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Sunday 11/11/12 [Weather] and [Flight Articles] by
[Marty] [Andy] [Hammer] [Scotty] [Cougie] [Tim Barker] [Aaron] [SD]
Monday (Veterans Day) flights [Aaron] [Tim Barker]

Sundowner's Flight Report, see also [Weather Archive]

Sunday, 11/11/12
Leg 1 ~ from the  Skyport around the windmill at Painted Cave ~ 6.64 miles
Leg 2 ~ back to upper Parma ~ 7.48 miles
total distance around 1 turn point ~ 14 miles
~ 1 hour 10 minutes airtime, launch before 11:30
Trango

Hadn't flown in 6 months, but my focus was getting drawn by flight reports on the discussion page.  Got up at dawn intending to work on revenue projects, but opted the check the weather and it looked good to go.  Waffled between SB or Ojai, and finally got mobile about a quarter past 9 for the Nuthouse.

The canyon was draining out the river about 5 to 12 when I got there, so opted to drive out to the high school and meet Andy and Marty.  It was oozing catabatic from the NE, but enough to see it in the tops of the palm trees.  Andy and Marty thought it would block.  I didn't disagree but didn't want too risk hiking up and not being able to launch, so I left for the Skyport about 10 past 10.  Was on launch in an hour with the 91 Toyota Corolla in sports car mode.  (It did block.  Andy and Marty both few from the Nuthouse to East Beach)

Set up quick and was off before 11:30.  Easy up and over to La Cumbre Peak.  Topping in the low to mid 4s.  Didn't climb at the Alternator so went for No Name.  Got back to 35ish and went fishing on the VOR spine.  Finally found a good smoothie out front and climbed from 3ish to the low 4s.  Rounded the Windmill at Painted Cave and had to look way out front, down in the low 2s before bouncing back above 3.

Worked the front points back to West Bowl, not bothering to get very high because the upper wind had some east in it and the lower flow was from the west.  There was an occasional good thermal down lower, but it wasn't working as good as the back ridge.  Struggled at West Bowl to climb from the mid 2s back up to the mid 3s.  No luck and Cathedral.  Looking out front had worked a couple times already, and I didn't have much patience for the weak lower level lift, so I kept going when I was above minimum go altitude.

Struggled again at the Holy Hills and opted  to look out front, which was a mistake.  Flush to upper Parma with limbo altitude.

Left my gear and caught a ride back to launch with James.  Finish packing up and went looking for Ron Faoro at the beach, but he had already packed up and left.

There was some wind on the water, so tried Bates.  Too cross initially, but it straightened out and a couple pilot launched, getting a couple hundred over.  That drew a gaggle off the hill, with maybe 5 pilots up at once, but by the time I launched it had crossed up again and everyone flushed.  Landed on the grass at the lower park and caught a ride back to my car with Ed, a P2 pilot.  Looked like it might pulse again, so did a pickup and stuffed it into the car, but we were too late again, so packed up on the grass at Viola Park.

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