Snow, cold, birds, trucks, airplanes oh my!

Had to talk myself into going. Forecast looked very light & unmotivating. Couple inches of snow & ice on top but when I got there it was cycling! Had a long launch run. Some light thermals to work (In Dec? wow!), some hawks came out, & Cessna 9:40 did a fly by. Very light winds on top when I landed. Hell of a great day! http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/704024

Tokio to Chewelah (on the flex wing) 7-22-12

Made this same flight 2 months ago on the Atos
Pulled off the same with the Litespeed.

The local para guys came out to see the tow site we had been talking about. Few of them took some tows & learned to run their winch.
Need I say more?

Really tough day for me the first half. Jorge left like he was on an Atos. I had a low(ish) tow then struggled with broken ratty thermals to Davenport. Getting frustrated I started to push on low then hit a good one. (Guess I suffered enough) Then things took a change and got better.
Around the same time things changed for the worse for Jorge. Caught up with him near Cayuse (NE of Davenport) near the edge. He was low & struggling. I was a bit higher but getting low when I found one. He eventually starting getting up but it puttered out on him around 6000’ leaving him landing near 231 & Little Falls rd.
I was able to push on to Chewelah then to the Parker LZ  for a nice no wind landing. Michele had retrieved Jorge & was arriving not long after I landed
It doesn't get much better!

Mansfield encampment part…..

Way behind on posting. No one reads it so …. no one knows.

Broke most of my personal bests so far. Longest flight. Broke my 100 mile barrier… twice! (#1 & #2  )FAI triangles to boot!

Lots a great flying with Martin, Mia, Randy & Jorge, Michele & cant forget Nick!. The lake is always a great place to cool off & the Becks never tastes so good after a flight breaking down on the lawn.

Life is good. Cant wait to get back over. (so long as Martin doesn’t decide to move…. & not tell me :-)

A day in the life

 

 

 

Man is the VR ever sleek!

 

Yeah these guys are in the sky on any given day!

July 5th–Mansfield encampment

Mia was back & it was Martins turn to fly. Jorge & Michele came out also (I forgot the mem card for my camera :- ( of all the flights to do so….)

Heading S to the Beasley hills then to Waterville. Martin drove deep to the S for the turn point but I was leery after yesterdays struggle there. He made the TP but it was tough getting back up & out. (There air was funky down there again)

Eventually he dug it out & got past me as I floundered it whatever I could find on the way to Waterville. It got much better & we continued past Waterville to the edge. Lift was good & the mts were calling. (Looked very good over there)

Neither of us had crossed over there to play in the mtns but getting close to 12,000’ before crossing gave us some room to play. We had a good crossing not loosing much as I started to see we were pushing into 15-19 mph winds. Martin said he was leaving when he got to 10,000’. Not finding much of anything (as good as it looked) 10 became 9 and then 8 was it. Time to get out of there. (No LZ’s in sight)

Arriving back on the flats we found her to be quit upset that we left & flew another area. (Never cheat!) After begging & pleading she finally forgave us & we were able to get a climb out to 11’000 (that’s better)

On towards Leahy. I called it quits a few miles short & headed back. My neck was killing me. I “arrived” back in Mansfield. Less than perfect landing but after my personal best for duration 5:45 & distance 114.2 mile FAI Triangle I was on cloud nine!   http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/636769

It was great to fly with Martin awhile. He had a 122 mile FAI Triangle & almost 7 hrs in the air. http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/632219

Jorge had a great flight as well. 75 mile free triangle & 4;40 airtime!http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/633657

Thanks Mia & Michele for crewing!

July 4th - Mansfield encampment

I’m a bad blogger, its been so long…. anyway…..

After a few days of bad weather made my way over to Mansfield to bother Martin & Mia.
A quick tow up (Mia had gone home) and I was on my heading S toward the Beasley hills. Had some great cues on the way down and tried to push out into a blue hole.

Having good lift & climbs to 8-9000' seemed doable. (So I thought. Respect the blue hole!)
Scratching down to around 1200'agl before finding lift. There was a bit of wind there and I gave up on pushing further S.
On to Waterville then back to the tow site to close, then Mansfield to break down on the lawn.

It was a really good day! Love the Atos!

Thanks for the tow & ground support Martin!

