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topic: Owen Morse

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Mountain High Red Rocks Hang Gliding Academy »

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 12:07:47 am GMT

Before the Red Rocks Competition in June

Davis Straub|Larry Bunner|Owen Morse|Red Rocks Foot Launch HG Competition 2023|Rich Reinauer|Richard "Ric" Caylor|Robin Hamilton|Timothy "Tim" Delaney|WolfPack Hang Gliding|Zac Majors

Ric Caylor writes:

PLEASE NOTE: The First Virtual Ground School Class (VGSC) Has been postponed to February 5th, 2023.

Mountain High Red Rocks Hang Gliding Academy

Before the competition is a three-day "Red Rocks Mountain Academy," held June 14th - 16th, this clinic is designed to help pilots enhance their high-altitude flying skills and enjoyment through safety, awareness, critical situation analysis, and best practices of proper communication and survival gear. Our team of female and male mentors includes world record holders and national champions. They will lead ground school classes, a launch and landing clinic, navigation strategies, and aviation-assisted training. We will also offer several zoom ground school training sessions over the winter as part of the Academy. How often do you get advanced training opportunities like this from experts? If you’re looking to enhance your high altitude or xc skills, this is not to be missed!

Virtual Ground School Informational Classes

These zoom ground school training sessions are a part of the Academy and may be purchased as a package separate from the in-person practical flying. The High Mountain Hang Gliding Red Rocks Academy is designed to help pilots enhance their high-altitude flying skills and enjoyment through safety awareness, critical situation analysis, best communication practices, survival gear, and more.

Zoom Classroom instruction format. 60 min. max with Q&A. A 30 min extension at the mentor’s discretion is expected. Zac Majors will host classes. Scheduled for consecutive Sunday evenings starting at 6:00 pm PST starting on February 5th, 2023. The Following are slated but not guaranteed.

High Mountain Competition Flying. By Robin Hamilton

Strategies, Experience History Profile, and Applied Safety Mitigation. By Robin Hamilton

Oxygen 101. by Tim Delaney

Garmin InReach 101. By Rich Reinauer

Weather and High Mountain Flying Conditions. By Davis Straub

Reporting Accidents, Mishaps, and Close Calls. By Zac Majors

High Mountain Flying Secrets. By Owen Morse

Flying With Intent to Improve Performance. By Larry Bunner

Sign up by purchasing online at https://wolfpackhanggliding.com/shop/

You will be emailed a Zoom Invitation a day before the class.

Please note that the Zoom Ground School Classes are included if you are enrolled in the RRHG Academy or a registered Competition pilot.

Please email Ric at <Ric@wolfpackhanggliding.com> with questions.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Tue, Sep 28 2021, 8:50:00 pm MDT

What a great competition

Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

Almost every one had an extremely fun time flying in Casa Grande last week. Six days out of seven were flown. It was great that we didn't fly the one day that we didn't. Rain on the day after. Rain on the day before.

Really enjoyed the day that we flew in the weakest conditions. Really enjoyed the day Zac and I climbed so high and just finished much faster than anyone else.

Task calls were very appropriate for the limited number of hours of daylight in late September.

We had great support from the volunteers especially at the launch. Launch conditions were excellent.

Scoring was very rapid and it was taking place remotely in Colombia. The trackers worked great after the first day (don't know what caused the problem on the first day).

You can review the races here: https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/blog__day_7 with Replay.

Day seven is quite interesting: https://airtribune.com/play/5526/2d

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Sat, Sep 25 2021, 11:33:56 pm MDT

Day 7, task 6, narrative

Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

The task:

My flight:

I hang on this time behind Bobby Bailey and he finally flies straight and to a turning pilot. I join up and there is a reasonable amount of lift around (less than 200 fpm). The pilots climb up together and we get to 6,300' a couple of times before taking the second clock at 2:15 PM. We are all outside the start cylinder and have to go back to get the second start time.

We all head out together and there are little bits of lift here and there but not much worth turning in. I make a few turns then head for Casa Grande Mountain and not finding anything there keep going east to the spot where I found good lift before when I came in second for the day. We've got an north northwest wind, the same as on that previous day, and I'm looking to get away from the hill, sort of in the lee and over some clear looking field.

At 1,600' AGL I find the lift and climb to 6,600' drifting in a 9 mph north northwest wind toward the first turnpoint. I nick the turnpoint and head southwest toward the Baker turnpoint. The few pilots that I see are quite a ways below me.

I quickly find more lift and climb to 6,500' before it gives out. I find good lift again and climb to 6,700' in a 15 mph northwest wind. The lift has been easy to find and the climbs, while not great, are plenty strong enough. I want to be high going into the hills before Baker.

I can see three gliders ahead lower than me but near the turnpoint and climbing, or at least circling. At the base of the hills I stop to get as high as possible climbing to 6,100' before heading into the turnpoint. A few pilots in front are turning a bit lower than I. I don't see Robin higher.

I hit the turnpoint and climb to 5,800' and then head north with Pete Lehmann just to my west. I had seen two pilots heading north very low as I came into the turnpoint. Probably Zac and Phil.

I'm heading into a 9 mph north northwest wind but it looks good ahead with wide open fields that look like they are hot. But, the sink is bad, averaging 400 fpm down, with spots of 900 fpm down.

I turn east to get out of the sink and out of Indian territory, but it does no good. I'm looking all over but soon find myself on the ground with Tyler right behind me.

Robin got to 7,600' at the second turnpoint and was down to 1,500' AGL heading north. He didn't get any substantial lift until he got to Arizona City. He was the only one to make it to goal.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Sat, Sep 25 2021, 10:44:18 pm MDT

Day 7, task 6 results

Bill Soderquist|Butch Peachy|competition|Davis Straub|Greg Kendall|J.D. Guillemette|Jason Boehm|John Simon|Konstantin Lukyanov|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|Phill Bloom|Ric Caylor|Robin Hamilton|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Tyler Borradaile|Willy Dydo|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/results

Task 6 (open):

# Name Glider Time
(h:m:s)
Distance
(km)
Total
1 Robin Hamilton Aeros Combat 13 03:01:54 81.73 1000.0
2 Bill Soderquist Ww T3 63.95 764.9
3 Jason Boehm Wills Wing T3 60.35 736.1
4 Konstantin Lukyanov Moyes Litespeed RX 59.67 731.2
5 Jd Guillemette Moyes RX3.5 57.07 704.1
6 Willy Dydo Wills Wing T3 136 55.26 686.4
7 Butch Peachy Moyes RX 3.5/S4 54.55 677.8
8 Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann Wills Wing T2C-154 53.06 655.4
9 Ric Caylor Moyes RX5 Pro 52.78 649.9
10 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 52.13 641.8
11 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 52.25 640.3

