Sylmar Hang Gliding Association

Sylmar team headed to Arizona this coming Saturday for a week of punishment and XC flying. Fresh off a good performance in Texas, Greg Kendall will be the one to watch.

I'll do my best to keep the good reporting about your Sylmar team pilots.

Greg Kendall
Jay Devorak
Jeff Chipman

Jaynce Collins (Driver)

RATS! I'm so disappointed. 36 hours after she SAID she'd call me, the principal called and offered me the job, quite possibly for the rest of the year, so I HAVE to take it. so sorry. i was very excited about the learning experience santa cruz flats would have been! best of luck guys, i'm rooting for all 3 of you!

jcflies wrote:RATS!.....the principal called and offered me the job.....

Cong-RATS! on the new gig JC.

Who is driving for you guys?

Busto wrote:Who is driving for you guys?

Mike Degtoff from Austin. Chris Zimmerman's friend.

Day one results

Other comp going -on's

Day one of the Santa Cruz Flats race is in the bag. Tougher day than it really looked, with only 7 or 8 pilots into goal and a bunch just short. Basically I fly ok, ending up 33k from goal after rounding two turnpoints before the day turns weaker and I get inpatient. I think I’ll end up breaking the top twenty but a few pilots still need to pin in. Currently I’m 18th and took the 1400 start time. Significant in that I thought I had started earlier and was getting caught by a later group. It ended up the other way. I started 15 minutes behind the lead gaggle and I caught the likes of Kraig Coomber and his group. After rounding the 2nd turnpoint with about 3k above it, many of the pilots that eventually that made goal were below me and struggling. I saw them all turn around and go for what looked to be a weak climb that looked like it was going nowhere fast. I pressed on and found only weak stuff after that and started looking at the ground instead of the sky. The rest was an education. “Trust the gaggle Luke�

The task was a 110k triangle flown mostly to the east then back to Francisco Grande hotel. The weather predicted to be 7k – 8k, with climb rates of 500 – 700 fpm and light winds. All of that ended up being true but most of the climb rates were 300 – 400 fpm. The weather is predicted to be great the whole time with Altitudes averaging 8k – 9k all week, so pacing yourself will be advisable. I’m already breaking my body.
Our small Sylmar crew housed in the tower, on the 5th floor of the hotel and has a commanding view of the setup area were most of the pilot setup their gliders before rolling or carrying the gliders out to the airfield al little over a quarter mile away. Like all other SCF events, it’s a who’s who of hang gliding with most of the pilots very good with names, so it’s nice to be recognized by the best pilots in the world. Most of the organization this year is relying on the good work that has been accomplished previously. New changes this year is that no plastic water bottles on the flight line, the pilots meeting is now held in the shade of the hotel over by the golf starter board (it has a rather large stage where the briefing can be held more effectively), and a staging line with number on it so you can slide into the launch line based on your ranking (the first day was based on your world ranking, so I was 32nd, today I get to thumb my nose at half of the competition ). The first day was a little confusing because of some parking complexities, but I think most of the issues will be sorted out today.

What worked good for me today? Well not my launch position that was for sure. And not my radio, could not hear anyone and don’t think I was transmitting (but I believe I have that sorted out). But my instrument was working really well. I have a MUCH better understanding of the vario than I ever have. Thanks in a big way to reading the manual twice over the last week. Being able to handle the restart situation and actually see the vario thanks to my little clip ons that I lost (broke) in flight yesterday. Today I’ll need to really concentrate on the vario to read it. The other thing that worked was the McReady settings. I was comfortable at what the instrument was telling me. But mostly I was waaaay above McReady most of the day. Sometimes I would actually do what it told me to do (like slow down speed racer).

Day 2 scores

Overall scores

Day 2 we settle into some normalcy with chores to do from the day before (setup gliders, prepare your harness, breakfast, and pilots meeting). Most can be accomplished before 9 with ease. Yesterday I even took a 30 minute dip in the pool before the pilots meeting (one of the luxuries of being here at the “top of the mountain�). We’re all basically set be 9:30 and now wait for the pilots meeting. Even have time to “clean� the AZ desert off of the harnesses. The soil around here is like moondust so if you land in a field you’re likely to take a lot of that with you in your harness boot.

Pilots assemble at 10:30 near the golf starter area and the meeting is held with David Glover taking care of some gift giving for the winners of the first day. There is the obligatory “How did you do it?� question, as always. Not that many into goal and the day is somewhat devalued, but not too bad for a first day. At the pilots meeting we get to learn what to expect for weather, any news about the comp and any conp activities, and of course today’s task. Today we expect lift much like the day before, mainly climbs to 8k or so, lift rates approaching 700 fpm, and light winds. Most of that ends up being true except the lift rates.

