SCPA & SBSA Discussion Board

Link to Sundowner's Super Bowl Weekend Summary at
http://paraglide.net/log/15/01-31/2_summary.htm

plus SD's flight article for Saturday at
http://paraglide.net/log/15/01-31/1_skyport_to_lake_casitas.htm

plus SD's Saturday Photos at http://paraglide.net/log/15/01-31/photos
and Johathan's Saturday Photos at
http://paraglide.net/log/amigo/jonathan_dietch/2015_01-31
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Sunday Morning Update

The early lapse rate isn't as good as Saturday, but the lower air mass is comparatively dryer and it should heat up better. We still have an afternoon temperature spread in the low 20s (F) between the surface and 6K, so with more sun and less haze... Sunday may actually work better than Saturday. Montecito was draining stronger this morning which helped clear out the haze we had on Saturday, but the overall wind through the day looks light. The barometer is up quite a bit, so... ?

Saturday was more of a multi-tier day with the iterating stratus persisting longer than I expected. We did eventually get to almost 6K in the upper tier over the back ridge, but by the time we crossed Casitas Pass it was getting late. Articles, photos, and track logs pending.
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Saturday Pre-Dawn Update

Saturday meet times: 8:40 in Carpinteria, (but the LA boys are on the road earlier). 9 am at East Beach, and expect to roll through Parma around 9:20ish. The Eagle Bus is scheduled for 10:15 at Parma. No word from Fly Above All yet (8 am update).

We may be a tad early, but still holding out hope that it will be soarable early due to the good lapse rate and minimal morning inversion. There is some moisture, so we could have some early stratus. Looking outside at 4:15 am I can see stars, but the relative humidity is high. The dew point is just a few degrees below current temperatures and I expect the radiative cooling will continue for a couple more hours. Early stratus will likely be layered with cloudbase lower out front near the coast. Expect the low stratus to burn off as the day warms. Some early morning east wind along the ridge line, but not much offshore drainage to clear out the haze.

Otherwise, Friday's projections seem to be on-track for an early westbound leg followed by a tailwind into Ojai. Local altitudes look better than 5K with some spotty midday cumulus over the range. The high clouds seem to have moved off to our east. Warming and drying continue through the next few days with the lapse rate fading some late in the day and considerable warming at 6K on Sunday.

The lapse rate looks strong in both Ojai and Fillmore for Saturday afternoon. The current observations are only showing light offshore drainage downriver this morning, but afternoon Santa Anna offshore flow is forecasted for later in the day. The barometer starts out low but we expect it to rise as higher pressure builds through the weekend.
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Friday afternoon look at Saturday

Saturday looks like the better day. Not stellar, but a 25 degree spread from the surface to 6K. Hopefully a little north at dawn to clear the haze, then a little local east flow early, SE down low and NE up higher, giving way to light flow from the west over Casitas Pass by early afternoon. Expect to encounter a building Santa Anna headwind from the east toward the east end of Ojai, so we'll likely turn near the Topa Bluffs and fly back toward Lake Casitas?

Tim Barker has been contemplating Santa Ynez Peak. We plan to do an early west bound leg and let the leader mark a turnpoint?

Peter Richner has rented an Expedition for the week and has offered to crew. We'll check the weather in the morning, but are tentatively calling a 9 am meet time at East Beach, planning to roll through Parma around 9:15ish. It may not turn on until 10:30ish, so we might be a tad early, but it could be soarable by 10ish, so we'll err on the early side to maximize the day.

Conditions look good for the novice pilots also. Expect plenty of sunshine. The lingering high clouds associated with the persistent low pressure to our east should drift inland and out of the equation.

Yeah, it was a three emoticon day yesterday!

Many pilots both HG and PG came to play. (a well-behaved group of HGs from Sylmar, whom we saw at Padaro Grill afterwards). Eagle van, and Peter R generously boosted and crewed; only sundowner needed a pickup from Lake Casitas (taking the back ridges East), etc, and Tahoe Eric ended up near Padaro too. It was like a who's who of local pilotry, even Aaron had to get some with pneumonia still, loco esay... too many to name, but everyone except the Eagle tour in Columbia (so, no don't feel bad for them ... Maybe they can write up something for us to drool over?!

I won't attempt a description of the weather, might hurt myself, but mainly there were what looked like to me a fusion of a whispy foggy-like semi-defined affair out there all day, coming and going over the course of the day... It would be clearish, and peeps would launch away...then it would blank out for awhile...I know a whole vanful tried at EJ and had to wait a 'long' time to get off... anyway...it made it interesting, fun, and there was plenty of sun noon to soar. Low inversions, but also moving up and down it seemed.

Personal firsts: (I launched two times, first was a 15 min, second was 40) Both Skyport launch, and calm, buoyant landings at Parma LZ.

1. First twofer (most people except Tim B.(timaaay) i think had short flights, he found a happy place high over antenna farm in and out of cloudbase and just owned it...nice flying..i think inspired us all to try again...lol)

2. First backward launch (just kidding, wanted to make sure you were reading... )

2. First sharing a pretty tight and persistent thermal with one other pilot between monastery ridge and parma somewhere... It was totally fun, amazing, peaceful, up, and no fears I was having about flying so close with someone else, thanks Dirk, that was a great first for me).

3. First lowish save from around a ridge using speedbar. ur..good technique to know, eh. AND this was the same first thermal with another PG right after that... so, lesson: never give up...you don't know what can happen from minute to minute up here.

4. First trading off between thermal trigger spots! This was hugely important in my evolution of flying, as it gives me the knowledge that i CAN get from one point to a different point, thermalling, and then staying in the next thermal. I went from Skyport to HolyHills to Antenna farm with room to spare. If I was more patient I could probably have got back to holyhills, but wanted to keep it a 'success' for now. ;-)

5. First flying with someone for any length of time. Dave B. was my muse the second flight, and we toolied around together...which was more like, he watched where I went and 'herded me' around (his words)... lol. So fun. I caught one thermal and ended up OVER, way over him, which was amazing to experience...a first... then he ended up over the same trigger and went to the floors high above me... trading off...

6. First time reaching cloudbase. Actually it was not even over launch altitude..but it was still cloudbase ok...let's go with that. Cool to look up...and see ... well... cloud. Very easy type clouds, but I can see why you wouldn't want to get into something thick and no visibility... I was on the edge of it and just flew out away from it... etc.

7. First truly in control, tight coring thermal. Im getting deeper in my coring turns which is getting much tighter circles, hence staying in up air longer and hence more options to travel to new and exciting places...i should probably do more pushups.

So, lots of firsts. Ended up home at 4... from 8am... long day but felt so good! More please.

Nothing noteworthy of my flight other than it was the first high flight I''ve made in nine months while recuperating from a shoulder injury. The pilots that got up in the house thermal were able to hold the high ground while I was in the other gaggle at the Round House after fumbling to get into the pod.

It was easy to stay up but the lift was between 2500-3000 and attemts to push up hill were futile. After doing the Round House 500 with too many hangies to count I headed for Parma. Over the LZ with 1500 the vario started beeping some 200 up, followed the drift which took me slowly back up over the Monastery to 3000. Boated around in smooth convergence lift for 30 minutes then followed the Spin Doctor out to the beach.

vario log: 520 fpm up, 760 dn, 1 hr. 20 minutes.

A narrated videographical view of the day: http://youtu.be/kKycVVuyNfg