Final:

# Name Glider T 1 T 2 T 3 T 4 T 5 T 6 Total
1 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 977.8 988.7 927.1 820.1 77.7 420.0 4211
2 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 766.7 930.0 573.5 699.5 117.2 466.4 3553
3 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 843.0 917.0 776.6 423.9 45.5 470.9 3477
4 Konstantin Lukyanov Moyes Litespeed RX 672.5 832.3 763.4 211.0 102.2 731.2 3313
5 Robin Hamilton Aeros Combat 13 295.2 510.0 795.3 514.6 117.9 1000.0 3233
6 Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann Wills Wing T2C-154 739.6 566.6 732.3 410.5 0.0 655.4 3104
7 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 984.8 200.1 577.8 512.0 145.4 641.9 3062
8 Greg Kendall Moyes RX 3.5 457.5 489.0 845.1 702.6 75.8 451.5 3022
9 Willy Dydo Wills Wing T3 136 792.2 243.0 378.3 680.6 162.0 686.4 2943
10 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 794.9 253.3 886.8 226.0 117.6 640.4 2919

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Sat, Sep 25 2021, 8:59:40 am MDT

Day 6, task 5 results

Bill Soderquist|competition|Davis Straub|Greg Kendall|Jeff Chipman|John Simon|Konstantin Lukyanov|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|Owen Morse|Phill Bloom|Rob Cooper|Robin Hamilton|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Tyler Borradaile|Willy Dydo|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/results

Task 5 (open):

# Name Glider Distance
(km)
Total
1 Willy Dydo Wills Wing T3 136 34.30 162.0
2 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 29.85 145.4
3 Robin Hamilton Aeros Combat 13 19.44 117.9
4 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 19.36 117.6
5 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 19.24 117.2
6 Bill Soderquest Ww T3 18.23 112.6
7 Jeff Chipman Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 18.17 112.3
8 Konstantin Lukyanov Moyes Litespeed RX 16.53 102.2
9 Rob Cooper Wills Wing T2C 15.97 98.3
10 Owen Morse Wills Wing T3 154 12.29 78.7

Cumulative:

# Name Glider T 1 T 2 T 3 T 4 T 5 Total
1 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 977.8 988.7 927.1 820.1 77.7 3791
2 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 766.7 930.0 573.5 699.5 117.2 3087
3 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 843.0 917.0 776.6 423.9 45.5 3006
4 Konstantin Lukyanov Moyes Litespeed RX 672.5 832.3 763.4 211.0 102.2 2581
5 Greg Kendall Moyes RX 3.5 457.5 489.0 845.1 702.6 75.8 2570
6 Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann Wills Wing T2C-154 739.6 566.6 732.3 410.5 0.0 2449
7 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 984.8 200.1 577.8 512.0 145.4 2420
8 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 794.9 253.3 886.8 226.0 117.6 2279
9 Willy Dydo Wills Wing T3 136 792.2 243.0 378.3 680.6 162.0 2256
10 Robin Hamilton Aeros Combat 13 295.2 510.0 795.3 514.6 117.9 2233

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Day 6, task 5

Fri, Sep 24 2021, 9:14:50 pm MDT

Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

After the gust, the upper level clouds covered the sky. The pilot briefing was postponed twice to 12:30 PM from 10:30 AM. The clouds were still there but there was a little bit of blue way off to the east.

The task committee has tasks for both classes and after significant discussion about whether there would be any lift, Jamie says the task is on with a late launch. I have to setup my glider and get out there quickly.

The Sport Class launches first and soon they are all on the ground. Open class pilots are reluctant to launch once again after they see no one sticking.

A few of us get in line and I line up behind Robin Hamilton. It is already after the first start clock at 3:30 PM.

Bobby Bailey pulls me up and find lift just to the west. He makes some quick turns, the line goes slack and then the quick link breaks when the line goes tight again. I'm off at 844' AGL on a very weak day.

But, Bobby had been turning because there was lift there so I went to find it right away and starting climbing at 63 fpm with a 10 mph wind out of the west pushing me down the course line.

Went back up wind after climbing to 1,250' AGL drifting toward the resort. Found nothing but sink, went back east to get in the same line I had been in and found 6 fpm. Five minutes later I was able to move a little to the south and found 50 fpm climbing to 1,600' AGL

By now a few other pilots came and joined me and we just circled and circled drifting down the course line. We continue circling and climb to 1,900' AGL. We drift 9.5 km and take 50 minutes. It's 4:31 PM and the sun is getting close to the clouds in the west.

With the wind blowing at 10 mph out of the west northwest another pilot, likely to be Konstantin, and I head out. I'm able to find 100 fpm and four pilots join me. Heading out again I find 20 fpm to 1,800' AGL with the pilots still following.

After that there is not much as we stretch it out past the intersection of I8 and I10. Robin, Phil and I land in the same field.

Willie Dydo went out earlier and got the furthest on his own. Tyler got to ten kilometers past us. The sun was behind the clouds at this point.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Fri, Sep 24 2021, 11:37:52 am MDT

Gust front in the morning on Friday

Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|weather

Five of us were out by the launch area standing by our gliders as the gust front came through. Lasted probably fifteen minutes.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 5:31:20 pm MDT

Day five, no task, day is cancelled

competition|Greg Kendall|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|video

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/results

JD was measuring the south wind at 14 mph gusting to 22 mph. Lots of blowing dust in the field, which is quite discouraging. No pilots were willing to launch (other than Bill Bennett). Lots of task and launch time changes to no avail. That doesn't even count the cu-nimb that was forming over the second turnpoint (which the task and safety committees weren't noticing).

Meet director cancels the day as it gets later and later.

Bill Bennett launches after the day is canceled.

Note about the third task.

Replay, https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/blog__day_3, shows that it was the fact that Zac and I climbed to over 9,000' that determined the outcome for that day.

Zac left a gaggle east of Casa Grande mountain where he was at the bottom to come joined Pete Lehmann and I climbing faster to his south. Four pilots (excluding Greg Kendall, who took an earlier clock) were out ahead of us and high and doing well. While they got to the turnpoint first and headed back before we did, we were able to climb the highest 4 km before the turnpoint. This gave us a big advantage.

