Ron Faoro (The Spin Doctor)

Sunday, 2/19/06
Skyport, Cold Sunday

Sunday was better than Saturday.  But it's hard not to beat a scary sled ride to St. Mary's.  John Kloer, Bob Hurlbett and I decided we'd finally play it smart and not launch early in overdeveloped conditions.  Everything worked out according to plan.  The overdevelopment came in around 10 AM and not many people launched.  Those that did before noon had short flights.  OJ bailed due to the windy conditions.  Bob and I vacillated until we saw Taliban do moderately well and head to the beach.  We decided to drive up and got hailed on as we rounded the Bypass.  There were 11 pilots at launch.  Cycles were weak and far between.  But eventually everyone punched off, leaving Bob and I the place all to ourselves.

The snow had melted from Skyport and we set up side by side.  Since there was no house thermal today, we both launched at the same time.  Bob careened left with a speed bar problem.  I went straight out and hit a thermal in the middle of the canyon above the powerlines.  It drew me up and eastward in the moderately strong west wind.  Bob was getting up in the lift over the Thermal Factory and my thermal hooked into the big draw going up there.  I just rode it out as Bob left at cloudbase to go out front.  My thermal continued just as strong as ever - 600-700 feet per minute - until I passed 7,500 feet and started to ice up everywhere.  It's rare that I feel it necessary to give up a perfectly good thermal, but this was one of those times.

With my flight suit all coated with white and my risers iced up, I took an easterly course.  I popped out over Montecito Peak at over 7,000 feet with Bob a speck beneath me at the peak.  I fooled around for awhile in the beautiful face of the large, white cloud before making a line for Summerland.  Ground speed of 33 mph, water streaming off my risers, I joined Bob and we ridge soared above the park at Summerland Beach for 10 minutes before landing.  What a beautiful flight, all the backcountry decked out in snow!

[Chris Grantham's flight] [John Scott's flight] [Tony De Groot's Flight]