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an Aire of Addiction...

From: Sarah
Activity_Date: Saturday
Remote Name: 207.154.99.100

Comments

Even after reading Tom's "10am" I was determined to sleep in and work the rest of the day for my clients. It only figures I happened to run into Tom(who -was not- going to chase the wind today either) :-) ...at Bates!

Tom can post the technical version, but this is mine:

Roughly 1pm: Wilcox was kickn'... I saw Phillip with his Epsilon and a hangy(at a distance) parking themselves a couple hun. over facing very west. I got as far as the chain and turned heel at the sight of stiffly uphill streamers above the launch tree. "Ok, so this is where I get in the car and go find everyone flying at Bates right?"

Fast forward 15 minutes: 101 outside of Bates.

"Not a wing in the air?? I must be missing a raging party somewhere.." =\

Fast forward 5 minutes: Bates launch.

Pilot Jeff and his trusty purple Carbon with his brother nearby flying a sport kite report that it has been soarable and Jeff had flown a few times. I thought it felt light, but I had been imprinted by winds at Morro Bay/Cayucos that had gusted to 30mph yesterday. Sorted out my wing and turned around and Tom Truax is here! Yeah! (Cool, I AM IN THE *RIGHT* place!) Tom whips out his windmeter, informs me with a smile that I'm light and can be flying...

Indeed! I had a great time buzzing launch. A few spectators oo'd and ahhh'd and shot video. I came down to fix my square Thin Red Line biner as it had forced into holding my weight in a diamond position. Flew again and primarily stayed around launch. Lift was slightly puls-ey but FUNNN and continued to get stronger. Tom made "trax" (that's Truax minus the "u" ;-) and jumped to the back ridge. I flew out to the main ridge anticipating good lift... woo. IT WAS THERE. I was geared light(probably -10 to -15 from my placard) and was going up fast and inching backwards and was not happy to find looking down past my knees at the backside of the ridge. I didn't mess around having heard stories of highway or tree landings so I immediately pulled ears and leaned forward in earnest. A sprite of panic connected in me as I realized that I was going straight down! I leaned harder and mentally willed the wing forward. It crawled.. finally, and I didn't get off the A's until I was halfway down the FRONT of the ridge. Then I tooled around and hopped the wires back to my launch buzzing. Did a 'supergirl' landing in front of some kids and their dad video-ing. Stopped there and went looking for my radio.

Miscued with Tom on the radios(SBSA vs. SCPA frequencies), but was standing next to my car when the cell gave its last ring. Picked him up in La Conchita, brought him back and he gave it another go. (sidenote: missed Tom due to heavy traffic, he managed to run across 101 with his wing only gathered to meet me on the other side! Sorry about that Tom.. ) Back at launch the wind had continued to increase so we made the "aircraft-carrier launch" and scooted Tom above our heads to the edge so he could fly away. Did the same to the now suited Jeff and went back to my radio... Tom had jumped already! Picked him up later near the first frontage road exit ("101 RV Lane?" =D ) after watching him in and out of the low cloudbase hovering above La Conchita. Wind was high up, not low-- the beach was barely 4-5 at best.

Thanks Tom, for demos, debriefing and instruction on how to plan for making the jump to the back ridge! I will definitely give it a go someday. My first time flying at Bates would have been pushing my luck! ;-)

Bob, ya missed out!!

Sarah

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