Our task for today, another triangle this time a bit shorter 98k with an 11k cylinder around TP2 and back to the hotel. We’re headed East again. But this time right down the 10. Good because we know where the lift is (basically) and it should be easy retrieves if you land out.

The day actually progresses slow, with much of the early starters just to the SW of the hotel not making the weather prediction look all that correct. Most of the gaggle looks to be only about 1500’ over and a lot of them together. Two of the earliest starters land back at the tow line, bad in the sense that they go to the back of the line. Because I end up in 19th yesterday, I get to stage in front of more than half of the field. However, one knows that in reality that isn’t all that much of an advantage. Even though the staging is in my favor, plenty of early starters get in line, I can slide over into the line, but so can 18 others in front of me, so the line is an optical illusion unless you get into the line super early but you risk landing and being in the same spot you might have been if you try and time the launch just right. I think I timed it just a tad late, but in time to be with many of the top pilots.

After a bit of searching, I’m climbing with a good group of pilots and take the 3rd start (13:45) with James Stinnet. Along the way we spot twin dust devils and tank up to 8300 and progress right down the course line. I’m flying slightly faster than McReady and staying close enough to Stinnet. We are pressing passed Casa Grande mountain and hit another boomer, solid 600 – 800 up and tank up again to around 8800. Stinnet leaves first and I will lose sight of him until about 4k from the first TP. On the way I grab another lighter thermal but this one will see me into the 1st TP and possibly the 2nd. Kraig Coomber joins for a little while but sees glider up ahead and leave on a long glide for them. I follow with about 1500 over Kraig. We arrive at the gaggle 4k short of the TP and tank up again, but the conditions have weakened considerably. Still we climb to 6.5k and go on glide to the 1st TP and press towards the mountains that define the boundary of the 2nd TP. The glide is going OK, but there are pilots low and struggling. I join Davis and another pilot but miss their climb and now I’m on my own. Slowly I watch a parade of gliders land below me. I’m doing my best to stay with the light lift and eventually make my way up into the mountains where I think I’m home. But sadly it was not to be. I dive into the 11k radius TP and tag it. However, I’m in a lot of sink and end up back down to where I was before.

I’ll do this several times and try to get into the mountains and up on a NW facing ridge to get the best opportunity at a real thermal. The road is a ways away and I’m over some territory that isn’t all that landable. I set a altitude that I think is a minimum escape altitude to get back to the road. Giving it all I can, but the glide and thermal searching is slowing eating away at my safety margin and I leave the mountain hoping that I can get something off of the flats. It wasn’t to be and I end up re-visiting a landing area I landed in last year. At least this time I stick the landing on the road, no moondust to contend with and shade within walking distance. Ricker Goldsburough joins me a few minutes later. I'll end up 24 on the day. A lot better than I thought I was in for. I was hoping to making it into the top 30 but thought I might be far worse.

Jay and Greg will come over the mountain about 10 minutes later and go up over 8k tag the 11k cylinder and move on. Greg gets to within 20k of goal and Jay is about 19 miles from goal (Jay’s using miles).

Day 3 scores

Overall scores

Order of the day, get in line earlier! Hit with the launch line illusion and ended up standing in line waaaay longer than anticipated. This will take its toll on more than me. The line moved incredibly slow. One pilot gets out of line after waiting more than an hour and tosses in the towel as he is over heated. Finally on the launch cart, I’m ready as the girls helping in the launch line do their best to stay cool by soaking themselves and giving the pilots a wet t-shirt show. Being down to 3 tugs is what caused most of slowness. But there was a fair number of weak-link breaks too.

Task is 93k triangle kind of. First TP is to our NW about 10k, then to another TP 26k along the same track, right along the Maricopa highway. Then two other TP’s to the West, back to our 3rd TP and then back to the hotel. We’ll be bucking a headwind most of the way, my worst type of task.

Bill Solderquist is right in front of me. I expect that if there is one good sign that would be it. I figure Bill will find whatever is out there. On tow I’m looking all around but the sky is looking empty, I see Bill still on tow. Several times the tow pilot gives me the thumb up indicating the lift is good and I might wanna consider pinning off. Not today pal, I’m taking this one to the top seeing how there’s very little in the way of help around. At the top, I get the wave off signal and pull the release. I’m looking above for Bill thinking that he would be above me in a thermal by now. But I cannot find him anywhere. I go about looking for my own and get scraps of leftovers, weak 100 fpm up and just some bubbly crap. Nothing really anywhere, so I resign myself to going over to the pilots circling way below over the launch line. It’s going up but maybe 150. I’ll stay with this and several pilots come on in, including Jay. The thermal is taking us to the SE and we’ll cross the road to find the better part of the core. Our drift is taking us away from the start cylinder, or at least the side that you wanna be on.

