Flying with Jockey

From: Benson
Activity_Date: 8/12/01
Remote Name: 208.3.185.142

Comments

Flying with Jockey

Friday Friday in the Tehachapi area was my best day flying ever. We started with a briefing in the morning, we would be looking for the convergence to develop, possibly get across the city and then into the next range.

On the first flight we had five pilots in the class. It was a training hill like launch then bench up 600 feet to find thermals on the ridge points and possibly out in front over the flats. We worked these areas for two intense hours with varying levels of success. Jockey gave us instruction form the air on how to find, core, and drift back with the thermals. Then, as the W began to push thru, Jockey made the call to head down the range towards the Frostie Freeze where there was a report that the convergence was setting up. We didn’t find the convergence, but most of us made a nice 6 mile glide.

Eddie collected the pilots and we re-grouped at launch and headed for Bear Mountain. We were expecting a pleasant wind up of the day with easy ridge soaring. This is a great site just above a quarry with a huge ranch below where the owner is reported to dislike paraglider pilots. We used the lower launch that was at 2900. Bob H launched first and got low, but made a save, so I got in the air followed by Jockey and Zvi. I climbed out behind Jockey benching up closer and closer to the peak at 6200. Jockey was defining the lift and Bob often showed me where the sink was. Twice we thought Bob was on his way down and he pulled off remarkable saves. When Jockey, Bob and I were up to the top of BM, 6250, we headed out over the flats on a very long glide. We followed Jockey’s line, almost into the wind at altitude, and looping around more with the wind as we got lower and the wind got stronger. Zvi stayed back for a while and worked on more altitude before heading out. When we got across the main road, about 10 miles from launch, Jockey found a thermal that got us an additional few hundred feet. Bob’s glide line brought him in too low to get to this thermal so I counted him out again. Jockey and I continued on to the RR yard and worked a couple of light thermals to get a few hundred extra feet before continuing on. I looked around to see where Bob had landed and was surprised again to see him in the air not far behind, but low. Jockey and I were getting low, and running out of options when I saw Bob land in some turbulent air. Jockey and I landed as well. The flight was over 14 miles and my furthest yet. Zvi landed in the same area but we didn’t see him while we were flying. I learned a lot from the four hours of Air to Air coaching (2:25 and 1:40) and had a great day flying.

Saturday and Sunday Next day we went to Blackhawk where I would have three sledders on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday we arrived late and we all had short flights. On Sunday I was the wind dummy. I hung on to ridge lift and one small thermal for a while, but I finally went to the bomb out. Zvi launched ten minutes later and went straight to 10000 and then to 13000. By the time I got back to launch everyone was in the Air or on the ground except Brendon. The wind was coming in at 12 to 16 so launching wasn’t easy. Brendon did a nice job of getting turned around and in control after getting popped about 20 feet above launch. He headed directly W and found a thermal over the Cement factory. As I got ready to launch the wind increased to more than 20, then stopped and started blowing over the back. About fifteen minutes later I got in the air with Kristi’s help, but the ridges were in shadow from mild OD and the E had begun to push thru. I was at the bomb out again in short order. Bob has a better Sunday story!