[Amigo] > [Dean's flight index]
Dean Stratton
Saturday, 2/26/05
Skyport x2
to Parma & the Training Hill
Today was too much fun!
I got in two flights for a total of 3 1/2 hours. Usually that would
make me crazy to spend that much time in the air without going XC, however,
today was buoyant enough to make finding and staying in lift effortless.
My first flight put me in the air around 10:45 and OJ, Mike and I spent most of our time over the Antenna Farm, Parkers and the Holy hills boating between 2600-3600. Cloud base wasn't giving up very much more than that and I don't think any of us were too excited about playing a game of Marco Polo paragliding. Pipkin made a play for the training hill and that determined my next move. There were plenty of low level cumis extending approx. half way to the training hill so I decided to make a run below cloud base using the cumi monkey bars. Got up over Parma nicely and headed South but that was the last good lift I found forcing me to run back to Parma. Pipkin came in easily to the training hill with 1500 ft. to spare and that’s all we needed to hear. Brendan, OJ and I had no choice but to boost back up to launch and make an effort to steal Pipkins trophy and pee on his parade. See what good friends we are…
About the time we got back to launch radio chatter confirmed that Ron Faoro, Jim Maddox and Doug Gotthard made the training hill as well. The game was afoot and I set up in record time. Off to the side of launch I heard some muttering from a couple of the fresh P2’s that Marty had brought up. Sarcastically, one of them said to the other, “What’s the big hurry”. I had to laugh knowing that I probably said the same thing when I was new to the game. Off launch around 1 and I ran the Antenna Farm, Parker, Antenna Farm and Power Line route benching back up over the Thermal Factory. Cruised back over launch at 4k and climbed back up over the R&R. Pipkin and Faoro announced they were re-launching so I bounced around the area until Pipkin arrived. With Pipkin in tow I took aim at Cathedral and we were off. Faoro was close behind and the goal was the Training Hill. Pipkin and I climbed easily near Cathedral and at 5100 I made my run to the hill. I had a fairly decent glide and I was even able to pick up an extra 700 along the way. I came in to the hill with 1500 to spare and found plenty of lift. Pipkin showed up soon after and we both played over the Training Hill boating between 1-2k for at least 20 minutes before we decided to land. As buoyant as the air was I imagine we could’ve stayed up at least another hour over the hill. A few minutes later Faoro came cruising in to cap off the day. He came up a little short but definitely within the goal cylinder. Today was more fun than shooting fish in a barrel! (must be said while wearing loose overalls, plaid shirt, a straw hat, bare foot and spittin’ tobacco)
Congrats to Pipkin and Faoro for making the Training Hill twice in one day. Does anyone know if that’s been done before? Could this be a new site record?