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Sunday 9/14/2014 [Weather] and [Flight Articles]  by [SD] [Chris Paul] [Bendan] [John Scott] [JD] [Dizzy]
[Sat 9/6 by Dizzy] / [Wed 9/10 by JD] / Fri 9/12 by [Dizzy] [JD] & [Ken] / [Sat 9/13 Elsinore] / & [Misc Post]
Plus 2014 Mid September [Photo Sets] and [Track Logs]

Miscellaneous Notes for The Weekend of Sunday 9/14/2014
see also [Flight Articles]  [Weather Archive] [SD Sunday Photos] plus [SoCal Mid Sept Photo Index]
and  SD's [Google Earth KMZ File] or Track Log Screen Shots [All] [Zoom 1] [Zoom 2], plus [SoCal Mid Sept Track Log Index]

Sunday 9/14/2014

3 Paraglider Pilots hiked up to the Nuthouse, Chris Paul (Newberry Park), Tom Truax (Carpinteria), and Brendan Pegg (Ojai).  Tom met Chris Paul in Ventura early and Brendan started hiking about an hour later.  Chris was off first a little before 11, followed by Tom about 25 minutes later, and then Brendan about 10 minutes after Tom.  Chris landed in Lake of the Woods, about 28 miles NE of launch, and caught a quick ride from a passing motorist back to his vehicle at the Nuthouse.  Brendan got to 9500 over the Topa Bluffs and opted to land at his house in Ojai.

6+ Hang Glider Pilots went to Pine in 4 trucks.  John Scott (West LA) and Todd Quayle (Ventura) were in Tony Deleo's truck (Ventura).  Max Hogan (Camarillo) and Jonathan Dietch (Long Beach) were in Max's Truck with Edward Skow (Ojai) for crew.  John Hesh (spelling? Moro Bay / SLO) was there with his own truck and retrieve crew with perhaps another pilot named Trey Kroopp  John Hesh landed just over the back on the Lockwood Valley Road about a mile east of Hwy 33.  Trey was heading toward the Antelope Valley, but diverted north and landed at the intersection of Bear Mountain Road and Interstate 5, SW of Bakersfield, about 40 miles from launch.  Max and Jonathan landed somewhere in vicinity of Gorman.  Todd went down in the west end of the Antelope Valley a little past the pumping station where John Scott connected and took the lead past Mojave, but John gets airsick so he opted to skip lift past Mojave and land at the 85 mile mark.

IGC File:  It was my first flight with a GPS, but I didn't know how to use the instruments GPS functionality.  I was able to copy the track log / IGC file from the SD memory card.  The FlyTec 6020 vario belongs to Robb Sporrer (his spare for competition).  The track log initially had his personal data, but I edited the IGC file after the flight with a text editor to change some of the info like pilot and glider.  Not sure how the IGC file works.  I think the flight data might be encoded/encrypted?  Since they use it for competitions, I think there must be some provision to prevent a pilot from editing the flight data.

Distance:  I measured my flight on Google Earth (several times), which yields 111.08 from launch to touchdown, but the track log says 111.03ish.  Not sure why there is a difference, but we are only talking about a 90 yards.  Perhaps the track log started counting from a different point, or perhaps the calculation metric used is different between Google Earth and the instrument?  As with most flights, the actual straight line distance flown is slightly longer because you usually wander some at launch and have to come back some to land.  I like the ring of 111.1, so that is what I'm using.

Time:  The Track Log says my flight started at 11:18.  I think I also saw something about 11:26. but I recollect looking down at the clock before the pullup and remember 11:22, so that is what I'm going with.  The metric the GPS uses to determine the start of the flight looks for altitude change and or speed over time.  I think the instrument started when I hiked down to hook in.  My procedure is to lay out the canopy, and then get dressed (to minimize overheating).  The Nuthouse launch is steep, so I had to hike down from behind the canopy to get to the harness.  The altitude lost wasn't enough to satisfy the start metric, so my theory is just a guess.  11:26 can't be right because the 5 minute time stamps show me climbing up to ridge line at 11:25.

Altitude:  We set the pressure altitude at launch to 1965 (the average between the 3 guesses).  The post flight track log said launch was 1955.  No one on launch was certain, and if we don't know, who does?.  I've checked numerous times, but my memory is fading.  A post flight check of Google Earth shows 1908 at the bench where the canopy is positioned, and 1898 down where the pilot stands.  924 on the road by the trail head.  I think most pilots round to 1K and 2K, but 900 and a 1900 are likely more accurate.  The instrument can record both pressure altitude and GPS altitude.  Pressure altitude can yield finer resolution, but drifts during the day.  I think the instrument was reading a little high.  It indicates that I was still airborne about 50 to 100 agl on landing when overlaid on Google Earth.  I also recollect a low save from 200 feet when the instrument said I was 500 agl.  I was about to turn into the wind for landing.  I'm confident I know the difference between 200 and 500 agl (200 feet is training hill height, or upper Bates launch, 600 agl is the Ventura Avenue height over De Anza School).  I also recollect being below ridge line at Turner Bowl, but the instrument shows me almost even with ridge line.  I think there are some instrument limitations on altitude accuracy, and I don't know the nuances of the instrument well enough to know how  to compensate.

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