Friday 8k in Santa Barbara

[diablo]

A better pilot could have! Southsides forecast was once again spot on. With the northwest wind seeming to back down Scotty and JR were set to do at the Eliminator. The launch cycles were blowing from every direction. Taking off the ATOS went into a left turn as I was being blown out of the canyon east of takeoff. At the powerlines I was slowing climbing to 4k with the drift being out of 330 and 14 miles per hour. I made a play for the Thermal Factory with no results and flew out to the Antenae farm with no results I turned back and flew to the Power Lines and again flushed off to the Antenae farm with clouds forming above me. At that point I dialed into the "rebound" layer and started climbing drifting towards the southeast thinking that this is a "brotherhood" day with a slightly less than perfect direction Over Wesmont College I was climbing thru 6k I went for a drink of water and the camel back line was frozen. Off shore at Padaro Lane I went to 8k in the convergence with booming lift and sharp vertical mixing. The wind at altitude was 14-17 mph out of 330. It was another one of the times that I felt that I was a little "under gunned" wondering if the glider tumbled would I end up being blown offshore! There were clouds forming on the range at Castle Ridge. Instead for making a play for them a took a more diagonal line towards Nune Peak in the "lee". With clouds forming at Chismahoo I kept heading eastward towards them at 3200' I promised myself I was not going to landout again. Behind Cates school I found weak convergence lift climbing to 4K and still not high enough to make it thru the pass I took my altitude and flew to the Marina in Ventura landing in 15-20 southwest winds. A more determined pilot could have made to Ojai and parts beyond. The cold and the "sharp" edges around the convergence were both factors! I need to start flying with a camera. See you tomorrow

[andy]

Hey Tony what time did you launch. It seems as though the interpolated lapse rates, cloud base, and wind speeds were as you reported at 12:00.

I guess its better to have your camel back freeze rather than your moose knucle. I need a pod for this arctic air.....Andy