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Weather Archive and Summary for Wednesday, 9/28/2022
see also [Flight Articles]

Copied from the SBSA Telegram Chat / 9:58 PM on 9/28

Chris Grantham (Fly Above All) took 9 pilots (plus himself, so 10 bodies) to Pine for a late afternoon flight.  We rolled out of Nordhoff at 2:30, but burned a half hour at the Sand Pile waiting for a pilot who didn’t show?

It was a little north on the ridge-line so I got out at the 6K Parking Lot Launch.

7 of the remaining 8 pilots got off from the south launch in weak cycles.  It was blowing up both sides of the hill.
At least 3 of the pilots had personal best, landing at Nordhoff HS for their 1st time, including:

• Tammie / on her 2nd flight from Pine
• Robert Yuwiler
• And Kevin / Don’t know Kevin’s last name?

Hopefully the 3 amigos will share their perceptions?  They all got pretty high...

4 of the 8 pilots who flew landed at the Sand Pile.

I was able climb 8,832 Ft above launch to cloudbase at 14,820 feet MSL, but my climb was slow.  It took 45 minutes to reach cloudbase in the weak smooth late day air.  As I was leaving on glide the clouds evaporated and disappeared. mMy glide was initially OK, but I encountered some west wind crossing Lake Casitas and wasn’t certain I could clear the coastal range so I fell off for a green grass school yard a mile and a half short of the Ventura Pier.

So… 8 of the 9 pilots intending to launch did, and 4 of those 8 got high and made it at least to Nordhoff HS, with at least 3 pilots achieving their personal best flights from Pine.

Other Pre-Dispatch Telegram Chatter

by SD / Tuesday evening at 8:23 PM PDT
Looking to assemble logistics for an open distance flight from Pine tomorrow.  If you are interested, let me know.  I'm working on a weather update now and will post my perception soon...

by SD / Tuesday evening at 9:30 PM PDT
Tomorrow (Wednesday) looks like a better open distance day from Pine compared to today (Tuesday) due to the wind direction and less OD.  Expect the South Side to be launchable through at least mid-afternoon, but it does clock around to come from the NW later in the day.  Might be a good day for a late day flight back toward Ojai or the beach if you are willing to go from the north side?

The day starts out with some light south and clocks around to come more from the west as the day ages and eventually from the NW at Pine.  The lapse rate is still robust and the air mass drier, so less OD?  Cloudbase looks to be about 14K.  The potential for an early south side launch looks good.

We currently have several pilots that want to go, but no crew (yet?).  If we can find crew in time, we would like to meet at Viola about 8:20 to roll from Nordhoff around 9-ish to be setup and ready to launch by 10:30, but we may not launch until 11:30.  Likely good to be airborne by noonish.  The cycles on launch have the potential to get stiff mid-day not so much from the base wind but from the thermal draw.  We have an hour of cushion built into the meet-time, but I don’t like going late because I don’t like launching in strong cycles.

I suspect that Wednesday has 100-mile potential, but not record setting potential?  There is some potential for thin scattered high clouds...

My perception of today (Tuesday) is that it offered good potential for an out and back to the beach, but not so good for open distance?  However, I wasn’t there so I’m just looking at a paper fantasy… a bunch of pilots had great flights today…

Wednesday

by Franco / DM Wednesday at 7:51 AM PDT
Good morning, do you have waypoints or coordinates to landing area in Ojai?

by SD / DM Wednesday at 7:54 AM PDT
No, what you see is what you get...

by Franco / DM Wednesday at 7:55 AM PDT
I see

by SD / DM Wednesday at 8:17 AM PDT
Franco, I couldn’t find crew.  I tried Diablo, Mike Perrin, Susan Frank, Renne Henry, and Tony Anderson, but they are all busy today...
I may try to organize a late day flight from the north side if there is interest?  I would go on the Fly Above All late day flights, but a 2:30 to 3 PM departure from NHS is too late for me.  I think a 3 to 4 PM launch time is more aligned with the objective for this time of year (early fall)…

by SD / Wednesday morning at 8:28 AM PDT
I couldn’t find full day crew for Pine today.  I tried Diablo, Mike Perrin, Susan Frank, Renne Henry, and Tony Anderson, but they are all busy today, or at least part of the day...  Plus Eagle put out some feelers but the short notice was in-adequate…

