Tuesday Joy

[Kabir]

Such a nice flying day.
Loads of people showed up and just about everyone went all over the place it seems.
Tried chasing Ty, Zak and Bob A around but had no hope in keeping up.
Tagged NO name and then back to la playa.

There was the weirdest glide to the beach in the end.
Left the antennas with 35 and was barely enough.
Seems that everyone had to do some good praying in order to get there.
Thanks to the SA ATC for the heads up and approach guidance.
You gotta believe!

Bob, where did you end up?
And yes, swooping over launch rocks!

Happy new year to everyone!
Health, fun and great times may be there for all!

[Chris G]

Morning check looked like a lot of East aloft with a good lapse rate. The Nuthouse is scary in East and Fly Above All was meeting at Parma at 10:30 ish. Arrived around 10 to find some of the usual suspects including Chris Paul. Good to see some of the old Topa crew out again. Off launch around 10:45, behind CP who was already up at the R&R. I'd called an impromptu task to the VOR>Montecito>Parma or the Beach so CP was on course. Easy climb from Skyport and transition to the R&R. Struggled there for a few minutes before getting to the high 3s. Struggled again low at Cathedral with CP. It was more rock climbing than flying but did manage to get back into the game. Chad had connected higher and was already on glide for WB. I followed and we floundered briefly before finding decent climbs to the low 4s. Chad was finding it out front but I wasn't willing to give up terrain to go check it out, which cost me time. Arrived just over No Name and found a great climb to 4500. VOR was easy to tag but didn't find much in the way of support so swung back around to No Name. The East aloft was making itself apparent with a chunky layer between 3300 and 4300 and strong drift but smoother lift above that. Suffering back through the weird layer at No Name got me to 4750 and an easy glide to WB. Should have kept going but stopped to look for lift and found myself low on the front ridge. Had to struggle back to the low 4s for the transition to Cathedral. Easy climbs on arrival back to 4500. I was starting to feel a bit fatigued by the rough layers and my fingers were baseball bats again despite the 3 glove layers. Most of the pilots were heading to Parma or the Beach by that point and Chad and Chris Paul had already headed out ahead of me, bypassing Montecito. Had nothing to prove by bashing my head into the East just to hit Montecito so bailed for the Beach from Cathedral detouring to Parma when logistics got the better of me. Great day with spectacular climbs and fun going in a direction I never go. With a West wind we'd have had a good crew flying to Ojai. Looked like Aaron and a Blue/White glider with him tagged No Name and Montecito so kudos to those guys for chasing it.

[BobA]

Awesome Fly-By shot Kabir ! Sweet flying conditions! Lots of smooth, broad lift out there. No East wind later on. Had a nice time climbing out at the Thermal Factory to start off while watching Zippy perform aerobatics out of the gaggle! I tried to stay clear but he snuck up on me from behind and flew just-under while looking back up at my owl eyes...I then went West to La Cumbre, S-Turned up the face with Kabir while Ty and Zippy turned circles out front, then onto Altermator for more climbing just out front. Out at the VOR with Ty low, Zippy was turning circles over the Bowling PIn letting us catch up...onto Painted Cave where I called it good while Zippy extended the turn point to Lizard's Mouth and back! Back East I had an unreal climb from No-Name drifting back to the NE hearing the gun club and fearing the richocet...managed to milk it to Alternator and float onto La Cumbre Saddle while Zippy dophined by skimming Earth thru the Saddle and kept going...I scraped it up the face of La Cumbre again and continued East not seeing Zippy again until Montectio figuring he'd tagged Romero already and was on the way back - course he was stalking and playing with me all along and did another great fly-by just-under while I was on glide to Secret Bowl, yes I was lifting my feet and they are normally out straight! We went to Romero road cut but the lift was slightly back West, we climbed out in sweet lift and off Zippy went to do Areobatics over Montecio peak while I cawled up Secret Bowl, after a nice S-turn session on Montecito, I flew out to the beach, not knowing where Zippy went...Mike Harrington on his way to pick up his glider, gave me a ride all the way back to launch for a sunset cruise. Thanks Mike!

[Ben H]

Nice flying guys. I can come out and play tomorrow. See you up there!