Phil and Tyler got stuck low coming back. We were 500 to 1000 meters higher than Simon and Hamilton. Soon only Simon was ahead and he got a bit low east of the mountain coming back. We came into the south end of the mountain high and quickly climbed. Robin was just to our east but not climbing nearly as well.

We climbed to over 2,500 meters and went on final glide to goal while everyone else was working to get up or stay up.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Wed, Sep 22 2021, 9:40:23 pm MDT

Day four, task four, results

Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

Greg Kendall|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

Greg Kendall|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

Greg Kendall|John Simon|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

competition|Greg Kendall|John Simon|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

competition|Greg Kendall|John Simon|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/results

Task 4 (open):

# Name Glider Distance
(km)
Total
1 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 70.89 820.1
2 Greg Kendall Moyes RX 3.5 54.69 702.6
3 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 54.10 699.5
4 Ric Caylor Moyes RX5 Pro 54.13 698.4
5 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T3 144 54.02 697.2
6 Willy Dydo Wills Wing T3 136 52.75 680.6
7 Jd Guillemette Moyes RX3.5 51.60 662.1
8 Ian Snowball Moyes RS4.5 47.64 592.9
9 Rob Cooper Wills Wing T2C 40.79 518.7
10 Robin Hamilton Aeros Combat 13 40.06 514.6

Cumulative:

# Name Glider T 1 T 2 T 3 T 4 Total
1 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 977.8 988.7 927.1 820.1 3714
2 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 766.7 930.0 573.5 699.5 2970
3 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 843.0 917.0 776.6 423.9 2961
4 Greg Kendall Moyes RX 3.5 457.5 489.0 845.1 702.6 2494
5 Konstantin Lukyanov Moyes Litespeed RX 672.5 832.3 763.4 211.0 2479
6 Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann Wills Wing T2C-154 739.6 566.6 732.3 410.5 2449
7 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 984.8 200.1 577.8 512.0 2275
8 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 794.9 253.3 886.8 226.0 2161
9 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T3 144 727.3 568.6 139.8 697.2 2133
10 Robin Hamilton Aeros Combat 13 295.2 510.0 795.3 514.6 2115

Neither Sport or Open Class pilots make goal.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Wed, Sep 22 2021, 6:47:03 pm MDT

Day four, task four, narrative

John Simon|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

The Task:

With the wind blowing 11 mph out of the south southeast at launch the task committee, at the last minute, changes the task to first send us out to the northwest to the edge of the mountains north of the sailplane port at Estrella, west of Maricopa and then back to the hotel when the winds are forecasted to lighten up.

Having learned their lesson the Sport Class pilots are happy to let us Open Class pilots go first and check out whether there is any lift or not. I launched sixth and Jim Prahl drug me around the sky not finding much and I worked -30 pm after pinning off at 2000' AGL. I leave that to find actual lift that overcomes my sink rate downwind to just south of the launch. 132 fpm is what I'm happy to be in.

Most of the thermals over the next hour in the start cylinder average less than 100 fpm, but I'm finally able to climb to 6,000' along with John Simon and Zac. Half a dozen pilots are near the top of the low stack and a few more are scrounging down below. Pilots are spread out looking around for better lift but little is to be found.

Unfortunately I was at 6,000' four minutes before the first start clock and lose 800' before the start gate opens and I head out. I'm following three pilots so it looks okay. I quickly find 100 fpm and climb to 5,500' before it peters out.

Heading to the northwest with John Simon and Jeff Galvin nearby I keep searching and not finding anything. Down to 300' AGL west of the stock yards I hit some lift and start turning. Jeff lands below me and John Simon is just as low in the next field to the north.

A few turns and the lift goes away no doubt pushed to the northwest toward the power lines at the edge of the field. I don't see John working his way up in the field on the other side of the power lines. Soon I have to land making a safe and graceful return to earth.

It isn't long before we see a gaggle of four pilots circling right up over us. Another pilot lands with us and then Willie Dydo comes in at 300' and proceeds to climb up and out. Another pilot lands in the field to our north.

Looking from our balcony on the sixth floor of the hotel I don't see anyone at goal. The Sport Class also had an out and return task to the southeast. I saw one Swift that looks like it made it back.

So close (this is where the guys out front get low for the first time):

I'm at 280' AGL finding lift, but not enough. Zac and John find lift north of the highway and climb up.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Wed, Sep 22 2021, 1:16:09 am MDT

Day three, task 3, Results

Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

Robin Hamilton|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

Greg Dinauer|Robin Hamilton|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

Greg Dinauer|Greg Kendall|Robin Hamilton|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

Greg Dinauer|Greg Kendall|Robin Hamilton|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

Greg Dinauer|Greg Kendall|John Simon|Robin Hamilton|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

Cumulative:

# Name Glider T 1 T 2 T 3 Total
1 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 977.8 988.7 927.1 2894
2 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 843.0 917.0 776.6 2537
3 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 766.7 930.0 573.5 2270
4 Konstantin Lukyanov Moyes Litespeed RX 672.5 832.3 763.4 2268
5 Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann Wills Wing T2C-154 739.6 566.6 732.3 2039
6 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 794.9 253.3 886.8 1935
7 Greg Kendall Moyes RX 3.5 457.5 489.0 845.1 1792
8 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 984.8 200.1 577.8 1763
9 Greg Dinauer Aeros Combat 12 722.1 509.3 470.1 1702
10 Robin Hamilton Aeros Combat 13 295.2 510.0 795.3 1601

Four Sport Class pilots make it back to the hotel, Leonardo, Tim, LJ, and Sujeta, her first competition and first goal.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Tue, Sep 21 2021, 9:50:13 pm MDT

Day three, task 3, preliminary results

Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

Robin Hamilton|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

Greg Kendall|Robin Hamilton|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

Greg Kendall|Robin Hamilton|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

Greg Kendall|John Simon|Robin Hamilton|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Time
(h:m:s)
Total
1 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 01:32:06 927.1
2 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 01:35:23 886.8
3 Greg Kendall Moyes RX 3.5 01:58:12 845.1
4 Robin Hamilton Aeros Combat 13 01:50:27 795.3
5 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 01:52:52 776.6
6 Konstantin Lukyanov Moyes Litespeed RX 01:53:26 763.4
7 Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann Wills Wing T2C-154 01:57:24 732.3
8 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:30:05 577.8
9 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:30:39 573.5
10 Gennadiy Khramov Wills Wing T2C 02:54:01 484.1

Four Sport Class pilots make it back to the hotel, Leonardo, Tim, LJ, and Sujeta, her first competition and first goal.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Tue, Sep 21 2021, 7:53:45 pm MDT

Day three, task 3, narrative and preliminary results

competition|Greg Kendall|John Simon|Robin Hamilton|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

The Task:

The Sport Class wanted to go before the Open Class today and they had a 12:30 PM launch time with the first start clock at 1 PM and a total of six start clocks. The Swifts would launch first before the Sport Class and the Open Class would launch after the Sport Class.

