Flying Flynn's

My first flight in the Owen's Valley was....amazing! Helmet Girl, Kurtis, Lionel and I all reached the launch at 6:30pm (?) or so and it was blowing over 20mph. Lionel, being the instructor on this outing decided that it was too windy then, but we should still set up in hopes of launching later. By the time we've set up, it was blowing 15mph-20mph. Kurtis rushed to launch, jumping in front of Helmet Girl and had a good launch. Helmet Girl launched soon after, and climbs high very quickly. I launched last, and had some fun going up and down the ridge by launch. But, I noticed that Kurtis was a bit higher than me, and Helmet Girl was much higher than me, so I got a little jealous.

It turns out Helmet Girl found two thermals on the foothills and was going from one to the other; getting higher with each pass. But try as I might I couldn't catch up to her. I eventually caught up to Kurtis, but I was still only 100ft-200ft above launch. I went beneath her, still no luck; I went back to launch, no luck again. I resigned myself to ridge soaring in front of launch thousands of feet beneath helmet girl. Then one of my wings got lifted- a thermal- I know what to do now! I started turning and soon I'm a thousand of feet or more over launch. The thermal moved me back behind launch, but I always had a good glide back to the LZ. With plenty of height, I started looking for other thermal triggers. To the south, there was a pointy hill in full sun, so I tried my luck there, and it was great! I cored a strong thermal and got even higher. By now I'm the highest one in the sky. I kept playing with these two thermals I found and looked for new ones.

Eventually, I started getting lower than helmet girl, so my first instinct was to go back the the pointy hill again. I go there, and there's some lift, but not nearly what there was, and on top of that there was some turbulence! I look down at the sock on launch, and it's blowing hard north!! I was in danger of getting in the rotor of launch! I decide to make my way north of launch, but it was hard making progress in that headwind, and I started losing alot of the altitude I had saved up. At this point, instructors on the ground told me to go straight to the LZ, so I pulled in a little more than best glide and crab it all the way to the LZ. I came in with plenty of height, did a downwind leg, a base leg, a couple of S-turns (if I remember correctly) and had the easiest landing of my life. I didn't even have to flare! All in all, one of my best flights to date!

Owens Valley

happy clouds forming over petroglyphs

With one launch from Piute and two from Walt's Point, but no real long-distance flights logged, (Lionel had the longest with almost 15 miles), I didn't get to test my driving and navigation skills much over Memorial weekend. The Owens were still absolutely beautiful though, and not the worst place to hang out even if you don't get long flights in.

I was (obviously) not concerned with getting conditions for long-distance flights for myself, and was very happy that everyone put in an effort to find me some launchable conditions so that I could have some flying to show for the weekend. Knowing that my glider was on the car, I was pretty much itching to get a flight in, and we made it over to Flynn's, a 1200 ft training hill which would take me to an LZ about 5500 ft above sea level - making it the highest I had ever landed.

When we got there the winds were coming in at around 15, but occasionally reaching as high as 23, which is why I set up faster than I ever have, determined not to miss my window before it got too strong. Thankfully, the winds died down a little, and I launched at 7pm into a smooth 10mph cycle which quickly took me above launch. I soared the ridge for a while until I fell out of it and headed for the LZ. I quickly flew into a few other workable thermals, and almost worked my way up to launch-height again. This is at least what I have been told by those standing on launch watching me, as I found it nearly impossible to discern what altitude I was at, having to measure it by either sagebrushes, tiny knobs or the actual Sierras (both a daunting and impossible task.)

Before I went up I was told that my roundout would be shorter and my flare-timing earlier, which ended up being a little more no roundout at all and flaretiming? I flintstoned it in, but managed not to hurt myself or the glider, thankfully.

All in all, I had a great trip, which has left me more prepared to navigate the Owens as a driver on a trip with more long-distance flights.

Log: helmet girl - 1 flight from Flynn's (25 minutes)