Oat was on, and off...

[Marty DeVietti]

Top landing fun!

Thanks to the Pratts and Simon for the ride to launch on Saturday. I got 4 fun flights with three top landings, (two at the take off area and one on Oat Mtn proper). The clouds were on and off, and so was the lift, but I was fortunate to be in the air when the switch was 'on' for all but my last flight, which, came at the time when I really needed to go anyway. The photo is from Oat proper, looking 500' down to launch. What a playground this place is. As I was packing and then driving away, it was looking more "ON" than earlier, so I hope Kristin, Mark Pratt and Mark M each got some more airtime in my absence. Thanks so much for the opportunity! Oh, yeah, did I mention that 3 Condors were flying near me? Too cool!

http://picasaweb.google.com/MartyintheskywithCarmen/OatMtn#

Today, (Sunday) Art, Dietrich, Carmen and I made a play at the grade, meeting at 1:30 pm. Carmen nailed her launch, boated around above and out front for about 20 minutes or so until setting up to land as a precaution before the stronger wind came in. Art and I made the grass and Dietrich turned around after 'not feeling it' and wisely landed where Carmen did, near the car.

Good times,

M

Smiles all around this weekend.

[Mark Miyahara]

When we first got to launch it was pretty clouded over but it finally burned through in spots. Marty, Simon, Kristyn and I were there. Marty took off first and made it look really easy to find lift. I launched 2nd and found a few pops but basically was quickly sinking out. It was looking like I would be going to the Goodenough LZ but then I heard Dr. Pratt (Nitrous) come on the radio and say he was coming up on the quad runner and he could retrieve me at the newer LZ they made just below launch. So I landed there and he took me back up to launch. Kristyn launched and also sankout and landed there as well. (Flight time 4 min)

2nd launch.. lift was getting better. Nitrous launched after me and was really making it work...better then me...I landed at Goodenough LZ to say good bye to Marty. Nitrous asked if I wanted to drive my truck back up to launch for a 3rd launch! . Never did it 3 times in the same day! Sooooo...up I went again. (Flight time 20 min. 2982 max alt 736ft/min max vario -829ft/min min vario)

3rd launch... Clouds started closing in again and the wind was picking up also. Nitrous was still flying when I got back on launch. He top landed launch but it was trickier air to manuveur in. Double D and Ron G. came up right behind me and they were going to try and fly also. Well....my next launch attempt wasn't very pretty . Stronger wind gusts were coming through but I felt I could handle them. I tried to wait for the lull between them. Pulled up and was pulling the A's to try get the wing overhead with moderate resistance while moving towards the wing. But not getting it where it should be. Then Nitrous said, "Run under the wing!". That was what I should have done...because when I did it responded the way I wanted it to. But then was further back on launch and just as I turned around forward I lost my footing on the side ledge around launch and went for a short drag. Next attempt was great... no problem. Lift was very good and I flew to cloud base and out toward San Caytano? Mnt across the Sespe river. Made about it half way there (I think I could have intersected the lower ridges) when I decided not to keep going but see if I could fly back and work my way back to the top of launch. I did manage to do that, and could see Ron and DD down on the new lower LZ.
I caught a screamer thermal when I was at about 3150 ft. I knew I was near cloud base but the cloud textures made it difficult to judge. So as my vario was screaming I saw the terrain start to grey out! A good intense look at my GPS heading as the world went white then I reached up and did a B line stall. The vario responded the correct way and I just held it and my GPS heading till I saw terrain again. (Need to get a bubble compass like Dean Stratton said in his USHPA magazine article!) THAT was a first...bit eerrie, didn't want to do that again! Flew around somemore and then landed on the newer LZ near Ron and DD. since I knew they would be going back up to launch. This was with the thought that maybe I could retreive the quad for Dr.Pratt and bring it down for him. (He had driven my truck down in the mean time)
(Flight time 41 min. 3510 max alt 1140ft/min max vario -831ft/min min vario)

4th launch... Turned out the keys where not with the quad, so I decided to launch from the newer LZ and fly out to the Goodenough LZ. This was a first for me....the taller weeds made it a bit tricky but pulled up clean and off I was.( Flight time 11 min. 1879 max alt 551ft/min max vario -528ft/min min vario )

1 hour 16 min airtime but a really FUN and full day.
Thanks Nitrous for a great day.