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Saturday, 6/1/2013 [Weather] and [Flight Articles] by [Bob Anderson] & [Sundowner] [Aaron LaPlante] [Photos]

Saturday, 6/1/13
Flight 1 ~ Chiefs to Propeller Field / 11:30 to 2:15
Flight 2 ~ Chiefs to top land at the Topa Bluffs / 4:40 - 6:20
Flight 3 ~ Topa Bluffs to San Antonio School / 6:40 - 7 PM
about 4 hours 45 minutes total airtime
Trango

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

Top Land at the Topa Bluffs in butter smooth air

From early in the week, the forecast was predicting a one day heat event for Saturday, so I had my blinders on.  Took my Corolla to Nordhoff High School for the 9:30 meet.  Two full trucks comprised of 3 tandems and a number of visiting pilots.  Pine looked better, but the logistics were in place for Chiefs.  I couldn't drum up support for hiking into the old 5500 north launch.  Rode center shotgun in John Klorer's suburban with Brendan's tandem passenger, a father of 4 in the process of moving back to Camarillo from Switzerland.

It was a bit discouraging on the ride up as the air temperature seemed to get warmer with altitude.  Got to launch a little before 11.  It was breezing in, a little cross from the left.  Seemed like steady wind, not cycles.  Got off on the first pull a little before 11:30.  Could get a couple hundred over in the steady ridge lift, but didn't find any thermals to climb higher.  Opted to test east along the ridge toward the Repeater.  It was quartering upwind, but I was able to wiggle back up a couple of times after speed baring around protruding points.  Finally made an upwind run at the lee side of the Repeater, hoping for some rotor draw, but flushed off and had to run back downwind across the canyon toward Chiefs spine.

Came in a little below the middle bump, figuring I could work back up and try again, but didn't find anything to climb with so my only option was to go fishing down the spine.  The drift was from the east, and it seemed to get cooler the lower I descended.  Nothing at Twin Peaks, so I opted to run downwind for Three Stooges while I still had the altitude to get there, hoping to find some convergence.  In hindsight, I would have been better of to dig in at Twin Peaks and wait for the day to heat up.

Came in a couple hundred below the ridge on the east spine of Stooges.  Wiggled up in some farts and tried over the top but no joy.  Wiggled up again and then reached across for the west spine.   Not much convection.  Thought I was going to flush, but the lower knob on the west spine was good for a couple hundred.  Spent the next 2 hours working the same thermal source.  Initially ranging between 29 and 3200, but finally getting to 35.  Was hoping to hang on long enough for the day to get better, but as the cycles started getting stronger and going higher, the lulls were also getting longer so I was in danger of flushing.  I was getting fatigued and had trouble mustering the needed focus to continually scratch back up from down low in a last chance cling.  Tried reaching across toward Nordhoff.  Came in well below Bruce's...  and flushed to Propeller Field.  Landed at 2:15

It was really hot on the ground.  The reported high temp in Ojai for the day was 96, but it seemed hotter in the field.  Not much wind and no shade.  With so much heat and very little wind down low,  it seemed like the day would release eventually.  I'd been looking forward to Saturday all week and was disappointed, so I lobbied for a 2nd trip to launch.  5 pilots bit and we headed up in the Fly Above All Suburban with Alison (Robin's sister) for crew after a stop at the Attitude Adjustment Shop.

During my 2 hours of circling at the Stooges, I observed pilots doing ok a thousand higher at Twin Peaks and up the spine a bit.  I assumed they were thermaling, but during the truck ride I discovered they were simply flying around in buoyant air with some wind from the SE.  More like ridge lift than thermals.  It was still a bit breezy on launch when we arrived about 4:15.  I was concerned that we might be in for more of the same.

