Pine Sat 8/9

[sd]

A mixed crew of old salty's is camping at Pine on Saturday 8/9. Weather looks better on Saturday than Sunday. A few of the retired pilots don't plan to fly. The SE wind is forecast to lay down for the old timers, and then build back in for Sunday morning. I plan to fly Saturday. Hopefully it won't be too windy on launch for PGs. The wind shouldn't be much of an issue for the HGs. Winds aloft are forecast to be light from the SE, swinging around to come light from the west in the afternoon. SE wind tends to be amplified at the south launch of Pine.

The lapse rate looks good. Top of the lift increases throughout the day, maybe 11 or 12 at Pine, and 14K over Lockwood Valley.

Plenty of ground crew and support, so you can just drive to launch and get a ride back to your car at camp if you don't have logistics. I expect to leave Carpinteria around 8:35ish and pass through Ventura around 9ish if anyone needs a ride.

I'll bring my tandem if someone wants to tour the area midday.

[dteal]

So, how was it?
DT

[BobA]

Robin over Pinescape

Pretty strong south most of the day. Cloud streets were over-the-back. HG pilots TQ, Max, and Hammer flew about 1 pm. OTB around 9200', Hammer went to Pinos, Apache Canyon, Half Way House, Monte Aeredo, Old Man mtn, to Elings Park! - he got Phoenix to pick him up only to get his second car and drive back to Pine by sundown. Max went to the Antelope valley, and landed 55 miles out just South of the airstrip on Tahachapis, and became one with the desert for awhile. TQ flew to Jawbone Canyon 90 miles out, after about 5 1/2 hours...JP chased, and they made it back to camp about 10pm. Reports were of 14k over Lockwood/Fraiser and 12k around Pinos/Apache...Myself, Chris and Robin flew PGs in the late afternoon glass-off, pretty sweet to 9300' over the campgrounds. We passed SD flat-bedding his car home with triple AAA as we arrived. Diablo was on top with his women hiking and left to go Salsa dancing. We camped in the best spot up there, thanks to Max, with John Scott, Lauren, Barry, Nicholas, Ronnie, JP, Rotor and Christine.

[sd]

Most of this has already been reported by Bob Anderson, but since I wrote it, I'll put it out there.

I encountered significant delays en route to launch, and by the time I started to lay out my wing (12:30ish), the building south wind was intimidating. Max had launched his HG and despite some pronounced lulls, it appeared there may be penetration issues for slower PGs in the compression venturi above the ridge. I opted to abort my setup, but the HGs did well. They all went OTB climbing through the mid 9s. It was likely possible to do the same on a PG, but the flat thermal trajectory in the lower level wind was a concern. Not sure about maximum altitudes, but I suspect it was in the lower teens.
A cloud street running east/west set up a few miles north of launch. Hammer (Robert) tagged Mt Pinos and then flew back to Santa Barbara (must be some kind of new record?). Todd (TQ) and Max flew down the Tehachapi range. Max landed near the "secret" test airport before the Tehachapi windmills (50ish miles), and Todd went around the corner but opted to bail for the road rather than following the cloud street away from the road. He landed short of Jawbone Canyon (90ish miles?). JP (Fred Vachss) was on chase.

Robin made a 2nd trip to launch with one of the FlyAboveAll trucks from Ojai. They passed me on their way up as I was departing with the tow truck to limp home with my Toyota. Reports were that the wind backed off nicely and they all had good flights.