The Swifts and the Sport Class pilots were all towed up and they promptly all landed back at the launch area. This set the tone for the next couple of hours. Only a few Sport Class pilots wanted to relaunch right away and the Open Class pilots were reluctant to get going after seeing how no one was sticking.

The task committee shortened the Open Class task given that no one was launching and pushed back the start time fifteen minutes to 2:15 PM with four start times. The launch cylinder had been reduced to 3 km given the forecast for light winds. This proved not be that great an idea, at least for some of us.

The Open Class launch was open starting at 1 PM (or maybe 1:15) but only a couple of Sport Class pilots were willing to be towed. They quickly landed back at launch. Finally around 2 PM, Bill Bennett launched in Open Class and that finally got other pilots to consider the possibility. With an open launch and many pilots still reluctant to go, I launched third or fourth with Bobby Bailey towing. One tug, the 914 tug from Whitewater with Johnny Thompson towing, was out of commission.

Bobby tried his tight spiral (not that tight) on me and then must have seen some pilots thermaling up a few kilometers to the southeast and drug me over to them. It was nice to see pilots actually climbing. Bobby had reported earlier that no one was getting above their tow height.

The four of us climbed to 4,400' before the lift gave out and Greg Kendal, at least, headed out on the course. He might have the second clock as I was on tow at the first start clock at 2:15 pm.

A few of us went back to the northwest and hooked up with some light lift and a couple of extra pilots at about 1,300' AGL just southwest of the launch. It averaged less than 100 fpm.

With a 9 mph northwest wind we drifted back to the southeast as the third start time approached. At 2:45 PM (the third clock) I was still at less than 4,000' and getting close to the edge of the start cylinder. A few pilots had already drifted outside the cylinder. I was with two other pilots.

I moved over and was working 50 fpm as I crossed the start cylinder still drifting. Still at less than 4,000' I moved east half a kilometer, one kilometer outside the 3 km start cylinder and found 330 fpm, the best lift so far by a wide margin. Three of us worked it.

I was able to climb to 6,700' with two pilots just below me, 2.34 km outside the 3 km start cylinder. I sure was wishing we had a 5 km start cylinder at that point as I didn't want to go back to take the last clock from that far out. I took off at 15:02 for the Casa Grande Mountain.

Stopped for a few turns in 230 fpm as I passed three pilots who had been out ahead and then out to the mountain after a 13 km glide and a lot of sink right along its western edge. Found rough lift on the eastern side of the mountain that was rough at first with a north northwest wind at 5 mph.

At 300+ fpm I climbed up to 8,000' with Zac coming in below me, but climbing up to me. We headed out to the east southeast toward the turnpoint. I had only two very light layers on, a thin thermal shirt and speed sleeves, but the air was quite pleasant if a bit cool.

We quickly found more lift and then climbed at over 350 fpm to 9,100' just 4 km from the turnpoint. We turned back into the head wind (10 mph) found a little bit of lift then found 400 fpm again on the east side of Casa Grande mountain to 7,900' which made of a safe and easy glide 20 kilometers into goal even against a 10 mph north northwest head wind.


https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/results

Task 3: open:

# Name Glider SS Time
(h:m:s)
Lead.
Points
Total
1 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 14:45:00 01:32:06 33.0 927.1
2 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 14:45:00 01:35:23 31.0 886.8
3 Greg Kendall Moyes RX 3.5 14:15:00 01:58:12 92.7 845.1
4 Robin Hamilton Aeros Combat 13 14:45:00 01:50:27 36.2 795.3
5 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 14:45:00 01:52:52 36.6 776.6
6 Konstantin Lukyanov Moyes Litespeed RX 14:45:00 01:53:26 31.4 763.4
7 Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann Wills Wing T2C-154 14:45:00 01:57:24 23.8 732.3
8 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 14:45:00 02:30:05 22.1 577.8
9 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 14:45:00 02:30:39 21.7 573.5
10 Gennadiy Khramov Wills Wing T2C 15:00:00 02:54:01 484.1

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Tue, Sep 21 2021, 9:57:48 am MDT

Day three, task 3

Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

Live Tracking: https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=4085

Replay: https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/blog__day_3

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Mon, Sep 20 2021, 9:01:49 pm MDT

Day two, task two

Butch Peachy|competition|Greg Dinauer|John Simon|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

Play Back: https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/blog__day_2

Open class task:

Not much of a flight:

Johnny Thompson tows me up again right after the Swifts and a couple of early birds at 12:37 PM. The lift is still weak near the hotel so I have to go west to hook up with the Swifts and other pilots and even there it's less than 200 fpm to 5,700' MSL. Lots of thermaling in little more than zero.

At about 7 or 8 minutes before the second clock at 1:45 PM the pilots around me northeast of the hotel head toward the edge of the start cylinder I'm thinking that it's too early and head the other direction to find much better lift than the zero we were giving up on. I climb to 5,800' and then head for the northeast edge of the cylinder.

As I fly to get out of the start cylinder I see a few pilots flying back, some of them quite low, so it looks like they are going back for the third or fourth clock. I keep going and find about eight pilots a thousand feet below me trying to get up three kilometers outside the start cylonder. Now I have a quandary.

I'm high with one other pilot who left the start cylinder with me. My desire is to just forget these guys down low cause I'm positive that there is much better lift just a few kilometers further along. But do I really want to leave eight other thermal finders and go out alone? I spend 10 minutes not climbing circling over these guys who aren't climbing either. Then we find 95 fpm and climb to 4,900'.

Finally, as I watch the pilots from the third clock come in low under us, I've had it and head out leading toward where I had previously thought there was much better lift. The pilots I'm with are not helping at all.