Now I’m circling up with Jay and Jonathan, around 5k I see both of them try to find something else. They pull a small glide to the other side of the resort but eventually come back and rejoin much lower. I’ve been steadily climbing with Jochen Zeischka (pilot from Belgium). Both of us have woody valley harnesses so he’s easy to spot. We spin up together taking our weak thermal to 7k and head out to the start cylinder. I’ll cross the cylinder 15 seconds early, or put another way 14 minutes 15 seconds late. But I’m not about to lose the height I have, to turn around (in the end it won’t really matter). From this point on I find very little if anything in the way of lift. I eventually tag the first TP and land after about 3k. I’ll be joined by two other pilots a few minutes later. Wind direction was from the SW I chose WSW and had to run out the landing. As the other two pilots approach, I throw “moondust� into the air so they can see the direction.

Lot of pilots down early today. Only 5 make it into goal and several top pilots down early. I end up 24th for the day and it drops me to 24 overall. Today’s weather is hot again (over 100), and the lift looks to be even better, supposed to be over 10k. Hope that ends up to be the case.

SCF Day 4 – The task would eventually get stopped and effectively cancelled because of weather. The task was to take us into a sailplane airport that Dustin fly’s from when flying the slick wings. Supposidly the club was to be having a BBQ and what better way to great them than to bring in 20 – 30 of their soaring brethren. The task committee doesn’t like the call as much seeing how there is weather from the SW and it’s streaming into AZ from Mexico. Lots of high clouds look like it will at least shade the area making the task difficult. The task has us going through 4 TP’s including a exit start from Francisco Grande, with total mileage about 98K. Right before the rigids begin to launch the the task is shortened because of airspace / traffic concerns and weather. Task is now about 70K.

I’m sort of in the back, but pilots are not rocketing up so the day is able to mature while we are waiting to be towed. There are 4 tugs now that Russell’s silver bullet is fixed so tows are going faster and we’ll not likely have to wait as long as we did the day before. Greg is in front of me with Jay right behind. I’ll get a decent tow and pin off when the tug goes way below me. The climb was slow at first struggling to get above 4K. I’m looking for the bulk of the gaggle but do not see them. I resort to just staying with mine and eventually take it to around 7K right before the first start. I see two pilots looking like they are going to start and decide to do the same. We’re about 3K from the start cylinder but I know the mountain to out SE (Case Grande) will likely work, so I’m not looking for anything additional. I’m watching the progress of the other two gliders but see they have deviated to the south. It’s then that I see the rest of the gaggle. It looks like they will take the second clock and will be sufficiently high enough to catch me as they are looking to be about 9K.

I make it to Case Grande mountain and drive along the entire west side before finding a thermal 3/4’s of the way down the range. There I hit a solid 500’/min up and this will eventually take me to 8300’, but the gaggle will be about 9k. While climbing we can see a dust front that is about 25 miles long, dropping virga and moving our way but slowly. I ‘m watching the number but figure I should put some distance between me and the wall of dust, it’s still about 10k away at least. Most of the lead group is way above me and making pretty good progress towards the first TP. The glide is buoyant and smooth as we drive into another area of lift that gets us back above 8k. The storm is progressing but still slowly and up ahead I still see gliders going toward the first TP. Also ahead you can start to make out the beginning of mammantus clouds beginning to drop from the under surface.

About 10k from the first TP I notice one of the swifts is on the ground, I found that odd. Then I notice to my left a glider is going back the other way, I figure the task has been called and sure enough the meet director gets on the radio and cancels the task. I see the other swift begin a landing approach next to the other one. I turn around into the headwind and begin to scout out an acceptable LZ that will provide shelter in case the gust front is too strong. I spot a school and contemplate landing on the soccer fields but the area is surrounded by a fence so I opt for the field on the east side of the school. It’s surrounded by powerlines (what a good choice). The field has bushes but there is one clear spot and I put it in the with a no-stepper and carry the glider about 50 yards to the side of the school where there is a shade tree to boot.

School is just letting out and the younger children are very curious. Some wonder what that contraption is, others seem to know instinctively and ask “is it cool?� Of course it is ………