [Logan]  [Chris Garcia] & [Sundowner]

Chris Garcia
Tuesday, 4/7/2020

Oat Mountain in Fillmore to Soule Park Golf Course in Ojai
Launch at 9:53, Land at 11:13 PDT / 19.3 miles SLOFD
Max Alt: 4360 Ft MSL / Min Alt: 1811 Ft MSL

Reference: [IGC Text Data File] and [Google Earth KMZ File] or [Ayvri Web Animation]

Article Submitted by Chris via email on 4/8/2020 for his 4/7/2020 flight

This was my first time launching Oat.  I had forecasted 2 days prior and it seemed like starting in Fillmore was a good call.  The forecast was all over the place though, and the morning of it was anyone's best guess as to when it would OD.  It was never a matter of if, but when.

This made it all the more apparent that getting past Santa Paula Peak, the Topas, and over Casitas Pass quickly was very important.  Truax, Logan and myself launched before 10AM.  I came in lowest of the 3 on San Cayetano Ridge.  I was able to make quick work of getting established, but I was immediately 2 thermals behind the boys.

Base was around 4300 for me and with Santa Paula Peak in the clouds.  I opted to stay out front and move quickly after a last ditch search for a climb at San Cayetano Peak that I never found.  Moving upwards of 60km/hr at points, I came into the West shoulder of Santa Paula Ridge and found a climb that drifted me over the Saint Thomas College to 4000 feet.  I then had enough for the next move to get to powerline height at Boyd's.

Moving quickly around Santa Paula Peak only worked because of the South influence, I think if there was less draw and a strong East to it, I would have been hammered coming around the corner at the school.

I felt rushed as I was trying to catch up with Truax and Logan to make life easier on myself and fly together.  It made me hastily move past Chiefs spine.  I flew up the spine and found nothing, though something was near as I searched momentarily.  At that point I lost all of my motivation moving out in front of Twin Peaks, one last climb and I was done.

Light West wind down low, East up high, clouds over the Sulphur Range and Ojai Valley, and totally dry over Nordhoff, I was confused and lacked decision making.  I opted to land at the Soule Park golf course in Ojai purely out of frustration and not caring anymore, I regret this, but if you aren't having fun, why are you in the air?  But training isn't always fun is it?  I wish I was able to stay a little more mentally tough during the flight as I hit Chief's spine in 1 hour, 29km.

Fun flight regardless and I feel I flew it as best I could up until Chiefs.

Ayvri: https://ayvri.com/scene/d9kdwynxj2/ck8qeljf100012z689hoj4ovm
post by Chris (slightly different posting description than paraglide.net link above)

Ayvri with Logan: https://ayvri.com/scene/z85qez0154/ck8qphtiz00013h6ei5cn4zqv

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