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Jeff Longcor
Sunday, 12/12/2021

EJ to Painted Cave to the Franklin Parkway (a couple miles short of I-5)

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

Leg 1: EJ to Painted Cave / 5.1 miles
|Leg 2: Painted Cave to Franklin Parkway / 66.2 miles SLOFD

Narrative submitted via the SBSA telegram DM on Sunday 12/19/2021
Flight report for 12/12/21. Not sure if it'll add up to more or less points than my previous LFSD entry:
(editor's note / no article for Jeff's 1/24/2021 flight from the Skport to No Name to I-5 which would have scored 65 LFSD points)

May have tied my longest SB flight.  Flew with joy on a wing I could trust, the previous day I had been flying that was out of trim and frequently collapsed.  Cycles and wind coming in nicely at EJ around 1030.  I foot dragged off launch, did wingers in lift at La Cumbre until above the peak and then floated to VOR where I climbed with Austin Cox.  I felt great and had some fun diving over launch, briefly considering top landing when I saw Cedar approaching and decided it was time to start making distance. Flew to painted cave then raced downrange w/ Cedar and Carter ahead.  The wind was light and everything was working, especially out front like the tit, the grassy knoll in front of thermal factory, the Noon knuckle, and the SW spine of white ledge.  Ojai was working well to 5k.  I pushed ahead solo, flying the front points to Santa Paula Peak with 5 mph SW tailwind.  I considered going to Oat and taking a deep line which may have worked well given the light upriver wind.  Caught some light climbs drifting from Filmore F into Piru.  A few birds helped me make a low save on the far side of Piru.  I crested the final mountain before the I-5 and reached 3,200ft, which felt like more than enough to make the junction.  Unfortunately my glide was not great, even while going downwind, and I was a bit indecisive, considering a rock spine to the North vs the final ridge to the E.  I opted to continue East and connected low with the ridge along the highway, not getting any lift and landing at the base, about a mile short of the I-5.  I think this basically ties my longest distance flight in SB and my previous LFSD entry.  I really wanted to reach the junction or further, but I didn't quite make it work, lots to think about next time.  I'm definitely becoming fascinated by the terrain beyond Ojai.  There are many shallow and windy areas full of powerlines, which gets the attention and demands more exploration.  After landing, I watched birds climb out nearby, perhaps I just arrived too low with poor timing, looking forward to next time!

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