A pretty good day!
Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 12:01 amYou know your day isn't going to be half bad when the boss tells you to stop working and "let's go flying".
Irene, Roger and I headed up to Skyport to see if the winds were really light and from the southwest - yes they were. It was cycling lightly as we got there around 11:30am. I laid out my glider and punched off into a decent cycle. Climbing ok over launch I headed to the RR and it was on. I topped out about 300 feet over the peak and headed to Cathedral, which led me to LaCumbre. Wow, it's really working. Over to the Alternator and out the spine to connect well and send it over to No Name. Climbing well there, I headed over to the VOR.
After getting above the VOR I decided to turn around and go back. Everything was working and as I tanked up over the Thermal Factory, I decided "what the hell, let's go east."
Everything was working and I was getting to about 3,700 feet most everywhere. Just before the powerlines, I topped out at 4,300. Past the powerlines I got to 5,000 feet before White Ledge. I think it was the first time I ever got through the pass without getting low. As I turned the corner into Ojai, the cirrus clouds came in and heating started to peter out. I got one last climb short of the 33 and decided to take it out to the high school. 3 hours 8 minutes and a nice grassy landing field.
Retrieve -
The public transportation is very good. I walked 1/4 mile to the shopping area near the high school and picked up a S.C.A.T bus to Ventura for $1.25. A one hour layover allowed me to eat at a diner before catching the Vista Express bus to downtown Santa Barbara for $2.00. 15 minutes later I caught another bus to Goleta for $1.25. Picked up my mountain bike and rode back to Parma to retrieve the truck. Pretty good adventure and I think I'll sleep ok tonight.
Irene, Roger and I headed up to Skyport to see if the winds were really light and from the southwest - yes they were. It was cycling lightly as we got there around 11:30am. I laid out my glider and punched off into a decent cycle. Climbing ok over launch I headed to the RR and it was on. I topped out about 300 feet over the peak and headed to Cathedral, which led me to LaCumbre. Wow, it's really working. Over to the Alternator and out the spine to connect well and send it over to No Name. Climbing well there, I headed over to the VOR.
After getting above the VOR I decided to turn around and go back. Everything was working and as I tanked up over the Thermal Factory, I decided "what the hell, let's go east."
Everything was working and I was getting to about 3,700 feet most everywhere. Just before the powerlines, I topped out at 4,300. Past the powerlines I got to 5,000 feet before White Ledge. I think it was the first time I ever got through the pass without getting low. As I turned the corner into Ojai, the cirrus clouds came in and heating started to peter out. I got one last climb short of the 33 and decided to take it out to the high school. 3 hours 8 minutes and a nice grassy landing field.
Retrieve -
The public transportation is very good. I walked 1/4 mile to the shopping area near the high school and picked up a S.C.A.T bus to Ventura for $1.25. A one hour layover allowed me to eat at a diner before catching the Vista Express bus to downtown Santa Barbara for $2.00. 15 minutes later I caught another bus to Goleta for $1.25. Picked up my mountain bike and rode back to Parma to retrieve the truck. Pretty good adventure and I think I'll sleep ok tonight.