Brendan Pegg

Sunday, 9/5/04, Labor Day Weekend
Chiefs (Ojai) to East Beach (Santa Barbara)

Recreational Flying

I probably said it ten times before I launched on Sunday. "I'm just recreational flying today, no XC ambitions."

Instead of rushing to launch, I dilly-dallied with my gear and helped other people spread out, finally launching next to last.  I told Jenny, our driver, that I would probably just land in town and help with retrieve.

But 15 minutes after pulling up my wing I was just shy of 10K over Chief's Peak and a bunch of people were on course ahead of me, and, well, that changed things. I keyed my mike, "West bound from Chief's with 9760" and the game was on.

Dean reported smooth, easy, conditions all the way to Santa Barbara.  I can't share that assessment.  I was working and getting worked for much of the way.  A lot of the real violence occurred at a "comfortable" altitude, but it was a white-knuckler nonetheless.

In the no-man's-land between White Ledges and the power lines, I was flying with Randall.  We were in different thermals, but fairly close together.  I was about 200 feet higher and climbing faster than he was when he reported he was pinned behind the ridge and would have to land in Matilija Canyon.  I urged him to try to get into my thermal, but it was too late and he was already getting trashed by lee side air.

I was still climbing well, but I suddenly became terrified of being too far back, so I left the thermal and pushed through the south wind to get well on the south side of the ridge.

Fortunately there was plenty of lift in plenty of places.  With a wide variance in the trash level.  I was getting beat up badly just west of the power lines when I asked John if it was any better further west.  He was about a mile ahead of me.  He radioed back that I should watch out for the area just west of the power lines, as that spot was really bad.  "Ahem, ... you think?"

It's nice when there is abundant lift out front, as well as on the back ridge.  Twice I threw in the towel early, only to find a nice thermal waiting out front that took me back up to altitude.

I relished a peaceful landing at East Beach after the demanding flight and it felt great to put down right next to the grass.  Adrenaline was still pumping when I landed, but the peaceful setting of all the beachgoers quickly changed the pace for me.  One elderly tourist rode up to me on her bike and asked where I started from.  When I told her it was "Ojai", she replied, "Oh what a beautiful float that must have been!"

"Well, yes." I said thinking about it, "It was a beautiful float!"