I may try to organize a late day flight from the north side if there is interest?  I would go on Chris’s Fly Above All late day trips, but a 2:30 to 3 PM departure from NHS is too late for me.  I think a 3 to 4 PM launch time is more aligned with the objective for this time of year (early fall)…

It has been a good season for boutique flights.  Not a lot of open distance days because the monsoonal instability is often driven by flow from the SE.  Today appears to be a “switch day” where the monsoonal moisture is giving way to flow from the west.  Pilots did log 100-plus mile flights from Pine on multiple occasions this season.  We are spoiled in SB with an easy paved road to launch.  Pine requires some logistics which means thinking further ahead and I’m often impulsive.

As we transition into fall, it becomes harder to fly far because the days are getting shorter fast (less clock to work with), but Pine will continue to offer potential for boutique flights even after the road closes mid-December.

by Franco / DM Wednesday at 8:40 AM PDT
We have 2 people here (in Ojai) from No Cal
Suggestions?

by SD / DM Wednesday at 8:43 AM PDT
You could leave a vehicle at Nordhoff and drive to Pine, then fly back to your vehicle at Nordhoff?
or you could get a permit from the Ranger station to drive up to Chiefs,
or you could hike up the the Nuthouse (1000' vertical, but steep),
or you could go to SB, but Ojai will work better than SB today
and the big altitude is back at Pine.

by Franco / DM Wednesday at 8:44 AM PDT
Will the sand pile landing area be to unstable for easy landing early pm
Thinking of taking one car up and one leave at sandpile.

by SD / DM Wednesday at 8:47 AM PDT
Mid-Day Pine is big air and not suitable for novice pilots without supervision.  Late day flights from Pine are less hazardous, but late day will likely be north side today (most of the flights yesterday were from the north side).  If you just want a sled ride, you can fly from EJ in SB today... / 30 minute paved road to launch, same vertical as Pine, but not the big altitude gains (today).  SB logistics are easier than Pine or Ojai.

by SD / DM Wednesday at 8:50 AM PDT
The Sand Pile is a good late day LZ, but there are better options mid-day.  You can land at the Sand Pile mid-day, but the mid-day air is not mellow.  We usually get up mid-day and can reach green grass...

by SD / DM Wednesday at 8:54 AM PDT
Pine is an XC site.  It is rare that experienced pilots land at the Sand Pile.  You might be better off leaving a vehicle at Nordhoff and then drawing straws if your wind dummy does not get up at launch?

by SD / DM Wednesday at 8:55 AM PDT
Mid-day might be stiff at the south launch today, so I recommend launching before noon or after 3

by Franco / DM Wednesday at 8:45 AM PDT
Is EJ good today, what wind direction do we need?

by SD / DM Wednesday at 9:12 AM PDT
I would expect EJ to be launchable today but inverted and only marginally soarable.  If you have 3 vehicles, you could leave one at Nordhoff, one at the Sand Pile, and take one to launch.  We don’t go to Pine mid-day to land at the Sand Pile.  You can, but it will be more active than early or late.

