Dylan Laughlin
Sunday, 3/8/2020

Skyport to Fillmore

Reference: [IGC Text Data File] and [Google Earth KMZ File] or [Ayvri Web Animation] and [JPG Overview]
44.9 miles SLOFD (Straight Line Over-Flown Distance) / personal longest flight to date
Dylan's 2nd flight of the day
Launch from the Skyport (Santa Barbara) at 1:12 PDT
Land at San Cayetano Elementary School in Fillmore at 4:31 PDT

Article Submitted by Dylan via email on 3/16/2020 commenting about his 2nd flight on 2/8/2020

Cycles were stronger than on round 1.  Willy launched Eliminator and showed great lift above Skyport by doing wingovers and climbing out.  Misha launched with a bit of a pluck, and climbed above launch no problem.  I launched in a strong but dying cycle, and did not climb in the house thermal.  First climb was in the same spot as before, the power lines next to AF.  By the first climb I could tell the wind would not be as mellow, and the climbs would be easier to find.

Misha and I planned on an out and back, and booked it East.  We were finding climbs all over, and leaving them to glide around 4000.  There was some dirty air at Noon Peak that I left for safety.  Was getting worried about altitude as I arrived West Divide with 3500.  It was getting committal since there were fewer LZs and terrain had gotten shallower.  Thankfully Carter Crow (who had landed out nearby and re-launched) showed me where the climb was.

I left White Ledge with 4700 and found no lift.  Misha was much higher above me.  I had resigned to landing in Ojai, put music on and taken gloves off.  Angela texted me she was on retrieve!  I found a climb out of dumb luck on the way to the Nordhoff High School LZ, which took me from 2500 to 5300!  I told Misha we should continue to Santa Paula.

The foothills of Ojai were a little shaded, and I began gliding longer, and finding weaker climbs.  Misha remained high above me, mostly more over the valley than the foothills where I was.  I glided to 3400 (low AGL) and said "I need a climb soon or I'll be landing," and started climbing to 4600 near the Boyd's trigger.  Still a bit low for our next move to Santa Paula.  Misha recommended looking for lift above a college with orange roofs (Saint Thomas), and it took some time, but I slowly climbed all the way up that spine to the top of Santa Paula Peak, about 5200 and followed him to Fillmore.  This was the most turbulent part of the flight, and I had to handle lots of surges and small deflations.  There were not many clouds on our side of the valley, so Misha planned to attempt a valley crossing if we topped out, continue on our side, or land in Fillmore.  We were satisfied and landed in an elementary school where Angela showed up 5 minutes later!

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