Santa Barbara Nov 12

[Robb]

It's been so long since I've had a really good flight, with fires and bad weather complicating things, that I was sure today would be spent stuck at the training hill wishing the north wind would back down. I figured an hour or two of remedial wall building, followed by multiple sets of checking my chin strap, was as good as I could hope for.

Instead the Gods smiled on Santa Barbara today! I was first off Skyport and caught one thermal for 1,200 feet, turning circles with a red tail. At 4,000 ft, I decided this was my chance to make it to the beach. I've been flying SB for five years, but never made the beach. Today it was spectacular; I got a great glide and arrived with altitude to spare. The wind was comming in strong, and I made a no step, no brakes landing on the sand and folded up under the palms.

Art and John soon joined me, and Alison is a double sweetheart for clearing launch and picking us up.

A short flight, but one of my favorites.
Robb

[DBLD]

Nice!! I watched you sky out and began to set up. It was the first time in weeks I had flown my dope chute in the mountains. My flight was considerably different because I wasn't able to latch onto a core until I was on the spine in front of the round house. After that it was all up to 4100 at the thermal factory and then to the RR/tit area where it was up and down between 2800 and 4100. Back to the thermal factory for some more fun to 4300 and the a bouyant and lifty glide out to not the beach, but a tour of the riviera and then to parma (I'm a pilot of convenience, my truck was there). All told it was a very pleasant two hours in the air.