Tony Deleo (El Diablo)
Thursday, 8/14/2008 (need to confirm the exact date, copied from 8/15 post)

Pine SS launch to White Mountain Rance (Owens Valley)

ATOS / Ridgid Wing Hang Glider
8-1/4 hours  /  212.5 miles

Article copied from
http://scpa.info/bb/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1010
posted by Tony on 8/15/2020

Clouds were forming on Abel and Pinos at 10:00 and they appeared to have southeast in them.  The clouds were drifting out of the south east at what I estimated to be 20 m.p.h.  As it turned out the southeasterly wind was 15 m.p.h. I had concerns that I might not be able to slug it up wind with this much wind to Tehacapi. Taking off a 11:45 and flying around the Southside for nearly an hour I took a thermal over the back with a southeasterly drift to the nearest cloud forming above the intersection of Lockwood Valley Road and Highway 33.

At 10k and with the the area from Lockwood Valley Road north shaded in I went on glide to Mount Abel and the "shear" line climbing to 11k and heading eastward over Pinos underneath the bottoms of the clouds 12300.  The "shear" line extended east to west over Cuddy Valley and Frazier Park.  I did not like this setup due the fact that I would have to fly straight up wind to the Antelope Valley.  My feelings were that I would be fortunate to make the Cement Plant in The Antelope Valley leaving with this altitude.  I opted at this point to fly upwind over Frazier Mtn. and leave from the southeast side of same. This would have put me further up wind and would have left me with a quartering headwind on to The Tehacapi's.

Turning to the southeast I was immediately draw into the clouds in strong lift.  I was being sucked into the clouds in smooth lift at 2000' per minute lift.  Knowing that there was very little I could do I radioed Eddie to keep him posted.  I immediately located my parachute handle feeling that tumbling or some or accident was imminent.  Neither occurred immediately so I began to try different things.  The first thing I did was to give the glider more flaps which had the effect of slowing the glider down and stabilizing it.  All the while Eddie was getting the play by play.  At times it would feel that the glider's nose was falling and that the tail was going to come over head and the glider would tumble end over end.  At other times the glider felt like it was either flat spinning or was in a diving turn.  I would feel the G loading and felt surely that the glider was going to blow up.  I concentrated on keeping the control bar level and would position myself in such a manner that the wings would be at an attitude that I perceived level.  During this process I was trying to fly into the wind which minimized my speed and let me know that if I flew this heading that I would fly out of the cloud.  All the while I was giving Eddie a status report.  At 17,500 the clouds above me began to lighten.  Iit was at this point that it began to hail and my gear, myself, and the glider began to "Ice-Up".  The hail I took as a good sign, not really thinking about the negative effect of the ice on the glider.

Fortunately I was flying with oxygen-I think the oxygen went along way towards keeping me warm and collected.  The glider felt like its flying characteristics were being altered.  The glider felt like it was more "mushing" and floating downward.  With the hail and ice came the sink  I was now descending at 600-800 per minute.  The next thing I know a hole opens up and there is the ground with me being in basically the same area where I entered the cloud.  According to Eddie I was in the clouds for nearly 17 minutes.

I went on glide to The Tehacapis with the glider and I iced up.  The wind driven propeller anemometer was frozen from the ice build up.  This cold would later cause my instruments to malfunction.  Gliding across the Antelope Valley my first thermal was north of the radar facility.  Not gaining much I headed for the highest southern peak on The Tehacapi's and began to climb slowly on it's westerly spine.  At 10k I dove into Tehacapi Valley there was a large cloud forming with a dark bottom and having had enough "fun" earlier I flew to the southeast side of the convergence.  The sheer line from Tehacapi headed northwestwards in a direction that was more appropriate for a flight on the west side of the Sierras.  Having not been in that area before I was apprehensive about following the shear line in that direction.  This was a mistake!  Instead I headed to Barren Ridge where there were clouds forming.  I never got established there and headed to Cache Peak, it is one of the sailplane "tankup" spots before they head north.

Cache Peak is on the northeast end of the Tehacapi Valley and is west of Jaw Bone Canyon.  Climbing to 12k I had a decision to make, the shear line was running Northwest up the west side of The Keslo Valley and then it bowed back to Boomer Ridge west of Inyo Kern.  I should have stayed with the shearline but felt that this course my leave me with a quartering up wind glide to Boomer Ridge.  Instead I opted to go to the east side of Kelso Valley where some nice clouds were forming-anther mistake.  This left me in the flush mode out towards Highway 14 midway between Red Rock Canyon and Boomer ridge.  Just west of the road and down to 6k I finally found a thermal and climbed to 8k.  5 miles south of Boomer I went on glide to Boomer Ridge.  Climbing to 10k I jumped on to the Sierras and the peak just south of Owens Peak.  Climbing to 13,300 I was now back in the convergence and it was off to the races.

Flying northward at 60 m.p.h. I came to one peak South of Olancha Peak.  Eddie let me know that the winds at the town of Olancha were out of the southwest.  Not wanting to be caught in the rotor I dove into the Owens Valley heading along the south edge of Owens Dry Lake bed towards the clouds and the Inyos.  I was down to 6500' and in 800 feet per minute down.  With only 3k agl I would be on the ground in 4 minutes, instead with Eddies directions I made it to the west end of the clouds and entered into another shear line.  Climbing to 10K with the lift diminishing, and with Bishop and the site record the minimum goals, I turned eastward a flew towards a cloud south of Cerro Gordo Mine at climbed to 16,300. Getting established here is critical to getting established on the Inyos.  If you're on the west side of the Inyos or Whites it is not uncommon to be in the "lee".  These clouds now streeting on The Inyos had southeast in them with the convergence setting up on the crest of The Inyos.

On glide to Sierra Gordo with 16k I did not turn until I reached Squaw Flats and Mazuraka Mnt.  In a smooth thermal and with the lift diminishing I tanked up for "final" glide.  On glide for Black Mountain I stopped did a couple of turns with the goal being the site record, passing Laws, Gunther, Chalfant and down to 6k Eddie went up to White Mountain Ranch-the circular alfalfa fields.  There he located a field of moon dust which would late cushion my less the graceful landing.  Breaking the glider down in the dark we hustled back to Lone Pine to connect with The Santa Barbara guys but could not find a place to stay.

New Site Record 8.25 hours 212.5 miles.

"Always fly cross country, that is where freedom and adventure are"

 [Top of Page]  [Home]