Regarding “Wind Direction”.   It is kind of the chicken or egg thing.  On the coastal cliffs we are more concerned about “direction”.  In the mountains we have base wind and “draw”.  EJ faces SSE, but experienced pilots will also launch the back side into a north flow and come around.  It is an easy launch and will likely be launchable by 11 or earlier today but might blow OTB (Over The Back) later in the day.  If the west starts building later in the day (after noon) I recommend West La Cumbre, which is a ridge line launch just west of La Cumbre Peak and the highest launch along our SB range.  EJ favors earlier launches (east faces draw more early) and West La Cumbre favors later launches (west faces draw more later in the afternoon).  The Skyport is a good launch, but with the coastal inversion today I would recommend going higher (to EJ).

by Franco / DM Wednesday at 9:14 AM PDT
How early is early to land safely at Sand pile?  We can launch by 11am and land by ~12pm maybe.

by SD / DM Wednesday at 9:19 AM PDT
Paragliding is not "safe".  Based on the questions you are asking I'm concerned you may not have the experience to "read" what is going on.  It isn't realistic for me to coach you from my home office desk.
That said, I think if you land before 11 you will likely be ok, but it is progressive and not a hard number.  Wishing you the best and hope you have memorable flights...

by Franco / DM Wednesday at 9:20 AM PDT
Thx for all the help

Note: Franco opted to wait and catch a ride to Pine with Chris Grantham in the Fly Above All Bus from NHS at 2:30

by Robert Yuwiler / DM to SD Wednesday at 10:21 PDT
I’d be interested in a slightly earlier flight from pine for what it’s worth.

by Charlie Barry / Wednesday at 10:43 AM PDT
Hi, visiting pilot from Santa Cruz in town today.  Looks like Pine is the move for today?  Or anywhere else anyone would recommend for flying today?

By Garcia / Wednesday at 10:54 AM PDT
...1230 lower Parma.  Got room for two more pilots.

By Garcia / Wednesday at 11:36 AM PDT
Sounds like Austin’s going up at noon again from the T with the Eagle Van as well if any of you want to join that bus

by SD / DM to Robert Yuwiler Wednesday at 12:36 PM PDT
Robert, I waited to see if there was any more "interest" in my suggestion, but you are the only pilot who responded so I didn't work on logistics.  I had a couple potential drivers who couldn't commit to the whole day, but might have been able to do an afternoon, however, with only 2 of us it wasn't cost effective (we would have needed to pay the crew).  Looks like Grantham is meeting at 2:30?

by SD / Wednesday at 12:48 PD PDT
Grantham has a 2:30 meet time at NHS (for Pine).   Anyone interested in carpooling from Viola?  1:45 roll…
Or Ash Street in Ventura at 2? (it looks downwind back to the Ventura Pier?)

by SD / DM to Robert Yuwiler Wednesday at 12:54 PM PDT
Robert, are you intending to go to pine with Fly Above All? if so where are departing from?

by Robert Yuwiler / DM Wednesday at 12:56 PM PDT
Yeah I’m going to try and meet them.  I’m heading from the 126 tho so I’ll park at nordoff

by SD / DM to Wednesday at 12:58 PM PDT
Are you coming through Ventura?  If so perhaps I could meet you there?

Note: Tom (SD) and Robert worked out logistics to carpool from Ventrua

by SD / Wednesday at 1:12 PD PDT
I'm catching a ride with Robert Yuwiler from Ventura at 2 o'clock

by SD / Wednesday at 1:24 PD PDT
NAM skew-t forecast for Pine SS at 2 and 5 PDT today

by Orion Ross / Wednesday at 3:40 PM PDT
is anyone looking at flying sage today?
im curious anyones thoughts on the conditions… 5-6 kts out of the west… gusts of 17… turning north ~ 7p

by Robert Yuwiler / DM to SD Wednesday at 5:59 PM PDT
Landed nordoff.  Lmk if you need a ride

by SD / Wednesday at 6:00 PM PDT

by SD / DM to Robert Yuwiler Wednesday at 6:30 PM PDT
Yes. I'm at De Anza School / Ventura Ave

by SD / Wednesday at 6:32 PM PDT
Just landed at De Anza School, Ventura Ave.  A mile and a half short of the Ventura Pier.

by Robert Yuwiler / DM to SD Wednesday at 6:33 PM PDT
It says I’m 20 minutes out...

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