Plowshare this weekend anyone??

[JimmyZ]

Well... It looks like openning weekend for Plowshare is going to be in a few days! :-)

Anyone want to head up for some convergence flying?? If you haven't flown there before... it is quite a place. Huge landing areas, convergence and XC potential, good launch...

Give me a call or post on the forum if you want to head up there!

James
805-451-5697

[Tony de Groot]

I'm leaning on going James......will check weather again today to make decision.

Tony dg

[Tony de Groot]

Well, what the heck. Weather looks good enough for a go out to Plowshare on it's opening day. Bob Ramey is going to meet at my house at 8:00 A:M to load up. There is a good chance we will have a driver. We are going to meet James Zender there. I left a message for John Hesch to come out if he can. So, we have three people going plus hopefully a driver so far.

Tony

[JimmyZ]

Sweet! John Fritche will be joining me as well... Sounds like we'll have a fun group!

[glbro]

Hey y'all, I'm on board, but I can't leave S.B. until 8:40. It shouldn't switch until at least 1 p.m. tomorrow. I'll drive out there and up to launch. Anyone want to ride up with me?

Pokey (Greg Brown)

[BobA]

JB and myself are gonna try the paragliding launch at Plowshare Saturday as well. We'll be leaving the Mesa around 8 or so, if anyone wants to jump in.

[Tony de Groot]

Sweet BA I'll see you out there. Let's fly to the barn!!! Looks like we don't have a driver but we're going anyway.

[Tony de Groot]

CURRENT SOUNDING
DATA INDICATING MARINE LAYER DEPTH RANGING BETWEEN 1200 AND 1500 FEET...BUT
MODEL CROSS SECTIONS INDICATE THAT MARINE LAYER COULD DEEPEN TO AROUND 2000
FEET ACROSS THE LA BASIN BY SATURDAY MORNING.

That's as deep as we want that marine layer. I'd prefer it to be a bit less then 2000 ft.. Don't lag getting there unless you like launching over the back side!!

[dteal]

So, how was it?
DT

[JimmyZ]

Great day of flying! Some of us missed the convergence and as a result had shorter flights, but overall it was a great day of flying! Greg Brown flew to New Cuyama and Tony Degroot scored over 7K+ in the convergence... Really fun. We had a new pilot Matt, one of Tammy's students, show up for a first time flight out of SB... He had a great flight and is HOOKED! Nice going Matt. We all are looking forward to flying with you again.

Let's do it again!

James

[Tony de Groot]

Ohhh Plowshare. It had been a long time since I'd been there and it was so nice to see again. The Mountains, the foothills, the valley...just driving to the LZ was a nice experience. We hooked up with most of the crew and James Z. drove us up to launch. The switch area of sea breeze to north wind was at the entrance to the road to launch so it was REALLY close. Even the birds were climbing out over the LZ and I wished I was hooked up at launch at that moment. We weren't late at all but, well it looked like it would switch early. I hoped it would stay stalled there long enough to get our gear ready and launch. Jeff Stevens was there i think doing some work around launch because it was pretty free from bushes. It was great to see him and I hope he'll be flying there with us next time we head up his way.
The wind was blowing in steadily but not strongly and I urged everyone to get ready and launch as soon as possible. As I set up my glider I found three out of my six flip tangs on my batons were broke courtesy of a friend helping to "break" down my glider last time. That stalled me another 25 minutes or so trying to fix it. In the end I just left them hanging off. It's a Falcon right, she'll fly. Most pilots were off and only John Fritche climbed out while everyone else got lower and lower. I launched and tried to stick in my first thermal and as I got above launch my vario was SINGING like an opera star. Wahooo but the lift slowed down and I got to just over 7,000 ft and decided to probe out toward the road. I ran into a six mile per hour head wind though. In a Falcon that blows. Reports from the LZ was a west wind at 10 to 15 mph though. I saw a new pilot, I think Matt, parked in the West wind down low, short of the river but above grass fields. I told him the top priority was to land safely first then worry about getting his gear to the road. He pulled off his first xc landing away from launch and I'm sure his mind is spinning with all the new information and questions he has about xc flying.
Sheeet, north up high and west below. I decided to go back to launch were Greg Brown was trying to get up below launch and he looked like he was climbing. I got into a thermal nearby and we climbed but it was much rougher now and the west wind was pushing us east toward timbertop.
The problem for me was I didn't want to keep moving eastward and away from the road and then hit the north wind on my glide out to the road and land out and hike. So, I left with about 5500 toward the road, into the wind, and didn't hit any more lift, boohooo. Greg, with his hot ship Sport2 felt comfortable about reaching the road and took a glide more toward the foot hills of Spanish Ranch and the gap. He hit some areas of massive sink but then came through into the convergence lift and moved and angled down the valley never getting above 7,000 ft. He eventually landed between chalk and the barn for a very nice flight indeed!!!
I hope to get another flight or two this year out there and try my best to get a bit further.
That's all folks.

See ya, Tony dg

[Lew Riffle]

All is right Tony! Thanks for the report. You feed the spirit . LEW