4:25 min, 84 mile (134K) FAI Triangle

http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/636767

 

4-13-12 Tekoa

Light & switchy winds. Filtered sun most of the day. Long intervals between cycles, more sink then lift. 1st flight got 1 climb to 5100' then sink. 2nd flight Morgan  & John  got some climbs. (extended scratch fest for me) Morgan broke 5000' & got a top landing in.

http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/590590

Flight #1  -- (This maybe 17 minutes of your life you cant get back.......)

Flight #2

3-10-12 Tekoa

High pressure was softening a bit. Winds were forecast to switch ESE to SW. In the LZ winds were 13 S, on top 23mph SSW and coming around. Again under called the winds…… its spring so what can you expect?

Started setting up & the winds got even stronger (but straight in)…… 30-37 mph, lulling occasionally to 23 ish.
Watched it for an hour or so & thought the lulls would be enough to launch in.
Myself & Mike Swift were able to get that window. Others on top reported gusting to 45 mph not long after.
We had about hour 30 min flights. I was showing 19-24 mph in flight.

I went to the airport after hearing that wind speed. (Its normally smoother there) A bit rough coming down but had a pretty smooth 19 to land in.
Mike landed in the normal LZ. He said it was a bit rough & almost went too long.

By sunset the wind was down to 18ish.

http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/562169

3-7-12 Tekoa

The canadians (Mike & Simon) came down for a few days to escape their winter blues. Forecast looked promising so 1/2 day off from work & I’ll join them.

A few para pilots showed up as well. Launch conditions were stronger then forecast but doable for the hangs. 20-25 mph. I was first off shortly followed by Simon & Mike. We had full cloud cover that started to break. That brought some decent thermals to work with some good sink in between. Couple of climbs to 5500’  (1700’ over) Later, it lightened up & the paras got to fly also.

2:20 later after the batteries died in the gloves my hands were frozen & I headed to the airport for a dry no mud area to break down. Pretty damn nice WED afternoon! (We only had a high of 37°, camel back froze in flight)

http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/561448

 

 

Saddle mtn party 2-4-12

Following the days forecast it called for similar conditions as the prior day. Arriving on launch to find a few pars lightly scratching.

There was 20 people there. More hangs then I’ve seen in a long time not to mention at Saddle. Setting up conditions seem to improve. A good launch & light ridge & thermal mix to play in. Jorge launched & we went down the ridge to the E.

As soon as we hit the lower potions it got ugly. We were not very high to begin with & we tried to turn around. Sink city……

Followed Jorge to a nice spot to land. He had a good landing. I set up to come in to his left. On final he walked to where I intended to land thinking I was not landing yet. It worked out & I landed 15’ short of him. I managed to get it going just a bit right to miss the sage brush if I went long.

The others flying had multiple top landings & all the air time they wanted. We were the only ones to due a bit of XC.

http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/551470

 

Better then expected Saddle day 2-3-12

Somehow wrangled 5 pilots (para, from Spokane if you can believe that) for a Saddle trip. Forecast was light so I to thought the paraglider would be the best choice……..

Got on top to find stellar conditions for both hang & para. (Almost to strong for para) The military was running some training flights though the area about 6 total this day. (scary to hear them coming while in the air)

My first launch was good….for about 2 sec, I had pulled up  into a slight lull only to quickly find a thermal behind it. Up 15’ then backwards. A was too rusty to adapt quick  enough, really should have got to the speed bar. Flew it backwards for about 20’  then came down. A reverse somersault was to follow. I & the gear were unscathed.

Next launch was better, I was less complacent & ready. 5-600’ over & top landings galore for everyone. A total of 8 para & 4 hangs flew this day. (Really missed my hang glider)
My second launch (flight) almost was identical to the first, up 15’ but then a hover. Slowly creeping forward.

Lots of firsts & bests for most of the guys!

It was a damn nice day.

Steptoe 1/8/12 ……. paragliding?

4/20/09 was my last flight on a paraglider. With no snow & light winds it was hard to get motivated to take a hang out. The day was to nice not to try to commit some sort of aviation. Borrowed my old gear from my brother & off I went.

6 other para pilots were there! Crazy for Jan & for the Spokane area. This many pilots constitutes a fly in! It was light with little bits of lift to to slow down in. Managed 5 flights. Forgot how easy it was to throw it out, not to mention landing. Glad it all came back, almost like I never left. (Not nearly the confidence to really snug up to the hill though.)

Everyone had a great time. Amazing we still have no snow in the mtns……..