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Tuesday, 11/3/2020 [Weather] and [Flight Articles] by [Mitch] [Sundowner] [Chelsea] [Austin]
Sundowner's Flight Report, see also [Weather Archive]
Pine NS to Ojai
Reference: [IGC Text Data File] and [Google Earth KMZ File] or [Ayvri Web Animation] [JPG Overview]
Tuesday, 11/3/2020
SLOFD 16.0 miles
1 hour 8 minutes airtime, Launch at 1:46 PST, Land at 2:55 PST
UP Meru
I'd offered to be the "designated driver" if we couldn't find crew, and I was 0 for 3 on my inquiry request, so loaded garden tools in Chelsea and Nick's recently adopted camper van at Viola Fields at 8:45. Did some launch work on the South Launch, but only half the pilots got off so I aborted the labor and we headed downhill to look at the north side. Dropped 3 pilots at the original 5650 launch and continued down to collect Austin and Brett at Propeller Field. Mitch had gotten up and away but he wasn't flying with a radio.
Austin offered to drive on the 2nd round so I hiked up with my gear, but missed the turn and took the long route over the top of the hill and back. Got off in a good cycle and climbed 350 over right away. Wanted at least 400 but it backed down so I went the next time I got to 350 over again. Easy transition uphill in the smooth ridge lift, but wouldn't want to come in on the uphill spine much lower.
Went OTB from the 3rd spine uphill (one spine short of the top of the hill) with 7400, about 500 over ridgeline. Smooth by sinky glide out with a tailwind from the NW, so angled a little to the east on glide. Blundered into a good rebound thermal just behind the ledges near Hwy 33 and climbed from 5767 to 8235 MSL. Crossed Hwy 33 and found some buoyant air over the east end of Ortega Ridge, but not much. Went on glide for Dry Lake Ridge and cleared it easily with 1500 over. Angled a little to the right (west) to stay over the high ground and try to get a better angle on the Nordhoff / Matilija gap, expecting to encounter a headwind venturi from the SW as I got lower.
Tried to get laid back and pointy in my streamlined racing harness as I made a run on bar to get around the west end of Nordhoff Ridge, scouting out plan B options. There is a narrow forest service road that goes up the back side of Nordhoff Ridge from Hwy 33 to the ridge line that has a stretch that runs SW just before reaching the ridge line. If I came up short my plan B was to side hill land on the road and then hike to the top of the ridge for a re-launch. Kept expecting to hit a SW venturi but never did, perhaps because the inland draw was light and it was late in the day? Cleared the ridge with plenty (a thousand over / about 4300 MSL).
Angled along the back of Spine One, then directly over the Pyramid but only found smooth air. Finally found a little something I could break even in down lower over the west end of Nordhoff Ridge. Fished around the middle spine including out front. I was now in full sun, so maybe if I could hang on it might get better? Still had enough altitude to comfortably reach the Soule Park golf course, so I turned back and made a couple of clinging passes but it was a slow fizzle. Opted to throw in the towel with 3400 MSL.
Initially angled for the golf course, but there wasn't much headwind so re-directed more to the right toward the fields on the west end of town. Continued to get a better than typical glide against the light headwind. Could have landed at Nordhoff, but it's a bit of walk to the bus stop by Vons, so I continued toward a school yard along Hwy 33 on the other side of the hill. When I got there I was dissuaded due to workers in the school field and perimeter fencing so I opted land at the west end of the brown grass pasture type field.
Bagged the glider and walked 500 yards to the bus stop. Checked the bus schedule once I got there and though I was right on time, but the bus must have been a bit early and gotten by me without my notice, so I had to wait 45 minutes, which means I missed the sweet connection to the Coastal Express in Ventura and had to wait an hour at Main Street and the river. Would have utilized an Uber in Ojai once I realized I missed the bus, but have never been able to hail an Uber from Ojai. Logan was driving home from SB and the timing was right so he boosted my from downtown Carpinteria to Viola Fields.
Lower than expectations, but fun day all the same. Some exciting adventures but everyone survived without physical injury.
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