Marty Devietti
Wednesday, 6/10/2020

EJ to the Topa Bluffs and return to Parma
New Santa Barbara Out and Return Record for PGs

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

Article Copied from SBSA Telegram Chat
Posted by Marty at 1:19:58 on Thursday, 6/11/2020

Topa Topa, a name so nice, you say it twice!

Here is my two cents on yesterday with Carter:  It’s interesting how multiple flights over time can create a mosaic of overlapping information and experience.  The out and back to the Topas with Carter was his idea on a flight we shared at the nuthouse not long before.

Also, when Carter had his big out and back on the range crossing the 154 and back the day before our flight, it seemed more possible for our flight although the forecast wasn’t extraordinary for SB, it seemed good enough, especially if you were persistent and had the will of my wingman.  The Ojai forecast looked really nice.

We set up at Skyport thinking it would work, but it was still calm there and we reset to EJ Bowl.  This was a really important time saver in my mind looking back on it.  It was coming in nicely up-top, which was reflected on the sounding this day of being inverted low starting out.  Carter launched at around 10:40.  I followed a few minutes later closer to 10:50.  We were careful to stay high and not fall into the stable warmer layer below, and at the same time started moving with only moderate climbs on the way to Castle.

From there we got a little higher and crossed the power lines at 4200.  Just enough but not a lot.  As we got to White Ledge we both got nice climbs and it was feeling doable.  The wind seemed easterly even though it was forecast more southerly down low in the Ojai Valley.

As we crossed the 33 towards Nordhoff around 1pm, it was blowing more westerly while the smoke from some fires in Ventura was blowing offshore.  I was worried about a TFR for the fires but Carter was not deterred and made some calls to assure me we had no reason to consider turning back early. Amazing work Carter!

We got some good climbs at Nordhoff but it was slow getting up from low.  I was already thinking about how we were going to make it back through the significant west wind of up to 10mph at times.

Carter charged on a deep line to Chief’s Peak and I was a little lower and diverted to Stooges to play it safe.  I got a slow climb but Carter was well established and headed to the Topas ahead of me.  I finally topped out, but lower than him and headed to the terrain south of the repeater to finally get back in the game.  Carter loitered around at the Topas waiting for me while I got to over 8k (according to my instrument) above the repeater and called Carter back to the repeater as I made my move towards the Topas.  I felt like we had a lot of flying to do still and it was 2pm now.

We had an easy glide to Nordhoff from the repeater and the west intensified as we turned the corner to the south faces as is usual.  I looked on my instrument to where my previous climbs were to get up as quickly as I could and then started my diagonal push to the Southwest to stay clear of the Venturi where the 33 cuts the ridge where the Nuthouse is.

We had a nice glide across but the draw of the Venturi was still SSW, forcing us to stay on the southern points, drifting climbs to the Northeast.  Yet it allowed us to beat upward along to Bump One and Two.  Finally better climbs followed and we crossed right over the top of White Ledge at around 3pm.  The higher climbs gave us a nice tailwind out of the east, the problem was, we were about to stop getting nice climbs as we pushed west towards SB.

Coming back towards toward the power-lines, it was clear we were running out of sun.  Climbs were fewer, weaker and the west wind was light, but then.  Tom Truax came over the radio with vital wind reports suggesting now was the time, and that later would likely invite stronger west wind.

In the final glides I was worried about getting too low and tanked up just a few more turns here and there especially before transitions over valleys for added “insurance”.  It was important to me not to get stuck and burn up more daylight digging out or sinking out.  I squeaked into Montecito bowl lower than I thought I could dig out with and was aware that Carter was stuck even lower farther back.

It was about 4pm now, as I was able to pull up Parma on my Alpha Pilot and knew I had 11:1 glide to get there, with few climbs, light lift, late day sun, and increasing west wind possible.  I would need to climb and push a few more times.  I started picking LZ options that were in glide at this point, thanks to Arron’s Cracka Sauce videos, I was able to Identify vetted landing options quickly so that I could focus on staying in the game and pushing to Parma.  I had heard of pilots squeaking into Parma low along this path, and now it was my turn.  A lot of what was previously explained to me finally made sense.

I was willing to land short on the fire break below lowers when I caught my last climb below the Antenna Farm Ridge.  Whew!  Carter got a ride and I had just got to my car after packing when he arrived so I could shuttle him up to get his car.  Nice!

Thanks everyone for the great support!

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