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Saturday, 4/20/13 [Weather] and [Flight Articles] by [Tim Barker] [Tom Pipkin] & [Sundowner]
Saturday, April 20th, 2013
Skyport to Parma
Launch around 1 pm
about 20 minutes airtime
Bantoo
Sundowner's Flight Report, see also [Weather Archive] and [Tess's Flight Index]
My kids, Sam and Tess (14 and 9), were more enthused about flying back in their pre-school and kindergarten years. As they got older, I think fear developed and they became less interested in dad's activities. Sam had a number of flights from various sites including the Skyport when he was younger, mostly trios and a couple of doubles, but Tess had only flown the training hill and Wilcox. Tess is currently more interested in Justin Bieber than outdoor activities with dad. I often propose Paragliding as a possible family activity, but typically don't have any takers. Last week after school, Tess unexpectedly said yes, but it was more of a bluff on my part and too windy at Bates. Pam (Tess's mom) was reluctant to give her blessing for a mountain flight, but after some discussion and contemplation, she agreed. Saturday wasn't an ideal day, but it looked good enough.
Tess is less than 100 pounds, so we were loaded light. I'd normally carry ballast, but there wasn't much wind and only my harnesses had storage space which is limited because the reserve is on the back of a split leg tandem harness. No crew, so we had to carry everything. Left my Toyota on Gibraltar just above the El Cielito stop sign and walked back to the intersection. Thumbing with a 9 year old girl is seemed like cheating. 3 of the first 4 cars stopped, but 2 of them had logistical issues. We caught a ride with Mack, a dirt biker from Montana.
Launch conditions were good. 3 to 8 straight in. Earlier pilots had all gotten up an away easily, connecting at the R&R before dispersing various directions. John from Eagle Paragliding was coaching a group of students when we arrived. They didn't turn on the cores but all had good flights. Someone in a blue glider climbed out pretty high over Parma. Kathleen was crewing for Terry Taggart. Terry made it look easy transitioning over to the R&R and eventually out to the Beach. Other pilots made it down to Power Line Ridge just short of Noon Peak behind Carpinteria.
We did an unassisted front pull up. I would normally use an assistant, but John was already in his harness and Kathleen was running the video camera. Nice cycle, but I over pulled a bit so we dove over the edge. Did some s-turns and climbed a hundred over, but left even. Pulled a good glide and thermalled up over the southern point of The Factory just behind the power lines, but after 6 or 7 circles Tess started feeling woozy, so we rolled out and pointed south. Had we been able to do another half dozen turns, we likely would have gotten high enough to reach the beach, but we left with only enough to barely clear the Riviera and our car was back near Parma.
Tess's harness was a bit small for her. We weren't able to get her seated until half way to Parma. I'll have to re-evaluate if she wants to fly again next weekend. It would also help to have more storage space and back protection. My next size up is a large, which I use as a one size fits all for adults, but it is way too big for Tess.
I wanted to minimize turning to mitigate Tess's motion sickness, so we over-flew Parma toward the crest of the Riviera and came back. The upper Parma tree streamer was switchy on our downwind leg. It was wafting from the of the east, but then switch back showing SW as we made a right hand turn from downwind to final. I tuned late, wanting more runway, worried we might overshoot, but the wind was now from the west and we were just behind the lip. Kept the brakes up, but we dropped into the lee side sink and wind shadow. Loaded light with low airspeed, we didn't have much rotational authority, so the landing wasn't pretty, but since we were light it wasn't hard. We clomped down about 15 feet below the lip. I normally fly with the trimmers about mid position, but with a light load I had them full fast to minimize the glider rocking back.
I parked Tess in the shade under the streamer tree while I collected the gear. Kathleen gave me a ride back up to my car. Fox tails everywhere. Stuffed the glider in the back seat and packed up on the grass at the beach after fueling Tess with a double cheese burger at Mickey D's. Drove toward Wilcox, but the gliders at the training hill were facing east. Drift was from the west in the mountains, but from the SE out at the Beach. We opted to take in the 3:10 showing of The Croods (an animated kids movie) at the Fiesta 5 on State Street. Ice cream at Thrifty's (Tess thinks here dad is cheap), then the grocery store on our way home.
Fun father/daughter afternoon. I look forward to doing it again.
Tess's write up (one of dad's requirements)
Father and Daughter Day
On father and daughter day the first thing we did is we went paragliding. I got air sick. Then my dad got me a hamburger. Then we went and saw a movie called The Croods. My dad said "he liked it". Then we went to Thrifty's, and ice cream place. That was father and daughter day.
Love, Tess
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