SCPA & SBSA Discussion Board

A bunch of the Ojai Topa crew made a play for Skyport with big dreams of going through the pass. Sadly the day didn't pan out that way. The weather looked good except for the big inversion at 3k. Cycles were light at launch and while a few of us were able to get up, anyone below the inversion had a quick ride to Parma. I was lucky enough to get up over the R&R in a sweet climb but looking Eastward was not inspiring. Montecito Peak was on fire. Not like, booming thermals kinda fire. Real fire, like marshmallow roasting and wing melting kinda fire. Clearly a TFR was about to be imposed. I was tempted by a move West but having already lost most of our crew to the inversion and the heat to the East, the momentum was gone and I took my 4300 to the beach. In hindsight we should have started in Ojai, considerably above the inversion, and moved East from there, or done the Pine glass-off.