Crestline Soaring Society
Serving Hang Gliding and Paragliding in the San Bernardino Mountains
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Magic Air Friday11/20/2009. Arrived at Marshall and immediately saw the Ecuadorian Flag fly over, John W having a good time, so I set up as fast as I could. Several HGs and PGs launched from Marshall, and I guess owing to converging air masses (I’ll leave the explanation to the knowledgeable) the gliders had only one way to go…up. One or two step launches for the HGs while PGs often struggled with negative step launches, inflating only to be carried backwards several strides. I saw one pilot working to launch for over an hour as in the famous poem inspired by a spider never giving up on its web: “If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.” Irrepressible lift all about Marshall peak where single surface gliders could pretty much hover motionless in the laminar air. Steve Corbin hung 20 ft off the front of launch in the way we all dream of, just like a soaring bird does. Back at Crestline Owen and Rebar Dan where hovering in the stiffer winds with their T2s. The bunch of us at Marshall boated between 4000 and 4600 effortlessly. After an hour I got waylaid by a thermal at Cloud that took me from 4100 to 6000 and at last I made it to Crestline, quickly questioning my decision as I saw the trees waving wildly and at trim my Sport 2 drifted backwards at 5 mph. Ken's Howell's chart on the weather page tells the story, it was "Howelling." It took me over 10 minutes to penetrate back to Marshall with the bar 3/4 stuffed, fortunately the air was quite buoyant. There it was half the head wind, I saw Dusty topland nicely. The air got even more magical as the afternoon wore on, I was plagued by a continual ringing in my ears…the vario. I landed into a very west wind, as did Kyle a few minutes before me. After sunset a PG landed in the catabatic winds. Then an HG did too, making a nice approach and touching down in the extreme South East corner. Dusty said it was good to see that, after all, we pay for the whole LZ including that corner, it might as well get used sometimes. Mike Z Forums > Pilot Reports Launch at CrestlineI took the day off to make it down for what looked like good flying. I called the windtalker and it said 3-5 knots at crestline. Although I thought that sounded surprisingly calm, I had a driver with me so I didn't bother to call for a spot on the bus. I set up at Crestline at 2:30, thinking it was going to get more mellow and also thinking it was too late to get down to Marshall. Tried to launch 3 times but it was strong and I had a completely inexperienced wire crew. A competent pilot with a good wire crew could have launched, but it was a day better suited for packing it up, which I did at 4:00. I really want to flyyyy! Cheers to those who tasted air today. By the way, where the is the windtalker located and why was it telling me that it was 5 knots when it was more like 20-25? dohJeff, I'm bummed I missed you (though I promised you a BBQ, I was too busy on something else yesterday, but give me some warning and we're there!). Did you know how to get to Marshall? The windtalker is on a house on the ridge, I think, but you have to add a certain amount to its estimates (someone help me out). The web graph is what I check with my Iphone or our wireless in the the LZ (SSID is CSS password is crestline) Hope to catch you next time. Windtalker is in Top TownWindtalker is located at Hwy. 138 and Crest Forest Dr., Crestline 'Top Town'. The Simba WX station (graph and webcam) is a few houses east of launch. http://www.crestlinesoaring.org/images/2006/wx_station_webcam_map The Windtalker picks up light north winds before Simba does. Odd that the windtalker was reporting such light winds when it was honking at launch. May have been in a rotor or windshadow due to the wind direction. Good Flying, I launched my F 225 from theI launched my F 225 from the 750 at 14:18. Worked a little core on the west spine from launch for a few turns. Went to the gap below the 750, where two hawks were thermalling low. Several circles above them caused beeping from my vario. Worked the bluffs a bit, letting my circles get bigger to include the area above the treeline - the trees were jumping around a lot. I surveyed the landscape and took in the magnificence of our flying site, of our grass covered landing area, which I was approaching rapidly. I landed into SW 5 at 14:24. Good hike back up to get the truck. Good Flying, Duuuuuude...Zeller is just insanely good at landing. Next time he pounds one in, I'm buying beers for the LZ. Looks like you sukkas are going thirsty for a while! rC Thanks JohnThanks for the video John. Where were you taking that shot from, up on the training hill? When I saw myself silhouetted against the University I thought I must have landed out and had a convenient bout of amnesia. What do you know, a landing that went OK even though there was a camera on it, in direct violation of the famous formula C = BL. (Camera = Bad Landing) Dave Aldrich sagely pointed out that “luck is just probability taken personally,” but he can be taught. The last time a camera was on me I whacked at Dunlap. Its at the bottom of the pond where it belongs now. Mike Z Nice telephoto work!Nice pix & Zellervideo JW. What was you camera/lens combo? Shilo Knows!I see in the first photo of Rebar Dan that Shilo is in the prone position. But in the second photo just before touchdown she is in the upright postion. She knows! Mike Z Thanks JohnThanks for the photo of me and Harrier on short final. Hang Gliding is inherently fun |
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Wow
Sounds great. You lucky dogs!
rC
