Ace and Some Air

A wonderful addition to my lifestyle has left less time for flying and none for blogging over the past couple of months. Ah yes, there has been many changes, even my trusty Toyota couldn't hang anymore, with the 50 percent larger family. So in order to drive my bigger family and live that soaring lifestyle, what car should I get?

Duh! OK, now thats settled.

On to my biggest adventure, ACE! Unfortunately I haven't been able to get him off the ground just yet, as Wills Wing currently doesn't stock anything with a clip in range from 10 to 15 pound. Instead, I have been focusing on the sailplane and getting him to solo. Teri feels he isn't ready just yet, as she indicates that he lacks awareness of ability to control his extremities, that he can't see past 12 inches, blah, blah ... and other made up excuses from her child development degree.

Not to argue, I focus on ground school instead and am very pleased that he has acquired the requisite aeronautical knowledge, even being able to plot several polar diagrams for theoretical airfoils which he is developing. His favorite time however, is spent aboard his full motion simulator with five point harness where he is working on keeping milk "INSIDE" his stomach during inverted maneuvers.
Well thats about all I can do for Ace at this stage, so today, I take the opportunity and head off to WSC to catch some much needed airtime. After confirming with another pilot that you "pull" back on the stick to go up and "push" forward to go down I jump on tow, off to Walker Ridge catching my first thermal over Indian Valley Reservoir.
I work hard and patiently climb to cloud base in weak lift. With just enough altitude, I push into the mountains where the low clouds are scraping over the Southern peaks.
At 90 knots I race up Goat Ridge.
And turn a beautiful Lett's Lake, idealistic scenery with kayakers afloat.
The clouds are obscuring Snow Mountain and others to the North, so I turn around and make my way to Lower Clear Lake.
A turn towards the valley and a tour of Cache Creek and the Rumsey Gap my the way home.
I bring it back to the strip at WSC a hair over three hours after a nice tour despite never getting above 7K feet due to low clouds. Time to get back to Ace and share todays big adventure.

Birthday Air

Today is the oldest I have ever been, so I decide to celebrate ... By doing what? ... Flying of course. Nick, who is exactly 22 years my junior has the same idea, for his birthday. But, in Nicks case there is more reason to celebrate, as today is the first day the law allows him to make the right of passage and act as his own Pilot in Command. Nicks first solo flight aboard the ASK-21, image courtesy of Valley Soaring Association.

The right of passage, soloing an aircraft, includes several traditions, one of which is the notorious bucket of water over your head after exiting the aircraft. As Nicks father is a member of the Williams Fire Department, this tradition is carried out as more of deluge than the standard bucket by use of the local Engine Company, image Valley Soaring Association.
Alright, I can't top that birthday, but I can still fly, so off to the mountains aboard "JH" in tow behind "30Z."

The word beautiful comes to mind while I'm above Goat Mountain with Snow Mountain in the background.
Soaring conditions are weak, but this bare spot provides an amebic little thermal to play with.
An absolutely wonderful view to the North as I fly by Lett's Lake.
Heading back, with East Park Reservoir and the town of Stonyford under my wing.
Bringing her back home to the strip at WSC.
Although the day only provides an extended sled ride, I can't think of a better way of spending an hour and a quarter of my birthday.

Some Hang Time

Lately life has been, work ... rain ... a sled ride ... more work ... more rain ... ect.

But today ... Spring is finally here, the grass is green, the sky is filled with Q, waterfalls are everywhere, thermals are aplenty and I get to write this blog with some wonderfully sore arms. In the grand scheme of things I suppose today wasn't epic. When I compare it to recent life, it sure seems close.

Catching Wave and Some Irony

A wet atmosphere and rain scheduled to arrive on the ground by late afternoon keeps the crowd away from Williams on this Pre-Frontal March day. But, today I've got the bug, so if the surfs up I'm in. On the tow out, it's obvious the mountains are obscured in low clouds so I key the radio, "22Z, take me to that nice looking one over the hills, just ahead."

Nope, it dissipates before we get there and only sink is found in its place. A 90 degree turn of the tug, a little more tow time and I release at Walker Ridge where the work begins.
It's a challenge. I race to some Lenticular Fakus to get some 50 up before it disappears and turns into sink. Sometimes on days like this, I think that success is equivocal to pure desire and today I have that desire bad. But, despite putting in a good fight I'm at 5K just West of Walker and need to head out. Fortunately the only cloud that hasn't moved or changed in the sky is sitting just above the 20 Gap which happens to be on the way out. But when I get there at 4K will I be too low? Lets see, heres a small burble, time to work.
It seems like more of a convergence line then a wave so I change tactics and fight slowly towards that only stationary cloud in the sky.
Then all of a sudden. BAM ... real wave, the vario sings and I rise above the clouds.
More clouds are beginning to form and I start to see some showers.
All of a sudden it's incredibly easy to soar and I reach 9K. THE CATCH ... it's a little moist today and the one cloud that became a train of clouds, that the foehn gap I'm working in which was open to the South has immediately closed up and as I climb up that big cloud overhead begins to look a little close for comfort.
115 Knots Airspeed doesn't seem fast enough as I race North towards what appears to be holes in the layer. When I get there I find relief and turn towards those big holes to drop on through.
It seems a bitter irony that I fight for over an hour and after getting exactly what I want, I'm spiraling with the air-brakes open and damn glad to see 1200 fpm down on the vario. Below the clouds some rain hits the canopy, but thats alright, for this is where I will stay for the next couple of hours, safe and happy below the clouds.
Be careful what you wish for.