I find 267 fpm near the northeast end of the Casa Grande air field and climb to 5,400'. Of course, the other pilots joined me.

I lead out again and find over 300 fpm to 5,100' just before the first turnpoint at Signal Peak. My hangers ons join me.

I lead out again taking the turnpoint and heading for the foothills to the south. I've got a 6 mph head wind and I go for the hill sides that should gather the thermals. I stop for 100 fpm for one turn but I'm thinking that there is better lift a bit further in. I'm wrong.

Got fooled by the 300+ fpm lift in the previous thermal so I was not ready to take 100 fpm.

It's all sink the rest of the way down the hills to the flats and a premature landing.

Zac took the fourth clock and he was first to goal. Phil Bloom and John Simon who took the third clock came in right behind him. Konstantin Lukyanov from Russia was the last pilot into goal.

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/results

Task 2

# Name Glider Time
(h:m:s)
Distance
(km)
Total
1 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 02:31:02 83.71 988.7
2 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:46:53 83.71 930.0
3 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 02:47:39 83.71 917.0
4 Konstantin Lukyanov Moyes Litespeed RX 03:19:26 83.71 832.3
5 Jeff Chipman Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 80.73 725.7
6 Butch Peachy Moyes RX 3.5/S4 78.36 701.1
7 Ian Brubaker Wills Wing T2C 67.85 632.6
8 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T3 144 58.29 568.6
9 Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann Wills Wing T2C 154 58.10 566.6
10 Jason Boehm Wills Wing T3 56.71 561.5

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 1967
2 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 1760
3 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1697
4 Konstantin Lukyanov Moyes Litespeed RX 1505
5 Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann Wills Wing T2C 154 1306
6 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T3 144 1296
7 Greg Dinauer Aeros Combat 12 1231
8 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1185
9 Jeff Galvin Wills Wing T3 154 1181
10 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 1048

Leonardo Ortiz was the only Sport Class pilot at goal on day one. Leonardo and Tim Delaney were the only two Sport Class pilots at goal on day two.

Chris Zimmerman is out with a blown motor on his Swift, so only two Swifts left. Greg Chastain won day two and is in the lead overall.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Mon, Sep 20 2021, 11:22:32 am MDT

First Task Play Back

Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

Day One Play Back:

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/blog__day_1

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Sun, Sep 19 2021, 10:57:09 pm MDT

First Task Results

Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

John Simon|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

competition|John Simon|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

competition|John Simon|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/results

Task 1 (open class):

# Name Glider SS Time
(h:m:s)
Lead.
Points
Time
Points
Total
1 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 14:30:00 01:41:41 87.0 409.6 984.6
2 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 14:30:00 01:41:42 91.7 409.2 977.4
3 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 14:15:00 02:01:06 93.1 281.2 841.0
4 Jeff Galvin Ww T3 154 14:30:00 01:58:41 72.3 294.7 812.6
5 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 14:15:00 02:09:06 102.4 238.4 792.1
6 Willy Dydo Wills Wing T3 136 14:15:00 02:08:29 89.5 241.6 789.4
7 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 14:30:00 02:05:30 68.9 257.4 763.7
8 Ian Snowball Moyes RS4.5 14:30:00 02:05:27 39.5 257.6 738.1
9 Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann Wills Wing T2C-154 14:30:00 02:08:34 63.8 241.2 736.2
10 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T3 144 14:30:00 02:08:55 54.1 239.4 723.8

No results for sport class yet.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Sun, Sep 19 2021, 10:49:34 pm MDT

Day 1, task 1

Brian Porter|John Simon|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Robin Hamilton|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

The task and my flight:

There is a 5 km start cylinder around the launch at the Francisco Grande Hotel airfield (desert). The first leg is about over the Casa Grande airfield to a 2 km cylinder around Signal Peak. Signal Peak is under the 8,000' bottom of the Phoenix Sky Harbor Class B air space, so you don't want to be too high.

The second leg is to the tiny paved airfield at Sarita to the east southeast out in the flats, 400 meter cylinder. Next head north over a bit of no man's land to the intersection at Magma, which is also under the Phoenix airspace. Finally back to a sort of empty field that might have had a dirt air field years ago at Valley.

The forecast was for strong southwest winds aloft which might make getting back to Valley a bit of trouble. Forecast also said no cu's , but there are plenty around. I'm assuming that the heavy rain yesterday softened the lift near the hotel.

Robin Hamilton decides to launch later so I'm first to launch in order but behind two early birds and three Swifts. Two Swift pilots (Brian Porter and Steve Morris) are in France for the new Swift 3 so we don't have our five Swift Pilots. Chris Zimmerman is flying a motorized Swift with a gas motor.

Jonny Thompson tows me up to 2,000' AGL on the four stroke Dragonfly and there is light lift around. I'm able to climb to 4,500' (3,200' AGL) but not more than that. Others seem to be able to get higher but that's as high as I get over the next hour.

Towed up at 1:15 PM, I take the second clock at 2:15 PM at 2300' AGL and head northwest toward the Casa Grande airfield. I'm basically alone.

I quickly find the best lift so far at 270 fpm and climb up to 5,000' MSL. Heading to the cu's to the north of the airfield I find 370 fpm and climb to 7,000'. I'm almost 3 km north of the course line (going for the clouds) and heading for Phoenix airspace.

I nick the turnpoint at Signal Mountain below the airspace and head down south along the foothills toward more cu's. Finally I hit the lift at 1,300' AGL over the hillsides and climb at over 400 fpm to 7,900' (way out from under the airspace) with JD hanging around.

No more mountains to fly as we head off toward Sarita to the east. I'm 2km south of the course line now. There are some cu's out there so it doesn't look so bad, but I'm not expecting at much as I just got at the west facing hill sides with a westerly 5 mph wind.

I take 100 fpm just before Sarita and nick it at 3,300' AGL before heading north toward Magma. There are bigger cu's over Coolidge a little west of the course line, but smaller cu's ahead to the north. I see Zac Majors from the third clock catch up with me as I pass by Coolidge. A few other pilots also. John Simon who started at the second clock also is just a few hundred feet below.

I work 200 fpm east of Coolidge and then head off north to the east of Zac at his elevation at 5,500'. It's a ten kilometer glide before we find 150 fpm with Zac just above me and I'm down to 1,000' AGL.

