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Sunday, 1/5/2014 [Weather] and [Flight Articles] by [Ron Faoro] [Rob Sporrer] & [Sundowner] [SD Photos] [SS Photos]

Sunday, 1/5/2013
Lap 1 x 2 ~ EJ's to the RnR and back (twice)
Leg 2 x 1  ~ RnR to VOR and back
Glide out to Railroad Tracks (just short of beach)
Just under 3 hours airtime, launch 11 am, land a little before 2 pm
max altitude, 5200 at La Cumbre Peak
Trango

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

The forecast was tugging toward the Nuthouse, but I don't like the hike and I'd sort of scheduled a social day.  I was tentatively going to do a tandem flight with a family friend, so Pam elected to tag along, and if Pam was going, so was TQ's girlfriend Robin.  My tandem partner had to pass (married with 3 kids), but the momentum was already in motion. We twisted John Scott's arm.  Lauren was taking the kids north to see her family,  so he had no excuses.  The old salty crew met at my house in Carpinteria and we were mobile in TQ's truck about 9:30.  Arguably a little early for the day, but TQ (Todd Quayle) hadn't flown since bending parts while top landing his hang glider at Oat a couple months ago.  Prior to that flight, he hadn't flown in 8 years (married with kids).

Rolled through Parma a couple of minutes past our posted 9:45 meet time.  No hang gliders, but the Fly Above All bus was loading and the Eagle Bus had already departed.  Todd took a quick look at Parma to refresh his memory.  It was breathing up nice at the Rock (about 2 to 4 or 5) from the SE.  Also coming up at the Bypass, but lighter (about 1 to 3).  The Eliminator launch was lighter than expected after evaluating the lower launches, but it was still coming in ok.  Said hi to SA coming back down to the Skyport after dropping a load of more experienced PG pilots at EJ's.  Todd dropped me and the girls at the trail head for EJ's, then he and John went back downhill a few hundred yards to set up at the Hang Glider launch.  The Fly Above All bus pulled up with a full load about time we reached the hill top.

As we rounded the corner of the HG launch, we could see Ron Faoro launching from EJ's.  He played uphill toward La Cumbre Peak, but came limping back low and eventually flushed into Parma.  I'd spoken with him by phone earlier in the morning, and he thought it would be a good day to launch later, but he was first off about 10:30.  As noted in his article, he drove back up to the Skyport and  flew to Padaro Beach.  We ran into him at Padaro Grill when we stopped for launch about 3 PM.

Airborne into weak conditions about 11 am.  Some buoyant air on the spine, but a single 360 was break even at best so I took my altitude over to the RnR.  Got up to 36 and reached back for EJ's, coming in about 3250 (4 or 5 hundred below launch).  The spine was working and I was able to track backup up to 36, above the HG launch, but below the PG launch.  Reached west toward the Peak, came back low, and had to limp out toward the RnR lower than the previous iteration.

It was getting better.  Left the RnR about 4K back to EJ's.  Made a couple of plays toward the Peak, but came up a little short until I got the extra hundred feet and was able to try again from 50 feet over launch.  Got around the corner to the saddle between La Cumbre and Cathedral.  Wiggled up in boundary convection and then transitioned to 360s a little higher.  Boated over the Peak a while in broken lift, figuring I'd hold the high ground and enjoy the view.  Got to 44, then 52 hundred on the next pulse.  The drift varied depending on which face the thermals were wicking from, but the upper flow at altitude outside of the thermals was light from the east.  Thought it was going to be easy, but I lost 600 feet taking photos, and never got much over 43 after that.

I wanted to land at the beach for lunch because that was the social plan, so I was reluctant to fly downwind to the west because I was confident I could get back.  A hang glider went over to the Alternator and did ok, getting into the low 4s, so I followed suit.  I was bobbing around near launch when John Greynald came over on an ATOS and marked a better thermal out front.  Flew under him and I got back to 47.  I thought it was Bruce Bermakian because John Scott had mentioned that he might be coming to town, and I didn't know of any local pilots flying an ATOS other than Diablo.  I didn't realize it was John Greynald until I chatted with him at East Beach after landing.

The ATOS went to the VOR via No Name.  I took the back ridge toward the VOR because I thought I had plenty of altitude, but came in a hundred below and went fishing on the spine before finally getting back into the upper 3s out front.  John Greynald (ATOS) and John Scott (topless HG) were doing OK over No Name.  I got back a little over 4K and played for the saddle in front of the Alternator.  Came in just over the low bump and found some scraps, but couldn't hold on, so I  had to limp out and around the west side of West Bowl   Was able to work up to the top, but eventually went off the east end in the low 3s.  John Scott (South Side) marked a good thermal out in front of Cathedral, so I left the boundary layer convection to join him.  Tracked back over Cathedral Peak and went for the RnR with a little over 4K.

John went to the Factory.  TQ was on glide for east beach.  The base flow at the RnR was now from the east.  Not strong, but the thermals were weak, so their trajectory was shallow.  Finally got up a little over 4K.  Considered moving upwind to the Factory for a better line to the Beach in east wind, but earlier reports from the beach noted significant west wind down lower, so I figured leaving a bit west  in an east wind would be OK.  Conditions aren't static.  I didn't get out of the east until I crossed the Rivera.  I had 15 to30 degree crab angle at times on the way out, and passed west the old Sheffield Reservoir.

Was expecting west wind over town, but it was mostly neutral.  Considered throwing in the towel and setting down at Ortega Park, but the girls had a table at Brophy Brothers.  The glide to the beach looked doubtful, but I was pretty confident I could make the railroad tracks.  Over the west end of the Double Tree, I had enough to clear the hotel, but not enough to get over the Palms on the far side of Cabrillo, so I turned back for the tracks and landed in no wind just west of Cesar Chavez a little before 2 PM.  Walked across the street to the hotel to pack up on the grass.

Washed up at the Rest Room across the street and waited for the girls at the shuttle stop.  Since the HG boys were going to be awhile breaking down, the girls gave up their table at Brophy Brothers to collect us.  Had a chat with Hammer, Jeff Ross, plus John and Holly while TQ and South Side zipped up.  Lunch at Padaro Grill, then watched the 2nd half of the 49 / Green Bay game on DVR with the crew.

Fun social day with old friends.

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