fri: ej bowl to ojai propeller field and other great flights

[andy dainsberg]

Met up w Marty who was gunnin to fly. We hit up the full Eaglevan to EJ bowl. Easy, light up cycles. I was feeling non-committal for a couple reasons but also didn’t see a lot on computer to get hyped about; which is how you get I think after so many seasons if u like to look at interpolations and try to match them to the conditions you experience. Most at launch were looking at it the right way enthusiastic and positive. I think we started launching at 1130ish. Hey- I got my annual bonehead blown bushes launch out of the way- No biggie, could almost pull up from where I was but how f-ing dumb. I think I need smelling salts at launch sometimes- when I’m feeling non-committal…

Anyway, I was up and out and straight East. Met up w/ Bader at Tfactory - East with low4s. Down range I found the thermals to be pretty nice, consolidated and workable just everywhere I turned. The flow and drift was in our direction which made it pleasant. Crossed the power lines with 44ish and up to 53 ish at Noon. Marty and Greg were probably a few miles behind as they had tagged the VOR before heading East. I thought if I could just stay ahead of the R11 and IP6 I could atone for my zombie launch technique-lol- even if I did have a monster head start! (always find something competitive I suppose!) Marty and Greg flew like Siamese twins the whole way I think- pretty cool! Not much lift tween Noon and Whiteledge but good glides at least.. I had to scratch the face of Whiteledge but got over her and then surfed the bumps down past the 33 to @ 50ft over the Nuthouse launch. “Easy” up and out with lift and tailwind persisting.

Nice high 4s thru Ojai to Twin Peaks. Couldn’t find enough to cross straight over easily to lower west repeater so I worked it up Chiefs spine in not exactly “chief spine escalator” conditions. It was past 330 and lift was in ebb mode. I got a couple hundy over the point and crossed over Chiefs launch to West Repeater along the high road- but pretty low actually. I think it may have possible to cut from where I connected the spine over to E repeater and at least make St Thomas, but I didn’t feel like pushing it. Cruised down to Lower W repeater, found no lift, then pushed back over to twin peaks.. Got a little more alt and pushed out to the propeller field. Marty and Greg landed there too...

Dave had landed at Padaro and grabbed my truck to retrieve- thanx a mil. I would have to call the scenery and flying awesome today: Lots of pilots exploring East and West. 4 hrs, max alt @ mid5s. A nice little winter day…

[Aaron]

grand flyin cowboys! funny post andy, always love readin em. after hitchin a ride to launch with timmay! and his fam, it felt considerably cooler then yesterday, so more horned up then a unicorn i jumped off as soon as we got there. kept gettin low fours and floated with marty and timmayyy! down to the vor. met up with hammer, R11 chick, and howser near altenator on the way back and headed east. i got stuck at shadow, so marty and R11 chick left me for another man. watched hammer(he ended up in ojai too) bob his deathbox route on the back ridge, and howser and i turned around at romero. got stuck many times on the way back as the day was gettin lighter, but kept pushin lower and lower chasin howser. he turned around at westbowl and i got to VOR and got back to over 3k in a nice NW/SW convergence. headed out to my van at the T and arrived there 100 higher then i left VOR with. killer day!!!

side note for pee tube folk with pod harnesses. yesterday after takin a pee i put my foot back in my harness and the loose tube caught on the harness and flicked like a rubber band, spraying leftover pee all over my face, sunglasses, and in my mouth(thats healthy stuff if your a hippie). it almost happened again today, but a quick bruce lee head move and it whizzed by my ear. so i guess if you want to keep from giving yourself a golden shower you should secure the bottom of the peetube to your leg or something. Hands up!

Marty's phone number is 1-800-SEXY

livin the dream!

"life on course"

headin home, thank you mountains, thank you

"set the controls for the heart of the sun" -pink floyd

[DeVietti_Marty]

It was great fun today and it seemed as though most everyone flew, flew a while and took in the sights.

Had some mad fun flying with Aaron and Timmay!...then went on chase for the elusive Andy with my good pal Greg, who, isn't a chick, but flies like a bird! Cracka hooked a u-turn and headed back for civilization and soon after that Greg and I caught up to Dave Bader and flew a while before he decided to bail to the beach. That left Greg and I to wonder who the solitary hang was that passed us up and disappeared in to Ojai ahead of us. Turns out it was Hammer, I see. Nice flying with you too!

Here's my photos (when it finally donned on me to grab my phone out of my pocket). It was breathtakingly beautiful all day, but fortunately I got some pics before it was all over.

Enjoy:

https://picasaweb.google.com/110871143058661933036/NewAlbum1413806PM?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPSXx5jBrNzcaA&feat=directlink

A huge thanks to Dave Bader for landing at Padaro to get Andy's truck and chase us to the Propeller field. Fun flying with you too, while it lasted.

Great to see you again Greg, and fun, as always to be a part of this big family of fliers here in paradise.

Great way to start the new year for me!

Cheers!