Zac and Tyler Borradaile work better lift just to my east as I work 150 fpm to 4,700'. I made an attempt to find better lift on the peak just to the northwest given the west wind but that didn't work out as Tyler and Zac found better lift drifting to the east under the same cu that I was under. They just hung there as Zac (at least) knew that they were in first place and didn't need to take any chances or rush out ahead as goal wasn't that far away).

I quit the 150 fpm and headed north seeing that there were cu's and sunlight ahead. Nothing seemed to work whenever I turned in lift so I got to the Magma turnpoint at 2,200' AGL and headed south, with a line of cu's ahead of me.

Finally I hit 260 fpm just south of the cotton fields (I thought that they didn't have any water this year as the Colorado River is so far down and they are the least senior water rights holders) around the turnpoint. That lift got me to 5,200' about 4,000' AGL and with 13 km to goal the race was on.

Arrived with three pilots on the ground. Looks like thirteen pilots made goal.

Results should be out soon. Daniel Velez in Colombia is doing the scoring remotely.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Sat, Sep 18 2021, 5:44:57 pm MDT

Are the monsoons still here?

Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|photo

Jamie Shelden|photo|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

Photo by Jamie Shelden

Heavy rains today, the day before the start of the SCFR. Rain in the desert. Will the field be passable?

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/pilots

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

July 25, 2021, 12:07:01 pm MDT

Number of pilots allowed has risen from 24 to 45

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/pilots

Looks like that means that Bobby's and April's tugs are coming out with Jim Prahl from Wilotree Park.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

July 15, 2021, 5:59:13 pm MDT

Forty one pilots registered and paid

Gregg "Kim" Ludwig|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/pilots

Looks like we'll have enough pilots to have the tugs brought out from Wilotree Park. Likely we'll also have Gregg Ludwig and his super trike also.

2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

June 25, 2021, 8:57:36 pm MDT

Forty five pilots have registered

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/pilots

Thirty eight have paid (and I assume committed to coming to the competition). With four more paid (and committed), then the tugs are going to be coming out from Wilotree Park. If all forty five want to come there will need to be an additional tug, which is very possible.

All thirteen of the Sport pilots have paid. Twenty three of the twenty seven registered open class pilots have paid. It sure looks like there will be forty two at least that will pay and commit to coming to the competition.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

June 22, 2021, 11:16:26 pm MDT

Five Swift pilots have registered

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/pilots

Two have paid and committed. What's up with the other three?

If they all come I think that that would be the biggest Swift competition in the US ever.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

June 21, 2021, 8:48:01 pm MDT

42 pilots have registered

Jamie Shelden|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/pilots

Now, forty two pilots have registered for the SCFR including four Swift pilots, thirteen sport class pilots and twenty five open class pilots. To bring out two tugs from Wilotree Park, Jamie says that she needs to have forty two pilots registered and paid.

Thirty one pilots have paid. Eleven pilots haven't paid.

Jamie writes:

Entry Fees: The entry fee for the competition is $275 (does not include tow fees) if paid by August 1st. After August 1st, $375. Entry fees are required in full to complete your registration and to secure your entry.

So we'll probably know by August 1st who is committed to coming to the SCFR. You might also want to make your room reservations.

She also writes:

We will initially accept only 24 pilots and they will be accepted in the order of payment of registration fees. If we fill up with 24 paid participants, additional pilots will only be accepted after we have at least 18 more (for a total of 42) confirmed. Once a total of 42 pilots have registered, we can then accept all 42 and confirm the tugs from Florida once all 42 pilots have paid their registration fees.

Personally I think that there is a bit more flexibility and we could do okay with thirty or so pilots and actually with more than forty two, but those arrangements haven't been finalized yet. It depends, again, on how many pilots commit to coming and the tugs from Wilotree Park will definitely not come out unless forty two have committed.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

June 16, 2021, 8:26:37 MDT

Race to Register and Pay

Jamie Shelden|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/pilots

To secure your slot in the SCFR you need to register and pay Jamie Shelden at <<jamie>>. Just like the race for the first twenty four slots, there is now a race for the next eighteen with two pilots already secured and ten on the waiting list. But being on the waiting list means nothing. Crossing the finish line before others means getting in your payment of $275 before the number of pilots goes to eighteen paid in addition to the twenty four already confirmed.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

June 15, 2021, 7:08:58 MDT

Francisco Grande reservations

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/blog/accommodation-at-the-francisco-grande-resort

Accommodation at the Francisco Grande Resort

Please make sure to reserve your room at the Francisco Grande as soon as possible. Individual reservations must be made as follows: Individuals must identify themselves as part of Santa Cruz Flats Race, and provide us with guest name, type of room, check-in and check-out dates. Any requests for special arrangements must be made at the time of this call. The Francisco Grande Hotel and Golf Resort toll free reservations line is 1-800-237-4238.

After August 1, the resort releases any unused rooms in our block, so if you wait until after that date, there may not be anything left.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

June 14, 2021, 4:46:34 pm EDT

24 pilots confirmed, 25 pilots paid.

Jamie Shelden|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/pilots

Jamie has written previously:

We will initially accept only 24 pilots and they will be accepted in the order of payment of registration fees. If we fill up with 24 paid participants, additional pilots will only be accepted after we have at least 18 more (for a total of 42) confirmed. Once a total of 42 pilots have registered, we can then accept all 42 and confirm the tugs from Florida once all 42 pilots have paid their registration fees.

I take that to mean that 18 (now 17) additional pilots need to register and pay before Jamie will call for the tugs from Wilotree Park. You pay by sending $275 to <<jamie>> after you register.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

June 14, 2021, 12:50:02 pm EDT

Register and pay the entry fee ASAP

Jamie Shelden|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/pilots

Check and see how many pilots are confirmed. On Monday morning there were 31 registered, but 42 need to be registered and paid to bring the tugs from Florida. Twenty two pilots were confirmed on Monday morning, so two "open" slots left.