Airborne about 4:40.  Smooth buoyant ridge lift, getting 2 or 3 hundred over.  Did some passes seat steering hands off.  The air was real nice and pleasant.  Even if we weren't going to get high, at least it was low anxiety and fun.  Did some mile wingovers and played around.  Finally went over to test the point above the spine and stumbled into a fat smooth organized thermal.  Climbed to 61.  Game on!!  The drift was switching from the SE to the SW.  Boated over to the Repeater before the next pilots launched around 5 PM.  Everyone at Chiefs was getting into the mid to upper 6s, but I could only reach the mid 5s at the repeater in ridge lift from the SSW.

Robin headed WSW toward Nordhoff with 67 and was initially pulling a good glide.  She still had 6K about half way there, but finally ran into wind from the SW and lee side sink in the shade behind Nordhoff.  She bailed for Propeller Field.  I went back to launch and climbed to 67, then flew back to the Repeater higher, coming in higher above the top.  I was working better up higher, but could only get into the lower 6s.  Typically a bit low to reach uphill along the back route, but the wind direction seemed good so I went anyway.  Came in low on the ridge face west of the Bluffs, but climbed back up easily in the smooth buoyant ridge lift.  Moved over to the NW corner of the Bluffs and climbed to 67.

Took a tour down to the SE point above Puckers.  Flew back below the lib along the wall in smooth air.  Could go hands off, but the Bluffs air is typically strong and intimidating, so I kept my hands on the steering toggles.  Tried for max altitude again and reached 69 a couple of times, but couldn't quite peg 7.  Could likely reach Fillmore on a glide, but the last bus left at 5 and my car was at Nordhoff.  Wasn't going to be setting any distance records launching late in the afternoon, so I though about top landing.  It's been on my bucket list for 30 years.  I've been to the Bluffs a hundred times, and considered top landing on multiple occasions, but always chicken out due to the dynamic air.  I wasn't going to get a better opportunity, but to turn it into reality, I needed to actually do it, so I flew out front and burned off my altitude.

There was along the face, so I needed to get behind the lip, but I was leery about committing to deep.  The air at that altitude is a little thin and the ground speeds higher.  I'm not 32 anymore and have a bad ankle.  There are numerous places to land, but I choose the summit, which is a bit rounded on top.  Tried a half a dozen approaches, not wanting to fall into wind shadow or rotor.  Finally dialed into a sweet grove by angling behind the lip toward the SE, then doing a right 180 into the wind for an uphill approach sliding from the left.  If it didn't look right, I could bail left and clear the lip, but I stayed the course and turned left the final 30 degrees into the wind a few feet off the ground for a no step touch down next to the summit about 6:20.

Having wanted to top land at the Bluffs for 30 years, I would have liked to kick back for a half hour to soak in the ambience, but the day was fading fast and I need to plan and execute a launch.  There was a hiker made stone ring monument with the usual ammo box containing various journal entries, plus a gallon jug of water.  Took a drink and left a note on my business card.  Launch would be easy except for the stone ring in the middle of the preferred pull-up area.  Opted to go behind the ring as far back as possible with the intention of navigating around the right side once the glider was overhead.   The wind was light and not much on the deck, so I tried a front pull-up.  The canopy came up easy, but in a turn, so I turned around and brought it down in good shape with no need to reposition.  Since it came up easier than expected, I did a reverse pull up on the 2nd try.  Turned and was lifted off well back from the edge about 6:40

Tried some passes for 5 minutes, but couldn't get back above the summit.  Finally opted to pull a glide WSW across the canyon toward the Repeater spine with the intention of adjusting course to intercept as high as possible.  Cleared the Repeater spines about midway up, but no lift.  Came in below Twin Peaks and flew around.  Got to Propeller field with 500, but went back to San Antonio School for the green grass and cool shade.  Landed  about 7 PM.

The girls (Robin and her sister Alison) came by with the pilot from the Bay Area (can't recall his name).  The 2 Canadians had already left with their wives (or girlfriends).  Both of the Canadian girls had flown tandems on the earlier trip but didn't go back up for the 2nd round.  Had a  couple of beers at Chris's house and got home around 10ish.

With Pine closed, I'll be looking for another hot day at Chiefs for a late day stress free mellow flight.

[You Tube Video] from the Summit of Topa Bluffs / 360 view centered on the rock ring

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