Hazy Day - Skyport 4/20

[faoro]

We had interesting flights from Skyport today. It certainly looked like a dubious forecast. High winds aloft and no lapse rate. The air was already quite hazy as the sun came up at six AM. And the temperatures were revealing: 42 degrees at the airport; 44 degrees at the Montecito station and 43 degrees at La Cumbre Peak. Perfect! We sat around all morning saying to ourselves, "More Mesa or Skyport?" "Maybe Bates?" The early morning winds died down and we waited to see if the ground would heat up enough to give us a lapse rate. The hill developed some overcast as things heated up, but we saw hang gliders at Eliminator and Bob Hurlbett and I decided to give it a stab, while others went to fly More Mesa.

The hangies launched just as we drove up around the Bypass and they didn't get up immediately. But by the time we reached launch, they were doing quite well at the Thermal Factory and the Antenna Farm. Bob helped his friend, Richard, set up his hang glider and I laid my wing out to launch wih Double D. I got off at 11:45 and couldn't find anything useful, so I pointed toward te Round House. Then things got dicey. My groundspeed dropped to 11.5 mph and I was sinking all the way over the powerlines. Worst glide in years. I was thinking about backside options (basically, it was me that was going to take it in the ass here) in the canyon, but the Trango limped up behind the ridge and - finally - some convective heat let me sneak around the corner, far below the ridgeline. I snaked back and forth a half dozen times and saw JR setting up his hang glider on the ridge. The first pass that I made over the Antenna Farm, I latched onto a rocket, going up at 800 feet a minute to 4,200 feet! Problem solved. Back up to the Thermal Factory, over to the R&R. I wanted to chase Little John and the hangies westbound, but I couldn't find anything decent and bailed. There was a ton of north wind in the clouds and I passed over Bob and Richard still setting up at launch to get high at the Thermal Factory. That dependable spot boosted me to 4,400 feet and I got wisped into whiteness (the lovely Cloud Fortress we all dream about) before turning to East Beach. This high, the north wind sped me along. I was at three and a half thousand over the Riviera, so I took a spin at three grand above upper Santa Barbara, cruised the wharf and then landed in strong west wind at the beach. Bob joined me about 45 minutes later. One of the stronger, prettier days to fly in Santa Barbara. One hour flight.

[DBLD]

launched just a little after you and barely made the glide to the green water tank (I did fly through some lift on the way, but I was sooo low that the lift was only a glide extender) before I got anything to turn in. When I say I was at the green water tank I mean I was RIGHT on top of it. Got enough lift there to get to the back side of the monastery where I got a thermal that drifted me to 3k and with one tip fold I was off to Parma (I'm a puss) where the landing was very challenging, with winds switching from West to East with every 180. Had a really good time and it was nice to meet your friend Richard from Montana. He had a very respectable landing at lower Parma for his first time here.

Charge your batteries
DD
ps: Bob, Tony deGroot has your flight deck

[faoro]

Yeah, changing out my radio batteries in extremely active air at the Thermal Factory - with one hand on both brakes - was challenging and added to the excitement!