"Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."
Leonardo da Vinci

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Behind the Curve

Fire weather forecasters indicate a sea breeze will return abruptly this afternoon causing switching and gusty winds. Luckily I'm off work and what is bad for firefighting could be good for soaring. A possibility of convergence at Mount Diablo takes impeccable timing and of a lot of luck. I arrive early in the afternoon, hoping to get off the Tower ahead of a sea breeze, although I arrive just as the wind starts to blow West. Oh well, I quickly set up at Juniper, note a couple of dust devils, strong gusts and building wind. I cross my fingers and get off launch.
Once airborne I realize two things. One, I picked the right launch as it is certainly West and two, I am in sink. Before I know it I'm circling down over The Thousand Footer.
A gusty landing and an unintentional shoe ski to a stop atop the hill. Almost sweet convergence, just a little behind the curve.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Soaring the Eagle High

Heat over Northern California peaks today so I decide to fly, high pressure style. Although, uncharacteristic weather for 2010, prior experience defines just one strategy to soar in these conditions. I tolerantly wait until very late in the afternoon and just as the atmosphere begins to cool, I launch the Tower atop Diablo, bee-lining straight for Eagle Peak. When I get there, yes, my vario sings.
Typical on high pressure days I find an inversion over Eagle at 3100' where I get a roller coaster ride for free. I get to soar, but my climbs have a definitive end at the fun layer.
I know Eagle is it, but I don't have to cut the same hole in the sky all day so I move out and play over the West face.
Push up and spin the North Side.
Even the well shadowed East slope works today.
After an hour the lift begins too wane so I'm out. Late day Mitchell Canyon reveals nil winds and nil turbulence for a wonderfully smooth landing after soaring a high pressure day over Eagle.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Scratch Skills

When the atmosphere is stable, the sky dry, the thermals small and short lived, one must work the terrain, up close and personal; grabbing any little bubble that rises up, exploiting it for all it's worth, without actually hitting that same terrain triggering the bubble. The skill used to soar in these conditions is called scratching and although not my forte, I personally will only attempt this on a hang glider and then, do so conservatively.

With a weak forecast, eerily similar to yesterday, Gerry and I decide to try our luck at the Devil and work on those scratching skills. With shinny new gloves to help me scratch, I launch The Tower and break them in for a few turns at Bald Ridge, happy to simply maintain.
Down to Eagle Peak as my shadow graces the trail. Surprisingly neither of us find a bump to ride here at Eagle.
Lower yet, I crank small sharp bubbles.
I gaze over and become mesmerized by Gerry defying gravity on this light lift day. He says it's "good practice" despite having mastered this scratching thing.
Because I have yet to perfect scratching, I'm first to bring it in at Mitchell Canyon LZ.
A fun and challenging day at Mount Diablo, developing those scratching skills.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Trying a Soft Day

The "H-Crit" looks like the heights are equivocal to elevations on a topographic relief map of the Mendocino Mountains on this building high pressure and stable September day.
But, Dr. Jack, today is my only day to fly a sailplane this week, so I'll take my chances and work on those scratching skill. Off tow at Tree Farm in "JH" Dr. Jack produces just as promised, not much.
A view North of Snow Mountain which is unreachable by this pilot, in this plane, on this day.
Failing to climb at Tree Farm I'm forced to move out and try lift on the lower slopes.
Before heading back over the foothills, en-route WSC.
The day was soft, but pilots often say, I got a takeoff and landing in. Mine happened to be a 6000' pattern tow. I think any flight is more than just takeoff and landing practice; it's beautiful, it's educational and it sure beats just about anything else I could have done today.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Getting Above the Clouds

A low cloud base over the Sacramento Valley scrapes the 2130' high Sutter Buttes right in the middle, causing skepticism on this unusually wet September day. Moisture and energy are clearly in the air, so I'll play what I'm dealt, get off tow in "JH" near the gliderport and under clouds, expecting a valley day. Conditions are fun, but bases are low as I push West into the foothills.
But wait ... Why soar under the clouds and not above? "DR" states he is in wave over Rumsey Gap, so I work the area like mad. It takes discipline and patience as I slowly climb the windward side of clouds in 50 fpm up.
Then I break into that wonderful wave and climb high above the clouds.
Thanks "DR." Without any visible signs in a sky full of Q, I would have never looked for wave and likely flown right through that half knot of lift without turning.
With the sky as my limit, I follow wave South across the Rumsey gap and check out Cache Creek Casino and Golf course to my East.
Lake Berryessa through a gap in the clouds.
Northbound on the ridge I hook up with the Duo Discus "MG" for a few turns.
After a fun time above the clouds it is time to head towards Williams and duck back under. With a perspective from above I'll be sure to stay away from that cell.
Below the clouds, I see the cells furry from a safe ten miles away.
Base has risen over the valley so I decide to play. Approaching Colusa and the Sacramento River with the Sutter Buttes in the distance.
Back on the ground at WSC pilots have almost as much energy as the sky after this unique day getting above the clouds.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Good Thermals Under Low Bases

In need of my weekly dose to weight shift soar, I arrive at Mount Diablo with cloud base scraping Juniper launch. The wind looks perfect as a typical winter cold front is approaching and although base could be higher I couldn't ask for more being that fall is over and winter has arrived here in Oregon. Off launch ridge lift is weak so I head out front to work below the strato-cumulus layer.
I find good thermals and spin it up below the clouds.
I am quickly greeted with wispies.
So I play near the edges.
Further away from the mountain base is even lower as a typical wintertime Diablo cloud dome has somewhat formed.
Although lift is good, cloud base is low; it's Thousand Footer time. I initially set up a bit high, but am able to pull it down between the trees as my Sport 2 has a tendency to fix problems, making any landing look and feel good.
Wait, isn't it September in California?

