Linda Salamone's Blog

Thursday, February 16, 2006

I was out of town for a bit- looks like I missed a snowstorm! It was 90 degrees in LA on Monday. I wasn't right in LA but in Long Beach- remember I had that one day to fly out in California and I was searching for a way to hook up and fly??? Well it worked out great!
My cousin who I ran into in Florida last week lives in Costa Mesa. He picked me up from the Long Beach airport on Friday night, fed me, then let me crash at his house. In the morning we drove to Temeculah and met up with Andy Cu. After a couple hours of driving in total, we met up with Tad Hurst, John Heiney, and some pilot named Bob. Near Julian, Ca, there is a mountain they call Laguna. It was blowing like stink at the lower launch so they all said go up to the higher launch where it's not blowing so hard (huh?). So we go to the higher launch and it's not cranking in so bad. The Santa Anna winds were moderate, that's why we were here instead of Torrey Pines. My cousin got driving directions to the LZ and the keys to Andy's SUV. He was thinking we were all nuts considering running off this mountain that was 3500' over the valley floor. We were at over 5K elevation in total and it felt high. The landscape was so different than what I am used to and my nerves kicked into overdrive. I was supposed to fly Andy's Falcon but the high winds had me hoping he would loan me the Sport2, which he very kindly did. John Heiney's queit and calm presence made me nervous as well!!!!
Tad Hurst is a P5, he decided to launch first. It was the most exciting launch I have ever seen for a PG. He got hoovered off after shaking a stick out of the lines in like 2 seconds. His plan was to top land and help with the hour plus retreive. Whatever, dude!
Seeing a PG in the air with not trouble penetrating was great! I set up, Andy launched the Falcon first, then me, then a big ass Dream with Bob on it, then John Heiney later. The PG got up 1500' over before I launched, then we all were around 3-500' over for the duration of my flight. It was fun being over Andy - in fact I was highest til John came out- well, the Dream was on top a while later- but I had the best view for a while! I was still pretty nervous in the air, every once in a while I had to remind myself to relax my grip and breathe. I'm not sure why, I guess just the unfamiliarity of the site and glider and my lack of recent flying.... I watched Andy get pretty low and then he made his way out to land. He barely made it to the spot we had picked. It was really really far away for a single surface. The PG top landed as promised after pulling Big Ears (which by the way is not as much fun to type as it is to say). My cousin was absolutely awed by all this. I waited for John to launch so I could say I flew with John Heiney. But I was cold by now, I had been in the air almost an hour. But I held on and finally he launched. I was following him around trying to get as high as he was. Suddenly he turned away from the rige in front of me and entered a HUGE dive and I knew what was coming next. My path would have put me just on top of him at the apex of his loop so I turned away but still watched. He was so close, I could hear his glider! Later in the LZ he asked why I turned away! He wanted to come up underneath me! Whatever! My landing was okay for the glider, bad for my harness- I belly flopped it when I tried to flare too late. But Andy was glad I didn't hurt his precious wing. He still hadn't broken down - he was the last to do so as usual! Our drivers arrived- my cousin said following Tad down the mountain was the scariest part of the whole ordeal.... We had dinner in Julian before we got our vehicles. The moon was full and rising the whole time we were breaking down and John had some critiques on my launch (be more aggressive) even though he said it was okay but he would have liked to see more power.
So the 2 plus hours back to Long Beach were mainly my cousin raving about the whole experience. He'll probably give it a go on a bunny hill soon. He was really impressed with John's skill. Even apparent from his perspective although he didn't see the loops.
What a nice bunch of people I met and flew with! And Andy said he will send some pics he took with his phone- I'll post them. I never got to Torrey, the weather didn't cooperate and oh yeah, I was actually supposed to be at meetings all day for the rest of my trip....

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Okay okay. Todd is making me do this NOW, instead of when I actually have TIME for such nonsense!
I got to fly my new pretty glider yesterday. It is awesomely sweet and familiar to handle although the performance seems far better than my Litespeed 3. The weather SUCKED for the first two days we were there- Friday and Saturday saw record rain in Tampa (like 18 inches in an afternoon). Sunday was incredibly blown out and the comp that Mark went down for was cancelled for that day too. They got as far as setting up and getting in line but Bo Hagewood launched and said it was rough and another pilot blew a launch due to high winds and sustained a wrist injury. Mark was unable to stay for Monday, truly a perfect flying day in Florida.
I missed the early window at Wallaby- meaning the pre-breakfast bell launch time. I was so close to getting it all together in time and I think even Malcolm pitied me enough to send someone out to tow me up soon after breakfast was eaten. (Note to self: get with the launch program at Wallaby- they tow in waves, not singly- so be ready when they are......)
After I launched, I found nothing at all for 1000' down, but this FULL SERVICE flight park was so kind as to build a bonfire and create a house thermal in which I was able to bounce around from 900' to 2000' over and over. No one else launched during the 45 minutes I was in the air. It felt like respectful homage to my beautiful new glider, but then I got worried and wondered what was up so I passed on my 5th opportunity to climb back out when I got low again. My landing was pretty good although Mikey Barber said later he doesn't like my approach much. I got right back in the big line that had formed because the tugs started appearing. HG Bob (my long lost cousin) was ready to go in his rented Falcon. I still don't know why no one was towed up in the interim- I mean- it was certainly soarable.
The second tow I got off early (1100') when the tug got way above me. I was in big lift anyhow and climbed out to join my host- Fred Permenter- in his La Mouette. One of Marty's buddies was in an Atos on top of him and I eventually climbed right over them both! The Atos went on a huge glide and I followed a bit later. I have a much easier time pulling VG on this glider- they must have added a pulley or two. I bombed around for another 45 minutes and came down with an even WORSE approach, the second one scared even me. But the glider landed well and saved my ass.
Third flight I took just to erase that bad approach from my mind- well at least to leave it on a better note. My first flight was before 11 am , now it was more mid-day conditions. I had climbs of sustained 450fpm and it was GOOD! There were so many gliders stacked up all over. We were getting to just over 3grand. I climbed up to Fred once again, Mikey came up through us both from underneath, so I pretended I was more interested on something way to the south and went on a glide. Mikey followed and we fanned out well. I had a better line or a better glide for a while. He hit something first so I joined him. I couldn't get up under him and started losing altitude. When I looked back I was in a bad position to make it back to thew Ranch. I went on a glide back and just SQUEAKED it in. Fred and Raean were very worried, I knew I had it half way back but it was too close. Mikey was apalled.
My landing was good so all in all a very eventful little half hour flight. There was more to the day to soar, but I had a plane to catch.
Anyways, once HG Bob gets some pics e-mailed of my new wing, I will attempt to post them here. Once I get the official update of the comp that Mark was almost in, I will re-cap it here as well.


 
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