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Saturday, 9/28/13  [Weather] and [Flight Articles] by [Sundowner] [Ron Faoro] [OJ] [Aaron] [Jon Blake]

Sundowner's Flight Report for Saturday, 9/28/13

Skyport to Painted Cave Wind Mill to the Vons field in Fillmore

also see [Weather Archive] [Tom's Photos] [Track Image] or [Google KLM File]

Leg 1 ~ 3/4 miles from launch to the Bypass (did not get up at launch)
Leg 2 ~ 7 miles from the Bypass to the Painted Cave Windmill
Leg 3 ~ 40 miles from Painted Cave to Puckers (the SE spine below the Topa Bluffs)
Leg 4 ~ 2.5 miles from Puckers SE back to Upper Ojai
Leg 5 ~ 3.5 miles from Upper Ojai to the Repeater
Leg 6 ~ 15 miles from the Repeater to Fillmore
straight line distance from launch to landing ~ 44 1/2 miles
straight line distance between 2 furthest points ~ 51 miles
total distance from launch to landing around 1 turn point (Painted Cave) ~ 57 1/2 miles
total distance around 5 turn points ~ 68.5 miles
~ 5 hours airtime, launch about 11:20 AM to landing about 4:25 PM
Trango

Hadn't been watching the weather when our analyst (John Scott) called Friday with notification that Ojai looked good.  I initially declined because we were planning to watch Sam run in a cross country meet at UCSB, but he planted a seed.  After evaluating the potential, I made some calls trying to find a ride to Chiefs.  Considered the Nuthouse, but Santa Barbara wouldn't require hiking in the heat, and I could still do the family outing to watch Sam run.

Was rolling through Parma about 10:40, with the intention of getting dropped off at the stop sign to hitch up, but we spotted Magic Mike and Dilly about to drive up.  They were gracious enough to make room and we were at the Skyport about 11.  The main crew had gone up to EJ's in the Eagle Van and were reporting a thousand over launch.

I didn't connect in front of the Skyport and had to limp out and around the power lines.  Found a small workable core a hundred over the Bypass launch that expanded after a few turns.  It tracked up over the crest of  power lines toward the low Factory point.  It was a intimidating to commit downwind toward the hill 50 feet above the lines, but I'd already made a couple of turns without falling out the back so I went for it and the thermal continued to expand and grow stronger.  That was the lowest I'd get all day.  Pulled out in the upper 4s and headed toward EJ's with the intention of top landing to sort out my speed bar which was disconnected on the right side (poor preflight?).  I was able to find the loose end and get it hooked back up on glide, so I didn't need to land in the bumpy air.

Made a pass 50 feet over EJ's launch.  Mike and Dilly had relocate after my unimpressive demonstration at the Skyport.  Climbed up from low in the saddle in front of La Cumbre Peak.  It was light from the SE up higher, so I followed a hang glider (John Greynald) westbound over to the VOR.  John used the cone as a turn point then fished out front before heading east bound as I was climbing below.  I opted to round the Wind Mill at Painted Cave.  Got there in the mid 3s and was down to about 3K plugging back out front.  Stumbled into a good core and climbed easily back above 4K.

Opted to stay lower on the eastbound leg to minimize the light flow from the SE up higher.  It was light from the SW down lower.  Pretty easy going with plenty of altitude when needed.  Didn't get stuck anywhere.  Ron Faoro and the eastbound crew had struggled some in the mid 3s against light flow from the SE along Castle Ridge earlier, but they were reporting improving conditions and higher altitudes by the time I got back to the Factory.  I could climb above 4 at will and bounced up to 46 at the east end of Castle Ridge and Power Line Ridge.  Was down a little below ridge line a few times but just kept bobbing along with confidence that I would blunder into something before I got critically low.

With the extra altitude and very little wind, I stayed deeper through The Pass than usual.  Ron Faoro reported leaving West Divide with 57 and I left with 6K, then bounced up to 65 along the back ridge behind East Divide.  The wind at altitude was light from the NW.  Easy going, but Ojai required 2 hands on the steering wheel during the peak heat of the day.  Mostly dolphined through Ojai trying to make better time.  Routed along the front points as usual, stopping to climb at the Pyramid, Twin Peaks, and East Repeater.

