Pine Glass Off!!!

[pengoquin]

Chris G put the call out for a 4 pm meet at Nordhoff HS, late day glass off flight from Pine. On the way out, couldn't help but to notice the huge boomers hanging over Pine and the back country. Chris G arrived at the HS in his new Action Mobile Mountain Machine, kind of a paragliding equivalent to the Scooby Doo "Mystery Machine". Brendan P, Chris P and I hopped in and off we went. The clouds backed off and by the time we reached launch things looked good and perfect cycles were coming straight in. Chris P was first off and was well rewarded for his ambition, smooth lift right off launch. Brendan was next off and then me. It was fantastic with steady lift all along the ridge. I felt sorry for Chris G as he had committed to be the driver and hadn't brought his wing, so all he could do is wave and smile as we took the 300-600 FPM lift towards cloud base. Chris P made the first move and left for Ojai when he hit 11,200 ft, he looked much higher from below. Brendan was cranking away spiraling up to cloud base. It was such steady solid lift, the kind that comes once in a Blue Moon! I tagged 12K and pointed towards Nordhoff HS and went on glide. I soon heard Brendan declare that he was on glide from 13,900 ft, following me to the HS. It was so smooth and buoyant that I kept smacking my instruments, I couldn't believe the glide ratio display! Super smooth with just an occasional bump of lift, but it was so hands up and I hadn’t brought a camera. I arrived over the HS at 5,500 ft and soon Brendan arrived even higher. Chris P landed just as we approached overhead. Spent the rest of the flight boating around the valley with Brendan, but all good things must end (darn) and it was time to land. Chris G was right there as we packed up and suggested, Let’s do it again on Sunday! Thanks again, Chris for the call and the driving.

[Chris G]

Brendan will correct me if I'm wrong but I think he hit 13,900....at 6:15PM!!!

[pengoquin]

Oops, it was 13,900 and he wasn't happy that he hadn't worn his gloves. Correction made.

[Chris G]

Looks just as good today! Suburban is going up at 4 from Nordhoff HS.

[pengoquin]

Any word on today's adventure?

[Rich]

We got skunked on today's (Sunday) adventure. Fun drive up to Pine with a bunch of folks but despite amazing cloud formations back there all day, the thermals were missing in action. The air was still. Brendan took a sledder to the sand pile and the rest of us drove down. Hey, it was worth a try and fun in it's own way. Thanks to Chris for slogging us there and back in the urban assault vehicle. No 15k' today...... Let's try again soon.

[sd]

What time did you get to launch? Was there sun on launch? Where was the sun line? Was the sun line receding from or growing toward the south?

[Randall]

Tom, we got to launch around 5:20 pm. All was in sun the whole time we were there (left around 6:30 or so, I think). I don't remember ever seeing the sun line. There was one fairly significant cumi pulsing to the southeast of us, and seemed to slowly be drifting towards launch but gradually dissipated before it ever got close. Saw a small cumi form in front of us (mid-valley) and quickly fade. All other development was well north of us in Lockwood Valley.

South wind was nil to extremely light at launch, and tricking OTB from the time we arrived. The OTB trickle gradually grew stronger and was from the NE.

Brendan seemed to get a poor glide out, with no real lift until almost over the Sandpile, and then only enough to maintain in. So the rest of us threw in the towel.

[robinc]

Definitely worth another run soon, as I think the weather prediction model is being refined with each trip up to see how things actually pan out. Can't wait!

[Ramey]

fyi - Dave Teal and I launched Pine a little afternoon on Saturday. Interesting but ultimately unfulling flights

Robert Ramey

[John Hesch]

Here is a link to a Google Earth file of my flight on Saturday in Cuyama and California valleys. 80+ miles, 13k+, one of two 10+ mile glides was at 69/1.


http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/display/13 ... .34.27.kmz

[Randall]

John, that link doesn't seem to work (at least for me). Could you try re-posting it? Thx.

[NMERider]

removed by author

[Randall]

That link worked perfectly. Thanks Jonathan!