Alternator 11/24/09
Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:41 pmOJ and I were on the fence about where to go and what to do. There was a little confusion about meet times and it looked like an SB call had been cancelled so I was committed once more to the Nuthouse. At the last minute a new 10:15 meet time was called for Alternator which left us 35 minutes to get there from Ojai. A quick call to Chad confirmed that he'd wait for us. Arrived 15 minutes late but we ended up waiting for others anyway. Picked up Kabir at the top and got to alternator after the West cycles had started. It wasn't a strong West and Chad was the first off, climbing to 45ish before WestBowl. Kabir and I followed with expectations of downrange action. I got to 4500 before WestBowl as Chad and Kabir made a play Eastbound. I followed as Chad was coming back. Kabir stayed high and specked out over the fire tower. We left together and I was a few hundred below, wanting to make good time until I needed to stock up at the TF. Connected to the R&R with Kabir well above. He started turning in something but I hit squat. Still plenty high I decided to skip over to the TF. Connected just above the power lines expecting the usual boost. Squat. Fizzled down to the AF. Squat. Barely enough to maintain. Meanwhile Chad is at 5k over WB and making a play for Elling's. WTF? Kabir had connected over to the TF high, as usual, but was quickly sliding down. He made a play back to the Holy Hills and wasn't doing that well but neither was I so I figured I'd go play with him instead of the Glider-Kabobs at the Antenna Farm. Ran across even with the AF and connected just above St. Mary's as Kabir was sliding down it in front of me. More squat. We groveled there for 15 minutes before Kabir managed to scrape his way up to the Powerlines. I was growing tired of getting pummeled 30' off the scorched earth so at the first opportunity I made a move for Parma, hoping to squeak over the Monastery. Bounced over the monastery and got rewarded with a buttery climb from 1600 to 2500. Another pilot that had launched Skyport (red/orange Niviuk) came out and joined me but drifted back rather than toward Parma, missing the best part of the climb. With 2500 at Parma the glide to the beach was easy. Kabir, after struggling back across to the TF came out and joined me.
The R&R & Thermal Factory were weird. Beautiful climbs and abundant lift seemed to get cut abruptly short. Kabir experienced something similar yesterday. Not sure if it has to do with the fire but the dynamics seem different. Also a bit intimidating flying over bare, scorched earth. There was something irrationally comforting about the 8' of Manzanita between you and rocks. I'll probably follow Kabir next time, staying high and on the back range even if it takes longer. It was too easy to get stuck low with few options for continuing. On arrival at the TF, with another 500 he probably could have continued to Montecito, avoiding the need to stock up at points that just weren't working. Old habits die hard and I needed new tactics for that section.
The R&R & Thermal Factory were weird. Beautiful climbs and abundant lift seemed to get cut abruptly short. Kabir experienced something similar yesterday. Not sure if it has to do with the fire but the dynamics seem different. Also a bit intimidating flying over bare, scorched earth. There was something irrationally comforting about the 8' of Manzanita between you and rocks. I'll probably follow Kabir next time, staying high and on the back range even if it takes longer. It was too easy to get stuck low with few options for continuing. On arrival at the TF, with another 500 he probably could have continued to Montecito, avoiding the need to stock up at points that just weren't working. Old habits die hard and I needed new tactics for that section.