Flytec Race and Rally 2011 - Day 2

Today a 114km task was called from Live Oak, FL to Moultrie, GA. I was determined not to repeat yesterdays mistakes so I triple checked my tracklog and borrowed Mariah's GPS as a back up. The one thing I didn't check was the batteries, which died about halfway through my flight. Argh! The day was looking a lot better with plenty of clouds and stronger climbs. I was in the first half of pilots towed up and climbed in a massive gaggle to the edge of a the start circle. I'm getting more comfortable flying in massive gaggles, but it's far from routine. I took the first clock and went on course with a bunch of people. Nick, my roommate was off my wing for a while. The group thinned after a few climbs and after getting uncomfortably low at one point I dropped back. I decided to stay high and fly the cloud streets. I'm not sure if this was the right decision, as I lost the group I was in. I seemed to cross paths with random pilots for the next few hours, so I was never entirely alone either.

Staging Cue

Climbing Over Moultrie Airport

Everyone Getting Ready for the Start

On Glide with Nick

It was slow going working my way north. I would estimate the headwind was at least 10mph and every bit of progress was half undone by drifting backwards while climbing. Florida swamps gave way to Georgia forests and one forest seemed to take forever to cross. I seemed to have a little more trouble today tracking thermal core too. The cloud streets were great though and I managed a few stretches of straight line flying with minimal altitude loss. Patrick Cruise and I broke off from a small gaggle at one point and crossed to the next cloud street. He left on glide before me and flew straight to the ground. I was high enough to catch the ladder and ride the street to it's end, but the sight was disconcerting. Sure enough at the end of the street I found myself scratching over the town of Quitman, GA. I groveled a little in light lift, but couldn't put anything together. I ended up landing at the local airport.

At Cloudbase

Crossing the Suwannee River Towards Georgia

Avoiding the Blue Sky

Landed at Quitman-Brooks County Airport

Cool Radial Twin Where I Broke Down

Airtime 4:28, Distance 77km.

Flytec Race and Rally 2011 - Day 1

A 148km task from Quest to Keystone Airport was called. The launch cue formed quick and I wasn't terribly motivated to hook in and roast in my glider. As such I launched late, but pinned off into a great thermal. I joined a gaggle at the end of the start circle and took the last start clock. I had teamed up with John Simon and Sonny for retrieve and linked up with John at the start. We climbed a few thermals together and one glide he got flushed. I picked a line a little to west and was able to stretch my glide a little more. We were only one thermal away from the main gaggle, but it was one thermal too far. Our gaggle splintered. I pressed ahead while John clawed his way up from the deck. It was good work on his part.

My Glider Not in the Launch Line

Looking Up at the Start Circle

I clawed to the north, working hard against the headwind for every foot of progress. After a few thermals more thermals I was Greg and Mitch. We worked broken lift on the east side of a huge subdivision for a while. I decided it wasn't going to get any better and pressed out on my own. It was a day when you needed friends to stay up. I was only one mistake away from being on the deck and leaving them was it. I glided about 10km and decked in the middle of the subdivision. It was the only open field and turned out to be a turtle refuge. Scratching low over the houses caused a few people to get concerned and the cops and ambulances were there within minutes. They just wanted to check that I was alright, there was no drama about landing in the turtle refuge. I had to laugh when I thought about what would happen if I did that in Boulder!

On Course

The Fenced in Turtle Refuge

And It's Residents

My Reception

It was a hard day, my flying was good, but my decision making was poor. To rub salt in the wound I forgot to make sure my track log was on (which it wasn't) and didn't get scored! Airtime 3:28, Distance 48KM.

Flytec Race and Rally 2011 - Practice Day

Yesterday the gate agent took pity on me and gave me the last seat in first class! Then I caught a ride to Quest in a murdered out Lincoln Town Car. The driver who was in a suit wasn't sure what to make of dropping me off in the middle of a dark field. Today I managed to catch an evening tow and get an hour in before sunset. It was my second flight of the year and I was a little rusty, but the smooth Florida air was a treat!

Here's a HeroCam Vid. I threw this together last minute so it's not stellar work!

The Phoenix Resting in the Flock

Trials on a Road Bike and Downhill Racing in the City

I've always fantasized about having the skill to drop big hits and do back flips on a road bike. The shocked hilarity that would ensue on the bike path would well be worth the risk. It would take all those uptight "nancy boy" roadies with their shaved legs and Gucci bikes down a notch! This guy has the balls to do it. Fucking awesome!

An E30 buddy showed me this one. It's the VCA Downhill Race through the streets of Valparaiso, Chile. This urban course takes things to a whole other level. After a near miss with a errant dog he drops some big hits with serious consequences. This guy ran it in a pin striped suit too!

