Winter Wave Day

Apparently the folks at the National Weather Service haven't been referencing my fire schedule when they make the weather, as I have yet to see some stick time this year. Well today thats about to change as Kempton spots a North wind wave day earlier in the week. En-route to the glider port Kempton gives me a call, "want to fly duel in the K-21." Hmm, being downwind of the airport 30 miles out in a trainer sure sounds like fun, but I really want to fly my shinny "ASW-27," maybe I can do both. From here on out the day becomes a roller coaster ride. Just like that, I'm in that back seat of the K-21, a long way from home, behind a ridge, down wind of the glider port.
Fortunately Kempton's forecast is impeccable and piloting skills make up for any lack of performance as we climb in six knots of lift.
We reach 15K behind Goat Ridge and get a wonderful view to the North.
We drive to Snow Mountain with St. John off the wingtip.
Looking NW towards towards Lake Pillsbury and Hull Mountain.
This is my first time in the back seat of a sailplane and I really enjoy just being able to relax, sightsee and learn from Kempton.
I decide to take the stick and circle around in light winds aloft, yet buoyant lift. We climb to 17.5K and decide to leave the mountains. We push upwind across the Valley in hopes of catching the Sutter Buttes Wave.
But with a headwind and medium performance glider we realize we'll never get there. We turn around and Kempton expertly performs the notorious North wind landing on 34 at Williams.
The flight with Kempton was wonderful, but I want to solo. With two hours of daylight remaining I jump aboard the mighty ship "Juliet Hotel" and begin back at square one.
The lift is even stronger, the views just as wonderful as the shadows grow long.
I quickly climb to 17K. With daylight waning, I put the flaps to negative and speed past 100 Knots. Performance is on my side as I cross over and catch the Sutter Buttes Wave just to prove it's there. I race back to WSC and have to pull the air brakes to bleed off 7K feet of excess altitude before dark.

My landing would have been perfect if it were on the deck of a Navy Carrier. Man that North wind gradient is fierce and I get a final lesson for the day. I luckily learn it the easy way. In the future I will always ensure managing my speed all the way to touch down. One day and two wonderful flights on a great winter wave day.

Soaring in the New Year

Wow, I had to wait four entire days into 2011 to get my feet off the ground. Although, I did manage an apropos way to start the New Year, as I venture to Mount Diablo to meet up with my hang gliding instructor Wally who taught me the wonders of soaring a few years back. With Wally already airborne I push off Juniper Launch into a light cycle.

Wally is certainly a master of flight and has currency in fixed wing, sailplanes and hang gliders. Soaring is in his family and I often share a thermal with his wife Ginny who soars the Northern California skies aboard her ASW-24 "G3." Today Wally is on his paraglider coring a nice one, so I decide to join him.
Working hard in a challenging thermal with Wally high above.

A light day and I fight to maintain. Hey, for the first week of January, not bad.

You know when the student surpasses his instructor. Wally, you have nothing to worry about, as I fall out of the thermal and scratch down the West side of Diablo.
North Gate Road winding through beautiful foothills.
A nice landing at The Thousand Footer is a great way to roll in the New Year. 2011, BRING IT ON!

2010 - A Year in the Life of Soaring

Today is my last chance to visit the sky in 2010 and luckily it looks soarable. After my morning run I get a phone message from Gerry ... "want to go fly Diablo?" I call back ... "Nah, I checked the BLIPs, there's thermal, convergence, wave and clouds over the Mendos, already got my 27 scheduled. But wait, let me see if I can get a plane with a back seat." Three hours later and we're towing into the the lee of Snow Mountain. Slack lines become more frequent and worse, damn it's getting rough. The tow pilot calls on the radio "how much further do you plan on towing?" Translation: "GET OFF TOW." When I do, yep we're in a mix of thermal, convergence and big mountain lee side rotor, wow look at that vario plummet.
After a nauseating ten minutes of bouncing up and down and never finding that magical wave we decide to leave the angry mountains behind.
I spot a nice looking Q over Walker Ridge. Gerry doesn't think we can make it. "But Gerry, we're in a sailplane." So we head over and spin it up, getting above our release altitude next to Indian Valley Reservoir.
Gerry enjoying the sights and some friendly foothill air.
After spinning a few holes in sky above the hills we head back to a beautiful and clear valley, soaked from recent rain of biblical proportion.
And put it on the ground one last time for 2010.

I met my goal to chronicle every flying day/trip for 2010. Real Pilots Don't Need Engines will continue however, I'm unsure if I can sustain the constant blogging pace and may resort to showcasing highlights of soaring life.

The 2010 Box Scores (I only keep a glider log book)

114 blog entries of only 117 flying days, 69 hang gliding and 48 sailplane.

Only 127.6 flight hours during 57 flights, Pilot in Command of a sailplane.

Average flight time 2.4 hours not including 3 pattern tows, 1 aborted takeoff and 1 instrument failure return.

Two Days Beyond The Solstice

Having passed the Winter Solstice just two days ago, every day gets better, well longer and with a higher sun angle anyway. Todays forecast looks pretty good, well pretty good for being two days beyond the solstice anyway. With faint cumulous in the sky above Diablo, Robert waits for a cycle at Juniper Launch.

I'm off second and once airborne notice the thermals are weak and short lived. Despite Q above my head it's fickle and I'm reminded of last weeks short sailplane ride. It is deep dark winter after all, but you wouldn't know it looking out the window or up at the sky.
When Robert gets decked at Blakes, I realize I'm doomed. I burble down the mountain towards The Thousand Footer.
Robert says today was elusive. I say it was deep in the middle of winter. Either way, being two days beyond the solstice, it was pretty darn fun.