See Jamie's requirements re registration and payment here: https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/info/details

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

June 7, 2021, 8:04:36 pm MDT

Registration to open on Friday

Jamie Shelden|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-2021/info/details

Jamie says that registration will open on Friday, June 11th at noon Pacific Daylight Time.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

June 7, 2021, 3:01:59 pm MDT

Register and pay next week

April Mackin|COVID|Jamie Shelden|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021

"Jamie Shelden" <naughtylawyer> writes:

We're really happy to be organizing the Santa Cruz Flats Race again this September after a year off due to COVID. But, I wanted to explain the tug situation so everyone understands how registration and payment will work this year. Thanks to Sonora Wings, we have two dragonflies in Casa Grande. If we have no more than 22-24 pilots, we’ll be covered with these local dragonflies. However, if we have more than 24 pilots register, we will need to bring tugs from out of the area. This is where the issues start. Bob Bailey and April Mackin are able to transport two dragonflies from Florida via trailer. This requires removing the wings and carefully packing them into a trailer and driving them across the country to Casa Grande. Bob and April have done this nearly every year that we have held the event and we are eternally grateful. Here’s the hitch though: the cost of driving the trailer out to Arizona is the same if we put one tug or two tugs in it and that cost is extremely high. What this means is that it is only cost effective to pack up the trailer and bring 2 dragonflies. Bringing just one would make towing very very expensive.

So, we are in a situation where we can have either two or four dragonflies at the Santa Cruz Flats Race, but not three. If we have 42 people register, pay and commit to attend, all is great. But, if we have only 30, the tow fees to each pilot would be prohibitively expensive. With this in mind, it is critical that pilots register, pay registration fees and commit to participate no later than one month before the start of the competition.

When registration opens in about a week, we will initially accept only 24 pilots and they will be accepted in the order of payment of registration fees. If we fill up with 24 paid participants, additional pilots will only be accepted after we have at least 18 more (for a total of 42) confirmed. Once a total of 42 pilots have registered, we can then accept all 42 and confirm the tugs from Florida once all 42 pilots have paid their registration fees.

I realize this is complicated, but we don’t want to wait until the week before the competition starts to determine how much tow fees will be and we don’t want to risk having more than 24, but fewer than 42 pilots because that would make tow fees in excess of $550/person.

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2021 Crestline XC Classic⁣ Live Tracking »

Thu, Jun 3 2021, 5:30:20 pm MDT

Why did it suck so bad on Airtribune?

Crestline XC Classic 2021|Jamie Shelden

«Jamie Shelden» asked Brett at Airtribune:

I wonder if you were able to look into the trackers we were using last weekend? We had a lot of issues with them, but they were strange ones. On each of the three days of the event, Airtribune showed incorrect and inconsistent information. For example, on day one, for the entire task all pilots were listed as “landed”, despite the “distance to goal” decreasing as they flew.

On day three, the two leading pilots showed at the bottom of the leader board as if they hadn’t left the start for the entire task. However, when you clicked on the track for either of those pilots, you could see that they were flying the course. By the time I thought to actually check their tracks, it showed their breadcrumb trails for the entire course, hitting all the waypoints, etc., but at the same time, it still showed them in last place on the leader board. So, while the trackers seemed to work ok for scoring purposes, they were kind of useless for spectator or monitoring purposes. Any thoughts on what went wrong or how we can fix this? We’re hoping to run the same event again in September, but I want to be sure the trackers will work properly before we commit to using them again.

Brett responds:

I just watched the replay, and it all looks correct to me. Zac and Bruce are showing as in goal.

The fact that the trackers worked for the scoring shows that there is nothing wrong with the trackers. The problem is with Airtribune, and how a leader board is created.

Leader boards are only an indication. They will never be accurate. Ever. You need to understand how the technology works to see why.

Firstly, the trackers are just mobile phones. They only work when they have phone signal. At cloudbase they rarely work. To help with this, Flymaster add a 4 minute delay before releasing the data, to give the trackers a chance to forward the data, if the pilot re-acquires signal in the meantime. Airtribune then adds a further 2 minutes, for a similar issue, but also related to data being taken from multiple sources and needing mixing. So everything is delayed by 6 minutes. (Unless you use XCguide, where things are live. But that is for organisers to run safety, not for spectators.)

Next you have the issue of scoring formulas. Airtribune cannot hope to replicate all the formulas. And the very first one it falls foul of is the tolerance. What tolerance did the scoring software have? 0.5%? So maybe those two pilots jumped the gun. Scoring would allow this if it is within the tolerance, Airtribune would not as it has no tolerencing. You could teach Airtribune this by altering the cylinder sizes, but that requires maths. But in this instance, I don't think it was that. But there are numerous other reasons why it could have failed in the moment. Maybe Airtribune received data that indicated they had taken off, then landed, then taken off again. Maybe the trackers were still obtaining GPS lock. Hard to say without some detailed research. But the data is not available to me to do that any more because after the scoring was done, the scorer, rightly, uploaded the Scored tracklogs to Airtribune, as created by the Scoring software (FScomp?). This is the correct thing to do because the Scoring software cleans up the tracks, and clips them to only the relevant lengths, ie from SSS to LandByTime/Goal/Landing. When these are uploaded to Airtribune, post task, then Airtribune removes the live data and puts the scored data in its place and recreates the replay. In this case, it seems to have resolved whatever the issue is/was.

Next year we plan on integrating the new Live Scoring system, Airscore or similar, so this will become a whole lot better. For the moment, I can't hope to invest the time that it takes to make Airtribune a live scoring system. This is why for my own events I rely on the PWC's Leader board, as Ulric created an excellent output from the scoring system to create a live leader board that is truly live (it even uses a back door to the Flymaster server to bypass the 6 minute data delays). But this isn't something we can recommend as it also needs a lot of management.

So for the moment, all I can say is the Trackers appear to have worked perfect. Airtribune handled it as best it could, and the uploading of the tracks after the task created the correct replay.

What you can do, to help reduce the clutter from multiple servers trying to process and display live data is give a link to the Flymaster leaderboard instead of the Airtribune one. It often does a little better as it works exclusively from the trackers, whereas Airtribune also refers to iOS, Android, Spots etc, and mixes that data in. It helps in some places, but can cause problems in other areas.

I hope there is something in that to help.

My response:

Do not use Airtribune for Live Tracking. The problem here is that Jamie wasn't able to connect the FlyMaster trackers with the FlyMaster Live Tracking web site. I am unaware of what the problem was for her, but have again pointed out that this is the solution.

Use Airtribune for replay (Not Live Tracking) as the FlyMaster tracking web site is terrible for replay.

Jamie has an iPhone, so she is not familiar with XCGuide. XCGuide is by far the best app to use if you are the meet director and want to keep track of your pilots during the task.

We never use the Leader Board for the reasons that Brett points out.

