Good day at Woodrat

Just got back from a trip to the Mainland. Main purpose was for visiting friends and family and scattering ashes, but managed to get in one flight at Woodrat Mtn. Aparently, it's been a record wet spring in the Medford area, and I think I got the first good day in months. After registering at the country store, my 1st instructor and good friend John Ivey gave me a site intro and drove me up to the lower launch. It was blowing up fine, so I went ahead and launched there. Thermals were fairly big and strong (by Big Island standards) and easy enough to find once in their general vicinity, so I quickly benched up, from out front, to over launch. I was drifting behind the ridge, and wasn't sure I had enough altitude above it to be safe, so went back to the windward side. That only got me lower, but it wasn't long before I got back into the same flow and after getting back to about the same spot, this time I took it on up over the top of the mountain. I should have gone on to base, but spotted a cloud forming over the valley and went out to explore it. That didn't work, so I went back to plan A and got pretty high again; but it was getting late, so I tried one last exploration to the ridge to the North where I figured the plowed field below would be a good source, and the finger extending towards it, a good trigger. Since I was getting deeper into the side valley, I set a minimum altitude for my exploration, and luckily so. As soon as I bailed for the LZ, I hit maximum sink, and had to mash bar to make it into my pattern with good height for an aircraft aproach. I set it down nicely, by the pond, and didn't hit a single cow pie. Just as I landed, some other pilots showed up. Sorry I didn't have time for another flight, as I think it would have been easy to go somewhere, with company, and I believe it may even have been Alex and some of the other Oahu guys, as it looked like his Niviuk.

Help for Daniel

Here is a link for those who might want to help our friend and fellow pilot Daniel who had a bad crash flying on Maui. Aloha, Neil http://www.kauailovesyou.com/kauailovesyou/Daniel_Velasco_Fund.html

K-bay Carnage

3-11-11 was a date to remember. Huge quake near Japan that sent a small (luckily) Tsunami racing across the pacific and into Kealekua Bay. Our good friends and fellow pilot Bill M. and Darlene narrowly escaped harm while trying to return to thier home to assess any damage. At least one home on the bay is now in the bay, along with a great deal of debris from other properties. I was fortunate enough to get some altitude on my new Delta, and took a few pictures of the area. Not too good, as I didn't want to have to end up landing at the church, and have to walk back out (since the lower portion of Napoopo road was closed). Best wishes to Bill and Darlene for a speedy recovery to normalcy at their house on the bay.

Kealakekua New Altitude Record

Saturday January 8th was what we refer to as a "clear air thermal" day with few clouds and low humidity. It was a low pressure day with vario's recording 2,000 feet plus at our 1,900 foot elevation launch. Scotty Gee said the forcast was for dew point to be reached at 6,000 feet. Several people had soared above launch on the early 10am flight. By the time we got back up to launch there were cats paws from the north showing at Keei point. It was "northy" on launch, clear hot and sunny. "Blown out, my log book clearly states don't launch in this!" Of course we were obliged to wait till noon. Visiting pilot Dave pulled up the Keahole airport real time wind and it had turned mellow. We looked out to the north and the ocean was calm. The cat's paws died down out front. The tremendous heating of the lava all day started to send cycles strait up launch. I put my boots on. I layed out my wing and waited for a good strait cycle. I pulled up my wing and had to follow it up hill to keep from being lifted off launch. I flew away from launch, and then in a southerly direction and I felt the nibble of what turned out to be a nice strong thermal. I turned into it and proceeded to go up. I concentrated on finding the best part of it, not letting the rough edges intimidate me. It just got better, over 1,000 feet per minute up at times. Just short of 6,000 feet I topped out and I noticed a hint of a cloud popped over my head. The lift had mysteriously disappeared, nowhere to be found! Hmmmm, that latent heat in the parcel of air I was riding in had just been released to the air above! So at 5,954 feet I pulled out my camera! Pictures are clockwise from Kealakekua bay: North to Kailua-Kona, Haleakala in Distance, Hualalai, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa with new snow on them, 100,000 acres of Boogabooga land to the South. Thank you all that helped me experience this! Neil Morriss

Hazy day

The day started off promising, with lots of sun, and some nice clouds over launch, but the climbing was difficult to say the least. Good fun though, as I always enjoy a challenge, and good company from good friends. The visiting pilot (have you heard of Nick Greece?) showed us the posibilities on his second flight, and I led Sam to the beach for his first landing there, ever! Darlene was good enough to drive for us, although we had to share a seat with Honey Girl. At least she didn't pee on the seat, like the last dog I rode with (a Saint Bernard!) And she really is a sweety. Thanks Darlene, and thanks Charlie for picking us up at the beach.

Ramjet Out

Southy day at the bay

What a great day today at K-bay. Never flown it quite like those conditions though. Air was screaming in from the South out front, although just a little southy on launch. I slid over to the pali and worked my way up almost to base out there, after nearly getting pinned (just needed to get on the bar to escape, and felt better about hanging around to catch some 900 up after that). Had a good landing at the church (a little short) Sorry I had to leave before it was over. Hope the rest of the guys got some good flights. Bill (on his new Peak 2) and his out of town friend looked like they were having fun, popping in and out of the white-room northwest of launch.

Ramjet Out

Here's the other views of the kiting field. Yeti says he'll come down and hold my hand till I learn to relax enough to enjoy the strong conditions. Might try it again early next week.

Ramjet out