Thursday, 5/15/2014 [Weather] and [Flight Articles] by [Spin Dotor] [Cortfly] [Dizzy] & [Sundowner] [Photos]

Ron Faoro (The Spin Doctor)

Article copied from: http://scpa.info/bb/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3046#p9032
Posted by Faoro_Ron » Thu May 15, 2014 4:30 pm

Tom Truax called me last night and asked if I could fly today.  When Sundowner calls you and suggests it's going to be a good day to fly, it's best to listen.  I told him I couldn't go long XC with him but I definitely wanted to fly.  I have not flown for three months and therefore I'm very rusty.

Pam dropped SD off at my house at 8:30 and we sat around for awhile catching up.  Then we took my car up the hill and stopped at the Rock (nothing), the Bypass (blowing down) and got out at Skyport (a little stronger down) at ten AM.  Since it was too early to launch, we cruised up to La Cumbre Peak and sat at a table in the shade checking the reports.  By 10:30 we were getting little whiffs and waffles as the switch took hold.  Back down to Skyport and it was blowing in perfect.  Cort drove up while we fiddled with gear and Tom laid out after calling Aaron to give him the thumbs up.  All three of us were in the air (Cort helping me after my wing turned sideways on a blown launch) in 45 minutes and by the time I got to the R&R, Tom was nearing Painted Cave.  I expected more high pressure conditions, but it was smooth lift that got smoother the higher you went.  After such a long hiatus, I could not believe we were climbing out over 5,000 feet in shirtsleeves!

I flew around La Cumbre Peak for some time getting back the feel and Cort did circles around and above me.  There was abundant lift almost everywhere, especially deep on the back ridge behind the Thermal Factory.  5K anywhere you wanted it.  Cort left to do a flyby over town and I passed high over Stearn's Wharf and the harbor.  Aaron joined us at East Beach and Cort's son, Tom, boosted us back to retrieve the vehicles.

I watched Sundowner head eastbound downrange and called him at 4:30, about 25 minutes after he landed beyond Santa Paula.  Just the usual for him...

About one and a half hours.

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