Shut Up and Just Fly - A Thrilling Thursday at Sylmar

JD · Post by JD » Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:12 am

Here are ten minutes edited from yesterday's 2hr 33min., 20-mile out and return flight from Kagel in Sylmar. You'll see the four of us enjoy this amazing day as we thermal together. There's a completely new ambient stereo sound. Hardly a word is said during this flight as the action tells the story. An airliner flies nearby on it's way to Burbank. A boomer finally carries me to just clear of cloud base at 1,200' AGL. We work our way down range on a wing and a prayer then sink out and prepare to land out only to scratch back up three times. We get chased around a thermal during a long climb by a protective, red-tailed hawk. Finally, we scratch our way back past launch with enough excess altitude to throw our drogue chute which snags the keel a few times until the bar gets pulled in a little. Sink rate goes to 1,100'/min but airspeed only increases to 32 MPH and glide slope is an amazing 2.6:1! Landing is in a 10 MPH, 90 degree crosswind.
Be sure to watch it in HQ mode. There is a lot of fine detail.
Enjoy! Jonathan
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaKSq4H4WcA[/youtube]
Track log and Google Earth link: http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/179340

noack · Post by **noack** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:36 am

Awsome! The video of the hawk is killlllllller!

Matt

JD · Post by JD » Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:44 am

noack wrote:Awsome! The video of the hawk is killlllllller!

Matt

Thanks, Matt! You, Darryl and Joe all flew great yesterday. I'll send you the uncompressed, 26-minute long version if you still want it.
Jonathan

skygeek AKA Seabass · Post by **skygeek AKA Seabass** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:21 pm

Looks like the red tail was a little horny it is mating season did you get a phone number?
I think that was your best video yet, I like all the angles during the strong climb you really get a sense that its a interactive sport. I really liked the hawk footage & the view of the drag shute.

skygeek AKA Seabass · Post by **skygeek AKA Seabass** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:26 pm

Hey MATT STEP 1 ARMS UP STEP 2 WOOOHOOO!!!!!!!!!

JD · Post by JD » Sat Apr 11, 2009 12:23 am

skygeek wrote:Looks like the red tail was a little horny it is mating season did you get a phone number?
I think that was your best video yet, I like all the angles during the strong climb you really get a sense that its a interactive sport. I really liked the hawk footage & the view of the drag shute.

Thanks! I called the number the hawk gave me and YOU answered.

I forgot to edit in the aerial video I took of rebardan's "Hook In" placard on Towers launch. I still have a ton of video from my 51-mile flight on 3/28 that I need to finish editing and more video from my aborted attempt to fly from Crestline to Sylmar on Monday, where we landed at Miller Brewing in Irwindale. Good footage on both of those. Too busy racking up hours and miles right now.