Kiona

A quick run to Kiona this afternoon proved a wize move. - Winds were good as I figured and I spent about an hour in the air with a couple of nice no drag top landings and one landing in the LZ. - Thanks for comming out Brian.

Sledder Sledder Sledder

Got to fly, just Got to fly. - Nothing but hiking and taking quick sledders. I hope the lift comes soon. - Now to the calandar and scheduling for summer flying. - Got the Boss to give me an extra week off so I can find some time to fly.

Advice

Here is how to break a camera. - Thanks for the insurance advice Ross.

Saddle Prognosticating

Saddle from the South - Big Cloud on Launch

Cold and a bit wet, the wing got a nice work out today. No intrepid souls rose early for this one. The XC forecast showed solid 6 to 8 due North all day with possible light precipitation early and clearing later. Mattawa wundergound showed 6 N most of the day.
Launch was socked in.

By 12:00 base was at launch and by 1:00 we had 300ft ceiling.
It was cold but smooth, winds were 14 to 17 laminar North. I flew the ridge - dropping as low as 2400msl east keeping ridge lift and clearance for the return flight. Leonardo gave me a nice score: 39.90. My fingers and toes were cold and I needed facilities that the ground offered which the air could not, so after about 2 hours this bird sought shelter on terafirma.
Jimmy and Chris brought their hangs and fought icing all day. Every time one went close to the clouds there started a frozen mist of little bitty ice crystals. Cold and hard to see after a while.

Armond had a very sweet launch and flight but you will have to ask him about the "landing." Every one left the hill with smiles. Even Obi wan, who left saying "Cloud too Big! Wind too Strong!" was smiling. He was still smiling after his Kiona flights while listening to this young Jedi preacher brag about his day.
Reports are that there were a number of Kiona flights, keep your ears open.

Saddle - Early Thermal Lift - Eastern WA

9:00 A.M. - Winds light to 12 NNW on launch. Just west enough to put launch in the lee of the little ridge west of launch. I kited for a bit but kept taking left side asymmetrics from the rotor. After 20 min or so I decide to warm up in the car and await James and Pam. I knew Pam would leave her rig in the lz and would fly so I though I could watch and see how boaty the nw wind would be. At 10:30 we were three on launch and the winds - still a bit west were now cranking. - Pam set up for launch but a rock edge caught a bit of sail and she had to step off launch to fix her glider. - By then it was strong enough to assure a good soar so I popped it off and went for sky. - Very nice lift - a bit cold but very nice. Flew for a while and found thermals sucking me up into the clouds. Base was only 4 or maybe 4,500 so it wasn't skying but the lift was fabulous. Armond from Leavenworth was next up and off after flying his zag for a bit. We both had nice flights and top landings.
More kiting and flying - Will have to check my GPS to see how many - - James had a nice flight before Pam stepped back into the slot and took for the sky.
She had the flight of the day - able go out and challenge the thermals because of her car option in the LZ. - She flew out and about and down - had two or three very nice thermal saves and ended up with all our envy as she brought it back in for a top landing. -
Thanks James, Pam and Armond for great company on the first Eastern WA thermal day of the year. - well ridge plus thermal.

Dave.

Prediction: - Monday should be as nice or even better - any takers? - Hope you all found some flying - I know the Tri-Cities crew was in the air.

Saddle Friday - Spicy?

Spicy was the question. - Spicy for whom? - Early it was a bit lighter and I was able to get off the hill. I flew for about 25 minutes and then headed East for a few more points on Leo. - Mistake - the winds dropped off as the hill dropped off to the east. Fortunately a nice family stopped on the LZ road and took me to the main road where Jimmy was just passing. - A ride up to the top proved just that. - Winds were up and only Hangs got off the hill from that point on.

Mickey's North

Mickey's is a great site. I'm looking forward to soaring in nice North conditions. Very easy launch and nice big LZ. Hike up is also very straight forward about 30 min. The video is the first I have taken from my wing.

Archives - Video of My Helo from SIV

This summer I took two SIV's and this is the best of the video from that great experiance with Brad Gun -
Also Check out my Leonardo flights - New Site: Mickey's - Both North and South Sledders - Didn't get a track on the North effort last week but the South is there.

Toys for No Flight Days

Check this little goody out. $120.00 US
You can always fly!