Crestline Soaring Society

The Marshall road (2N40) has been closed at all gates due to the weather. It is temporary according to Jack Kennedy of the Lytle Creek office. Safe to assume it's closed for this weekend. At this point, patience and understanding of their work load is a good idea. We'll work to find more info if it's still closed next week. BTW, Crestline is open if you have chains. As of this afternoon there is a

Hello! I am driving out to pick up a Condor and two Falcons for a dealer here in Albuquerque and would like to fly my PG Saturday if I can hook up with anyone. Looks like a N-NE forecast. Anyone want to meet up at Ord or Blackhawk around 2 or 3pm on Saturday? If not, are there any other places that would be fun for an old PG pilot that day in those winds where I could make some new friends?
:)

While I was subbing today, my first grade class spent an eternity in the auditorium, practicing for the Chrsitmas Program. Their song? the Old "Christmas Don't Be Late," by Alvin and the Chipmunks. After about the third time through, I began to hear this:

Christmas, Christmas time is here
Time for toys and time for beer!

This lift's good, whoa! what just passed?
It's a litespeed, wow, they're fast!

I'm a flatlander who will be in Palm Springs in February for an event. Im thinking of bringing my paraglider, just in case.

A few quick questions:

Whats the realistic travel time from LAX to the park? And from the park to Palm Springs? (Ive heard of the LA traffic, so just checking)

Is this the closest flight park to Palm Springs? And other sites recommended?

I'm a P2 pilot so I will be contacting a local school for a site coach session as well. Any recommendations?

"If ya can't lick 'em..."

Over the years it's been noticed that our PG community rarely uses the right-hand approach pattern that someone(s)chose as the pattern they should use.
I admit that I know nothing about the thinking that went into the choice of patterns for HG and PG. I hope to be enlightened soon, and I'm sure I will be.

Meanwhile, I'd like to suggest that maybe we should try switching the patterns for a trial period. At best, we might find a solution to what some believe is a problem. At worst, we learn something.

Here is a great song for a video

Ready to Fly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUdy3Y4K4Ko

... even if you didn't go far. After 2 weeks of no flying I feasted on as much as I could. Saturday logged 2.5 hours on the T2 and Sunday goofed around for 1.5 on the Arcus.

http://picasaweb.google.com/140fusion/82909Weekend?feat=directlink

for Kathy the Killer and Dusty the Griller and everyone else who pitched in to make this a Wednesday to remember!! Good Flying, Great food and awesome friends ~

Thanks everybody!
Chris

livin' the Dream

Thursday seemed like a weekend day of flying with all the pilots out. Afterwards John W. cooked up his famous brats and burgers to everyone's delight. Thanks John!

I was just checking the Rob Report this morning and though it bums me out that summer is flying by I couldn't help but get excited at the prospect of: "...But it does show that the fall altitude flying isn't far away". This being my first year flying allow me to make the observation that while summer has been a blast so far, and my first fall is still TBD, winter at AJ wasn't all that bad either! Anyway, I cant wait for this Fall altitude action.... I've been to 9,500 once back in April and I was a little under dressed, next time I want to see what it's like without shaking violently and muttering curse words and amazement through chattering teeth!

Heard we had another visiting pilot skip out on his daily use fee. Even after he overshot the LZ and the monitor and another local gave him water and helped carry his T2 to the break down area. Maybe he was dazed, but he told the monitor it was in the drop box and at the end of the day when they tallied up who was naughty and nice, he was naughty. I'd use other language but this is a public forum.

I just wanted to say thanks from the Arizona guys who came out to Crestline on June 13 and 14th last weekend.
We had a great time and enjoyed your site and hospitality.
You have a great site and a great group of people.

I saw the Rock that said Mingus may 2009 by the stairs.
Hmmm... thought I should take one from your site and take to Mingus, but then realized Arizona has enough rocks. We do not need more.

Or desperate pilots going to give it a shot this afternoon? NWS says partly cloudy with 20% chance T-storms and a high temp around 77. Doesn't exactly sound epic.... Also said something about "placement and timing way off" and "unannounced cells moving at 40mph....." Yea, I heard those in the weee hours. Hmmmmm...... Mothra & I can't fly 40mph.... is that a bad thing?

So, anybody going out?

There are Try-N-Fly (equip. demo) and air races at Torrey Pines until Sunday. Having never been there, it would be fun to check out the event and fly there. I can take four passengers with gear in comfort for the 220 (RT) mile drive. I plan to leave on Friday morning around 9:00 AM from Andy Jackson. Ride sharing works out to about $25 per person. Call me or respond here. Wade (831) 588-9101.

I can't raise Rob and Dianne this A.M. Do they have the day off? More to the point, can I catch a ride up with anybody? 760-684-9057. The gardening didn't kill me off yesterday, and I got a good start on a mahogany and bamboo art lamp, but now I realy feel the need for some AIRTIME. Thanks, Joel

Anyone besides me hoping to fly Kagel tomarrow

or is it just me???

Anybody want to work out a ride retrieve for Marshal late afternoon today? Maybe catch some evening glass?
Call me - 714-3two8-8five1three

A flight for the log book.
I had a lot of personal firsts today.
First time catching a thermal.
First time over 5k.
First time over 6k.
I saw 6300 on my vario.
First major collapse, about 40%.
First flight over 1 hour
First flight over 2 hours
First flight over 2.5 hours
The vario showed 2:42 when I landed.
I’ll put it in the log book at 2.6 hours.
Tom, a visiting instructor from the San Luis Obispo area, drove Brent and I up to Marshall. We launched just before 2:00pm. By the time I got launched Brent and Tom were already several hundred feet over launch in the house thermal. I was able to catch the house thermal and ride it up to 6300. By then Brent and Tom were headed towards Crestline. I am still too new at paragliding and did not want to chance going to Crestline. I am glad I did, after landing Brent said the wind was strong and he had to use full speed bar to penetrate out of there. Not long after they headed towards Crestline I had about a 40% collapse. I heard Ken, my instructor, weight shift and pump it out. It worked after a few pumps and no major altitude loss. I played around over Marshall for a while. At about 45 minutes into the flight I said to myself, if I head to land now I’ll have a flight over 1 hour. YAHOOoo!!! So I headed towards CSUSB. I got down to 2900 just south east of AJ. At this point I caught a thermal and before I knew it I was back close to Marshall. At this point a 1 hour flight was history and I was thinking about 2 hours! I caught the ridge lift in front of Marshall and then the house thermal to 5400. By this time Brent and Tom were back from Crestline. Brent top landed Marshall to take a break and Tom skyed out over Cloud. At about 1 hour 45 minutes into the flight I said to myself, if I head to land now I’ll have a flight over 2 hours. YAHOOOooo!!!!!! So I headed towards CSUSB again. I was almost to the hills just north of CSUSB when I caught a thermal. I took it to about 4500 and was back close to Marshall again. At this point I was tired… I would circle one way until my finger on that hand got numb then circle the other way until those fingers got numb. At his point it was about 2 hours 10 minutes into the flight and I was too tired to circle any more. I headed to land. Just west of AJ I had to circle a couple more time to break the 2.5 hour mark. I was tired and thirsty, my hands were numb, my lips were chapped and I was smiling ear to ear. I’m still on cloud nine smiling from ear to ear. During the flight I kept telling myself this is what flying is all about! I also kept hearing Brent tell me 3 seconds and turn to catch a thermal 3 seconds and turn. THANK YOU BRENT I would love to hear other pilot’s personal first stories. Sorry for the long post, but I hope this brings back a lot of great personal first memories for everyone! Kevin