Friday, September 17, 2010

All Forms of Lift

With a cold front brushing the Northern California/Oregon border in September anything could happen and it does, as Brian and I pilot the Duo Discus out of Williams Soaring Center.
Off tow just East of Goat Mountain in a well marked, but weak convergence line we are initially pinned to the airport. With just enough spare altitude to explore we immediately wander into a wave which Doctor Jack knew nothing about. We climb high above the clouds and get a beautiful view of Indian Valley Reservoir in the foreground with Clear Lake beyond.
Without O2 on this unplanned wave day I have fuzzy recollection of topping out at about 14K before heading South Bound just West of the Rumsey Gap.
Towards Lake Berryessa hoping to contact another wave off one of the many ridges.
Cumulous over the Capay Valley.
Without enough luck to blunder into another non-forecasted wave we turn towards a convergence line we have been scoping since our release. This turns out to be the most fun convergence line ever flown with a wonderful mix of thermal, convergence, above cloud and below cloud soaring.
WSC radios they are closing, we have been up long enough and decide to return to earth after a little taste of soaring all forms of conceivable lift on this unique September day.

Monday, September 13, 2010

A Fun Disturbance

Meteorologists indicate a slight "disturbance" will hit the Northern California Mountains as it rotates off a low pressure system over the Pacific Ocean. I don't know exactly what this means, but it sounds good. Out of WSC in "JH" I get off tow at an unusual location, the South end of Goat Ridge. I follow a cloud street on the West side of Goat Ridge and make it North to Snow Mountain. Once there the lift turns on and clouds paint a path towards no mans land, much further to the West than the usual development.
Fortunately base is high and the lift is good so I follow this Westerly route and cut to Black Butte for the final big spin before venturing into the blue.
Clouds over Anthony Peak are a safe glide to Covelo and I point my nose on this continued Western path to the North.
Yollo Peak looks nicely developed but I'll have to head North into the Yolly Bolly Mountain and then cut East to circumvent a giant blue hole.
Soaring in the Yolla Bolly Mountains is just like I remember, FAT. I speed around at 100 KTS under the clouds and maintain at 13K in the bitter cold air.
I tag Yolla Peak and notice a remaining patch of snow.
On the return leg my cloud street shifts even further West to take me directly towards Hull Mountain.
High over Lake Pillsbury.
It's late afternoon and I continue South, gazing at the reflecting sun off Clear Lake.
After tagging the HWY 20/16 intersection I turn East towards the airport and look back at the wonderfully developed mountains.
A greaser landing on "16" for 167 statute miles in 3 1/2 hours. Slow for most, but for me it's good. Reading the forecast discussion in the future, I will always look for the word "disturbance."

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Happy Day at Diablo

At the Tower Launch on Mount Diablo Robert, Gerry and I hope to enjoy some nice fall soaring. But ... then ... a good pilot shows up. After many months away, the big guy Chris returns atop his favorite mountain. Chris is all smiles and it quickly becomes contagious.
Chris gives some last minute coaching to Gerry before launch. It sure works, as Gerry quickly skies out.
Off second, I scratch myself down the mountain, as I am the one in need of coaching. Past Bald Ridge, too low to make Eagle Peak, I fight like mad in and out of small punchy cores.
I luck out and find happy air to work my way up, eventually getting over the Summit.
Robert is off last and appears as a speck down the ridge from The Tower; mid frame, slightly right.
It doesn't take Robert long to go from a speck below to a speck above, as he climbs past the horizon. Robert ends up beating my nemesis, the inversion and eventually heads East to Airfield Kevin in Oakley.
After an hour of banging my head into the 4600' inversion I concede. I decide to go exploring instead, so off to the West.
I feel the North wind is light enough to head over the back and work some lee side fun.
I find light lift over Shell Ridge.
With North wind and weak thermals my drift is faster than my climb. I find myself spinning over Alamo which doesn't seem like much of a problem. However, a demon still exists in the North Wind as I will soon find out.
I fight the Demon to keep it level through rotor and bring it onto the lee hillside at Macedo Ranch with only a dent to the nose cone. Next, how do I explain the magnitude of this rotor to Gerry without scarring him. "Keep your speed up Gerry," as he battles the Demon. Safe on the ground a giant dust devil rips through the LZ and I contend, despite a poor choice of landing zones, today is a happy day at Mount Diablo.