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Flight Articles from Thursday, 3/30/06 (in order of posting time stamp)
[Andy Palmer] [Kabir Cardenas] [Greg Brown] [Bob Anderson]

Greg Brown (aka Pokie)
Thursday 3/30/06

March Madness

What a day!  It started out looking too wet, with cloudbase at about 2,500 feet.  I met Jim Wikstrom, Tony the Tiger, Hammer, and Andy Palmer at Parma.  Eventually we were joined on launch by Terry Taggart.  I think that we all thought that it was going to be a really low day, with light lift out front.  To cut to the chase, the lift started out strong, and soon got about as strong as anything I've experienced in Santa Barbara.  My vario was showing as much as 1,600 feet per min. plus during peak heating!!

Eventually base lifted to 4k, enabling us to take the E ticket ride up another few floors.  All points were working like clockwork.  Glides were flawless for the most part too. It was blowing SE in the morning, and then a SSW came through a little after noon.  I think it converged and moved east gradually.

I flew to the VOR and then headed back.  From there I made my way down to the Castle, went a little further, and peeled off to the hot dog stand.  Yee hah!  From the VOR to Castle, the lift was enormous, and the glides were darn near zero sink!  Abundant lift in the middle of canyons at times!  (Thankfully, I never found the sink.)

Hammer flew to Santa Ynes Peak, then down to Romero, then back to the fishbowl and out to the training hill. Nice!

Terry flew down to Romero (or further?), then came back, shot to Santa Ynes Peak, jumped over the back, ending up at the Santa Ynes airport. Shweet!

Cougie was lurking, and as soon as he could sneak away, he joined the party, making the most of it as always.  He made it to Painted Cave, then down to Romero and back, all in record time. I'll take it! What can I say...what a day!