Friday, 5/3/13 [Weather] and [Flight Articles] by [Tom Pipkin] [Ron Faoro] & [Sundowner]

Ron Faoro (The Spin Doctor)
Friday, 5/3/13

Chiefs Peak to Power Line Ridge to Nordhoff High School

Article copied from http://scpa.info/bb/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2811#p8456

Two For One In Ojai
Posted by Faoro_Ron » Sat May 04, 2013 6:23 am

Fly Above All took a dozen pilots (thanks to Matt for riding in the back with gear) up to the aerial rodeo grounds in Ojai to harness the high pressure and ride the bronco 30 degree spread. We had a hot spring day with moderate haze, scuds to the west and south and a view of the big fire burning from Newbury Park to the coast near Point Mugu. Sundowner and I rode up top on the packs from the gate in Rose Valley to launch, a good place to get a feel for the day. The howling NE wind of the day before had disappeared and it was blowing in fairly stiff at Chief Peak when we pulled up at 10:30 AM. We had a lot of newer pilots with some old Topas including Tom Pipkin and Tom Truax.

We were in the air starting at 11. No day for picture taking; the thermals got all your attention. It was a lot smoother above 6K; I rode the first big lift up to 7,700 feet southwest of the Chief and did the back ridge glide to Nordhoff Peak. As he would do all day, Tom Pipkin floated past me low out front and then the next time I looked, he was higher than me a mile ahead. Left Nordhoff westbound with 6,600 and pulled a good glide with the 10 mph east tailwind straight across to Bump One, arriving with 5K. Nothing there. Slid into Bump Two just below the top and there was still nothing moving. Meanwhile, Tom Pipkin is calmly sliding by me even lower out front. I turned down the ridge and finally located lift at 3,200 feet, the last knob on the Bump Two spine. Got back up over the top and started my erratic way across the back behind White Ledge. Everyone else got up into the 7K range, but I consistently topped out at 6,400 and had to creep to the next peak. I have my sink alarm set at 1,000, so it seldom goes off. It went off nine times on Friday - for long periods each time. I hate that sound.

Tom Pipkin did far better out front. He was a thousand higher and I watched him score a big one at the powerlines while I struggled from Divide Peak to the top of Noon Peak in the developing west wind. I crossed the powerlines low enough to make my ass tingle from electron juice. Suddenly, all the lift and fun disappeared and I whipped back and forth in small thermals and a 10 mph headwind on the next two ridges. Tom P. was a couple of miles ahead. After struggling for twenty minutes, I radioed that I was heading out to the beach. Sundowner (and Travis) had caught up right behind the powerlines and Tom suggested we turn around. Right then, while I was only 50 feet above the terrain, my wing tilted back 30 degrees and I started to be pulled straight backwards in an easterly direction. It was the biggest thermal draw I have ever experienced. It was flat on the ground; I could see the bushes thrashing wildly. Cleared the first ridge with only 20 feet to spare. Going backwards directly toward electrical mayhem only 200 yards away had me rethinking my attraction to the sport and my insufficient expertise. Finally, we got to the lift part of all that draw. I shot up and over the towers and continued in the same thermal back toward Noon, where Tom Truax and Davis were skying out. The decision on which way to go became much clearer.

While Tom Pipkin left Romero to land on the beach, the other three of us had an easy cruise back to Ojai with the 10 mph west tailwind. Rocketed up the front of White Ledge and had a glide to the Nuthouse in the bag. Things were even dicier now in the valley. Ballistic missile lift and massive sink side by side with lots of wind to make it even spicier. Thankfully, my wing flew better than I did. I had my hat handed to me behind the Pyramid and then almost got pinned between Nordhoff Peak and the front ridge. I was done. Three hours of being tense was enough. Sundowner continued eastbound. I drifted out over the valley only to find thermals of 600-1,000 fpm up. It was going off everywhere. After flying 20 minutes - even hands off - I was 700 feet higher than when I arrived over the LZ. Any other day, this abundant lift might have been considered a miracle.

Had some pizza in Ojai with Mark, Pierre, Travis, Chris Grantham and Tom Pipkin. Then the call came in to go pick up Sundowner in Fillmore.

Three hours forty minutes.Faoro_Ron
 

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