What have been the best flights from Kagel?

[Foster]

I guess for overall distance it's Palm Springs, but what about other directions? Any over the back to Mojave or Barstow? What about west to Santa Barbara?

[stebbins]

Greg Kendall went over the back to Avenue I or so in Lancaster. On another day he flew to El Mirage dry lake.

Weiner and I have made it to Santa Paula. Weiner went a bit farther than I did and landed at the airport there.

Juan Coral went to Lake Piru and back.

Dino Dinaso landed in Santa Monica. At the beach, I'm told. (Totally violating airspace, I think.)

I'm sure these are NOT the farthest in those directions (Except Dino), but just the farthest I know about for sure. I hear rumor someone went to Mojave or beyond.

It takes special days to do these things. I've been flying here for 25 years, and have never been in the air on a day when anyone made it to Crestline, for example. Just bad timing, I guess... (OK, when I was a hang two, Bob England flew to Crestline and I was in the air, but heck, I was a hang two!)

[skygeek AKA Seabass]

Two years ago I had a flight from Kagel & landed at the Barstow outlet mall on a Wills Wing Talon 150.

[Foster]

It takes special days to do these things. I've been flying here for 25 years, and have never been in the air on a day when anyone made it to Crestline, for example. Just bad timing, I guess... (OK, when I was a hang two, Bob England flew to Crestline and I was in the air, but heck, I was a hang two!)

Bob must have been flying a hang glider back then.

George & Sebastian,

How high were you (altitude wise, that is ) when you went over the back? Any flight to the north/northwest looks difficult at best, especially with all of the Class D & Restricted Airspace to deal with.

[greblo]

Ted Boyse flew to Mojave from Kagel as well as to Ventura and Palm Springs.

[stebbins]

Thanks for the update on the distances.

Over the back altitude? It depends on glider, location and windspeed. I have gone over the back at the 22 with essentially no altitude (There is a notch in the hills right there and I went through it). BUT, the winds were light, and that was before they put houses in the bail-out LZ. I'd never do it that low now.)

In light winds, you get less chance of a rotor or lee-side turbulence, but you also get less tail-wind. I'd guess that 1000 over the 22 would get you safely over, but you are unlikely to get up without some more to spare. On a topless, you'd need less, I think. The key is to have LZs picked out in advance so you know where you are going.

If you are getting high, the best place to leave from is towers. Then go towards the gravel pit along HWY 14. That keeps you over the higher ground. If you are losing it, you can bail to the left and land at the golf course. Be careful, it isn't all level. If you are getting really high, then I'd guess you want to go wherever you are getting high, but especially if you can head over Magic Mountain. (The mountain, not the amusement park.)

I have heard of several routes.

Kagel->Parker->S->beyond
Kagel->Gravel pit->Agua Dulce->L->beyond
Kagel->Parker->E of the pass @ S->beyond
Kagel->W Towers->NNE->Agua Dulce->beyond
Kagel->W Towers->Lake Piru->back
Kagel->W Towers ->Ventura or Simi or ?

I wouldn't even think about going over the back anywhere East of Kagel unless you are so high you really want O2. The farther East you go, the thicker the mountains get, and there are not any real landing zones. Just bushy slopes and ridge-tops. Ech.

The simplest route (which will likely end in a short out-landing) is over the back of the 22 to the dry-wash along Hwy 14. Watch for a few spots where power lines cross the wash....

By the way, we could go over the back far more often that we do. However, the odds of landing out very shortly after leaving are pretty high on a normal day, so we don't do it. It is, however, relatively safe if you want to practice. Just make sure you can reach the dry-wash and land there. Near the Denny's is a good spot. Or near where the freeway crosses the wash.

[BudRob]

West record (as far as I know) is 55 miles to Lake Casitas in the Ojai Valley. That flight was made by 3 people that stayed in a tight group: Rob BEERgis (me), Ron Wiener, and Andy PriceCheck. Anyone gone further west? Step up and declare yourself!

[skygeek AKA Seabass]

I will try to re-colect the events as best I can. It was April three years ago not two. It was a 9-10 day period of good flying at Kagel & good lapse rates in the deserts, Ron Wienner, Rob Bergis & I got to 10-11K & went for the back, got to Gleason we were out of the convergence & getting low on the North side of Gleason Ron was low & Rob continued on I was high enough & headed N/E of Parker. From this point I did something that I do not agree with, kept flying by myself after my radio quit, I did it because the day looked like it had good potential. From this point I lost sight of Ron & Rob, I arrived low about 1500ft 5 miles West of Brians Ranch airpark, I thought I was going to have to land found a lite one for 20 minutes to 8k then to 12,500 really fast, headed for Brians Ranch, then to the West side of El Mirage I was going to land at Driver Jims property but got back up, at that point I realized the lift between 8-12k was strong so I would go on glide & would re-fuel at 8k. Went to the East side of El Mirage re-fueled, Silver Lakes re-fueled, now I had to cross a large airport that stores old airliners I do not no the name but it is N/E of Silver Lakes, I made shure I crossed the runway very high even though there was not any activity to be seen, I had a easy glide to Bastow. Since I started hangliding passing the outlet malls by car I would see a huge dirt field & say like most hanglider pilots that would be a great place to land, well thats were I was headed it was calling to me. I arrived 8k & 3 1/2 hours after my departure from Kagel in the biggest LZ I had ever landed in, little did I remember but it was slightly down hill but into a 5-10mph West wind. I did not want to have to walk far so I shortened my down wind leg I ended up going long & ended up flaring in a four lane highway no cars, I could of continued my flight to Dagget or further but it was getting late & no radio. I called Ron they both had landed & were picked up by Dana at Crystal Air, they were two steps from entering a restaurant in Palmdale & all three were thrilled to be picking me up in Barstow a hour half away.
Yesterday 5/8/07 Phill, Ron, Chippy & I had the intention of going that way but Phill did not know he would be skydiving so our plans changed. If there is a call for 9-12k convergence on one of the last days of a N/E patern at Kagel & a good lapse rate in the desert there is a great chance to get even farther than I did, either East on the 40 or North on the 15.
That next weekend Ron, Andy & I made it to Crestline with Greblo a couple miles short.

[jimshaw]

I understand someone flew over the back to Inyokern. Try asking Greblo again. I know whoever told me said it was almost the same distance as the flight to Palm Desert. +/- 130 miles, maybe by Ted Boyse as well?

[jimshaw]

...by the way, a couple jelly fish made it from Kagel to the beach...in Malibu I believe. Around the time of Adam's flight to Palm Springs.

[Foster]

I understand someone flew over the back to Inyokern. Try asking Greblo again. I know whoever told me said it was almost the same distance as the flight to Palm Desert. +/- 130 miles, maybe by Ted Boyse as well?

I talked to Andy Beem yesterday and he told me about Ted Boyse flying to Inyokern from Kagel.

[stebbins]

Went to the East side of El Mirage re-fueled, Little Lake re-fueled, now I had to cross a large airport that stores old airliners I do not no the name but it is N/E of Little Lake, I made shure I crossed the runway very high even though there was not any activity to be seen, I had a easy glide to Bastow.

I think Sebastian means Silver Lakes, not Little Lake. Little Lake is up at the south end of the Owens Valley. The town at Silver Lakes is Helendale.