Ron Faoro's daughter Sierra was participating in a tennis tournament (Thatcher was hosting Bishop Diego) that started at 2 PM.  Sierra was playing in 3 matches.  Ron landed on the upper soccer field just in time to pack up and watch Sierra's first match.  I passed under Aaron at Montecito Peak on his way back from Castle to the beach.  John Kloer had flown out to the beach along Santa Clause Lane.

I came into East repeater about even with the top and easily climbed into the high 5s.  I thought I might be able to skip Boyds and Puckers and go directly to Santa Paula Ridge.  John Kloer relayed the Santa Clara reports from home.  Down river at Piru and Fillmore, but up river in Santa Paula.  SE at South Mountain.  I thought I might be able to bridge across the river if I could get high at Santa Paula Ridge.

The glide toward Santa Paula ridge deteriorated past Boyds and I had to angle in for Puckers (the SE spine below the Topa Bluffs).  As I approached the spine, the glide got worse and I found myself lee side against light flow from the SE.  Got around the corner and struggled for about 5 minutes, but finally had to run out front and fall back across the canyon with a tailwind to Boyds.  Came in below the lower SE point and surfed up to the top on the SE face.  Could only get a few hundred over, too low to reach for East Repeater, so I opted to fish out front looking for convergence, which had worked in the past.  It was fat, buoyant and smooth over the edge of Upper Ojai.  Topped about 6K, thinking about retrieve options now that the bus from Fillmore seemed unlikely.  Couldn't raise anyone on the radio.  Considered backtracking to Thatcher, but didn't have contact with Ron, and he was engaged in Sierra's team activity and my not have room.  Opted to run up the Repeater Spine to test for max altitude.

Got to 67 over the Repeater Station and boated toward the Bluffs along the back ridge.  The drift varied from lee side to drawing in toward the cliffs.  Eventually cored high enough to get on top, but with an inversion abound 6K, the best I could do was in the upper 6s.  The wind above the Bluffs seemed to be light from the NW, so I stayed deep on the glide to Santa Paula Ridge, hoping to avoid the east I encountered earlier.  Cleared the west spine about half way up from the College to the higher ridge line.  The drift varied from down hill to up hill with migrating cores that were good for a few hundred.  Kept pushing uphill, sometimes a little below ridge line, but also getting a couple hundred above in the fleeting cores.  The later day thermals weren't big, but they were much smoother than earlier.  Still on guard close to the terrain and sometimes leeside.  Got to high point a couple hundred below on the SW face.  It was drawing in and waffing down, but finally centered on something that got over the top.  Dolphined eastbound along the ridge, stopping for anything that seemed solid, but never got much above 5K.  Came into Santa Paula Peak a hundred below and climbed up to a few hundred over.  There is an American flag on the peak.  It was mostly limp.

Got out my phone to check the time.  Ten past 4.  The last bus leaves Fillmore at 5, so I pointed for town, not sure what to expect for river flow.  Gave Ron Faoro a phone call on the way out.  He was still at the tournament with Elizabeth and a full vehicle of Sierra's teammates, but he would try to rearrange and make room for a Ventura connection.  If he couldn't, I could connect from the 126 bus to the Coastal Express in Ventura, which was scheduled to stop at Santa Clara and Oak at 6:06.

The glide to Fillmore turned out to be easy in light upriver flow.  Pulled big ears to get down and packed up fast on the grass in the NW corner of the Vons field.  Washed up at the burger place on the main drag and walked a block to the bus stop, getting there with 10 minutes to spare.

The bus pulled out right on time at 5 PM.  3 stops en route to the Pier in Ventura (2 in Santa Paula and another at Wells road in east Ventura).  Got off at the Pier and walked over to the 101 on ramp at Oak street.  The Coastal Express stop was another block up at Santa Clara, but Ron had called to let me know  they had made room.  I was a bit early, so I ate the Steak and Hoagie stand.  Home by 6:30.

[Click] for full size track image ↓ or open [Google KLM file]

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