Soaring From Elsinore, May 2nd.

I launched Around 12:30 and went to San Jack, jumped to Big Bear, the back to Jack and south to Warner Springs (hot springs peak) then back to Jack and over to the Santa Ana mountains near Irvine Lake, over Saddle Back, then out a ways over Orange County and back to Elsinore.  Lift was great, winds were mild, fires were burning...

As I rigged it was cool to see the other trailers and tow vehicles ready just in case.  This day saw no less than FIVE members launch and leave Elsinore behind, including Evan who got to 13K over San Jack in the Pilates! He was able to haul butt all the way back while losing only 4K on the 30 mile glide.  I found the same thing when I decided to head back, and choose to push North and hit the Santa Ana Mountains near Irvine Lake rather than go straight to Skylark.  I still arrived at about 9k myself.  Crazy.  So I did a jag over Orange county passing close to Lake Mission Viejo before returning home.  Still had to glide a few miles spoilers open...

Others who went XC were Tom Brabeck, Mike Ziaskis, and Dan (I think) with the Cirrus.  I was puzzled to find Bobby's Dan's ASW20 1MO tied at the field, Dan came by late in the day and the marine layer had moved just far enough in to keep him from getting back to Hemet.

The lift over Big Bear was simply nuts.  I had thermals with my varios pegged (mine go to 15) for turn after turn after turn, with my ears popping!  I was thinking of heading up to Palomar and back to Elsinore that way, but the smoke and time of day made me worry that I would be caught too close to the ocean and not make it.  Oh well, maybe next weekend :-)

The Blip-maps were, once again, right-on, especially useful to me are the wind direction and strength in the boundary layer prediction.  My glider is quite intolerant of headwinds, and I have been very pleased to be able and know with some certainty what to expect in that regard, it makes all the difference when I'm out there not knowing if anyone is still at the clubhouse should I land-out.  I sure hope this invaluable aid doesn't go away, as it seems it might.

Thanks to Mike Havener for teaching all day, spending yet another weekend in the back of a 2-33 in the heat under the inversion while we soar off for many hours and many miles!

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