VCA 2010 RACE RUN from changoman on Vimeo.

Yosemite Hang Gliding Mission

I've never offically blogged about this so here it goes. In 2009 Jeff, Adam and I met up for one of our occasional hang gliding missions. Adam has been in South Africa for the past couple years so we have to make the best of short time we get together when he is stateside. Jeff delivered with a hang gliding mission to Yosemite National Park, the only legal hang gliding site in a national park.

The park was burning with a huge fire on the western edge of the Valley. It had filled the park with smoke and made the prospect of actually flying doubtful. We would have to rig and find out just before the launch window opened at 9:00 am. The reduced visibility from the smoke added a depth and mystery to the park with sheer cliff walls and geographic features appearing as giant looming shadows through the haze.

In the end we did get to fly, finding out minutes before the launch window opened. The flights were an epic, once in a lifetime experience and the realization of the reasons why we hang glide. Adam said it best in an article published in Hang Gliding & Paragliding Magazine and Jeff captured photography that sets the bar for aerial hang gliding shots. I was able to capture enough video to put together a clip that I use in my Phoenix Multisport slide show. Like most of our trips the fun extends far beyond hang gliding. I'll let the photos below tell the story.

The Fire

First View of the Valley

Smokey in the Valley

Meeting Up with the Boys

Going for a Dip in Yosemite Creek

Fish Eye View

(literally)

Dinner

Smokey Dawn

Rigging

Looking Down Launch

Launching

The LZ

Full Video of my Flight

The Entire Crew

(the real hero's of the trip, are the volunteers of Yosemite Hang Gliders Association who give their time so others can fly)

A Day Well Spent

On the way out of the park I stopped to watch the fire fighting effort. There was a small break-off fire burning up the south side of a steep wooded ridge. There were two Air Crane helicopters alternating drops using water from Yosemite Creek. The Air Crane is an amazing piece of machinery and seeing it in action against the backdrop of the Yosemite Valley was incredible.

The Fire

The Air Crane

The Backdrop

The Drop

Passing in Flight

Close Up

First Flight of 2011

La Nina has brought dry air and strong west winds this year and shut down most of the upslope winter flying. It has been 5 months since I last flew and The Flytec Race and Rally is roughly 3 weeks away. Tuesday looked like there might be a window. When I woke up decided it was questionable and my time might be better spent mountain biking. When I was done Steve texted me and said it was good. I unloaded the bike, loaded up the glider, and sped to Lookout.

Ready to Launch

(notice the sinky clouds in the background)

As I got ready to launch a south cycle pushed through and flushed everyone who had been in the air. After a while it started building again and I launched in good air. The rust brushed off quickly and I managed to top out at about 9500 feet over launch. Steve had reached 10,500 earlier, but I could seem to break 9500. After boating around for a while I headed out into the valley. There really wasn't much lift, but I could feel it when I fell out of a weak convergence. I decided to turn back to ride the convergence as far north as I could.

Looking Down at Golden

Chimney Gulch Trial and Buffalo Bill's Grave

Happy to Be in the Air

(under my Stig Visor)

The Clear Creek Canyon Burn

(less than 1 month old)

Crossing over Clear Creek Canyon was a breeze and I only lost about 800 by the time I reached Golden Gate Canyon. I turned briefly in what I thought might be a thermal, but it too disorganized to climb in. I headed back minimizing my sink rate in what I could find of the conversion. If I was willing to commit to the back ridge the air might have been better, but I wasn't convinced and didn't want to land in unfriendly territory. Instead I rode the hog back to Ralston Reservoir Dam. There were bits and pieces of lift, but I couldn't put anything together. Then I saw a few hawks just west of highway 93. I drove towards them and it turned out to be crows. Never trust a crow, those cheeky bastards will lure you out of good air every time. True to character they tried to lead me to sink, but I knew better. Never trust a crow!

On Glide to the North

Ralston Peak

Ralston Reservoir and the FlatIrons to the North

Looking Back at Belcher Hill and White Ranch

I landed in a field just west of 93 about 10 miles out. Most of the land owners between Golden Gate Canyon and highway 72 are unfriendly so I wasted no time hopping the "No Trespassing" signed fence. I broke down on the shoulder of 93.

Hopping the Glider Over the Fence

(note the No Trespassing Sign)

The End of a Great Flight

Just Under 10 Miles in About an Hour

Steve picked me up and celebrated the day. Then to top off the day I went and drove the Unser Karts, setting a new lap record of 18.86 seconds. What a day!