Setting up Live Tracking for a competition is not a trivial exercise and I'm sure that it was not clear to Jamie that Airtribune is not to be used for Live Tracking, but using Airtribune to set the trackers to each pilot is an immense help in scoring.

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Jamie Shelden Rebuts my Article on the 2021 Crestline XC Classic

Wed, Jun 2 2021, 7:49:59 am MDT

Had a great time

Jamie Shelden|Crestline XC Classic 2021

https://OzReport.com/1622565472

«Jamie Shelden» writes:

Well, I’m really sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the Crestline XC Classic. Those of us who were actually there, very much did enjoy it, so much so that we will likely do it again in September. With the tremendous support and sponsorship of the Crestline Soaring Society, Cross Country Ranch and Hangar 24 Brewery, we all thought it was a great time…great enough to do again soon. Of course, conditions were not as good as any of us would have hoped for, but as you know, we can’t control the weather and we can’t even always count on an incredibly consistent flying site to deliver perfect weather. We could only work with what we were given and what we were given was challenging conditions that tested different flying skills than you are probably accustomed to.

As for the trackers, I’m trying to find out from Airtribune what went wrong with them. I know the cell coverage in that area isn’t fantastic, but that doesn’t account for the strange inaccuracies and inconsistencies of the Leader board and other aspects of the tracking interface we all saw on Airtribune.

Just for your amusement, I’ve attached a really cool photo of Rob & Diane McKenzie.Rob was the launch director at the Crestline XC Classic. This is a fun shot of them doing a tandem above the “Regionals” launch. The reason they call is “Regionals” is because for years they held regional competitions there - that’s where we got the Crestline XC Classic name from.

Finally, I have been on the fence about organizing the Santa Cruz Flats Race again this year. No one knows better than you what a huge and time consuming job it is to organize hang gliding competitions that are not just unremunerated, but often end up costing me money. As for your comment “maybe this is why we don’t have competitions in the west anymore”, I have to say that the lack of competitions in the west and elsewhere is not the result of a weekend of less than ideal weather conditions at Crestline. It could more likely be the result of stories like the one you just published. With respect to the Santa Cruz Flats Race, you may have just tipped the scales for me.

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2021 Crestline XC Classic »

Tue, Jun 1 2021, 10:37:52 am MDT

A fishbowl of frustration

competition|Crestline XC Classic 2021

https://airtribune.com/crestline-xc-classic/results

First, the live tracking was anything but live. It not only barely worked but also gave a distorted picture of what was actually happening. The trackers have been fantastic in other competitions and perhaps they gave the scorekeeper the results that allowed them to score so quickly. That seems to be the case.

It is not at all clear why the trackers behaved so poorly in San Bernardino. It make have something to do with the phone system. It may be the mountains. The trackers only work on a G3 system, not G2, nor G4.

Second, the conditions absolutely sucked. I don't recall if the pilots ever got above the Crestline launch altitude. No one at goal on the last two days and only a few on the first day. This despite the statement in the web site blog, "It’s looking like a classic Crestline day - really nice conditions for racing…." Well if that is a classic Crestline day, there is no good reason to go there.

I felt that the conditions in Florida for the competition this year were poor, but nothing like this.

Maybe this is why we don't have competitions in the West any more, except in Casa Grande.

It was great to see a few pilots like Zac, Bruce, and Owen, hang in there when the lift was so very poor. But like a baseball game that is a no hitter, it is only a pleasure for those who like that sort of thing.

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

June 1, 2021, 10:36:36 MDT

Jamie Shelden is going back to Casa Grande

Jamie Shelden|Risk Retention Group|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|USHPA

The competition will be held September 19th through the 25th. The USHPA and the RRRG consider Jamie to be a worthy and reliable meet organizer.

Be prepared for high rental car rates and airlines making up for pandemic era loses.

Discuss "2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race" at the Oz Report forum   link»

2021 Crestline XC Classic, last day »

Mon, May 31 2021, 2:44:46 pm MDT

Launching from Crestline

Butch Peachy|competition|Crestline XC Classic 2021|Gary Anderson|Jason Boehm|Jeff Chipman|Moyes Litespeed RX|Owen Morse|Sara Weaver|Wills Wing T3|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/play/5075/2d

https://airtribune.com/crestline-xc-classic/blog__day_3

Looks to be a good day with a 73 km task.

Results:

https://airtribune.com/crestline-xc-classic/results

Task 3:

# Name Glider Distance Total
1 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat-C 12.7 41.11 895.6
2 Zac Majors Wills WINGT3 144 41.17 893.6
3 Butch Peachy Moyes-RX 3.5/S4 40.60 874.7
4 Owen Morse Wills Wing T3 154 33.17 709.0
5 Gavin Fridlund Ozone X-Apls 29.90 660.7
6 Jeff Chipman Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 28.43 635.8
7 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T3 144 26.89 599.5
8 Jason Boehm Wills Wing T3 26.77 598.6
9 Kenneth Andrews Wills Wing T2C-144 26.13 578.9
10 Sara Weaver Wills Wing SPORT3 135 24.53 530.2

Final:

# Name Glider Total
1 Zac Majors Wills WINGT3 144 2250
2 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat-C 12.7 1949
3 Owen Morse Wills Wing T3 154 1610
4 Gavin Fridlund Ozone X-Apls 1444
5 Kenneth Andrews Wills Wing T2C-144 1433
6 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T3 144 1243
7 Sara Weaver Wills Wing SPORT3 135 1166
8 Butch Peachy Moyes-RX 3.5/S4 1096
9 Jason Boehm Wills Wing T3 1076
10 Jeff Chipman Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 835

2021 Crestline XC Classic, day 2 »

Sun, May 30 2021, 5:28:33 pm MDT

Like day one

Butch Peachy|competition|Crestline XC Classic 2021|Gary Anderson|Jason Boehm|Jeff Chipman|Jeff Galvin|Moyes Litespeed RX|Owen Morse|PG|Sara Weaver|Wills Wing T3|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/crestline-xc-classic/blog__day_2

Very weak conditions. Terrible GPS tracking. Don't know what is with the trackers.

Zac won the day but he was not too far ahead of Gavin Fridlund, flying a paraglider in second place. Given that Zac was averaging about 13 mph, this is a perfect competition for a paraglider pilot.

Results:

https://airtribune.com/crestline-xc-classic/results

Task 2:

# Name Glider Distance Total
1 Zac Majors Wills WINGT3 144 41.47 363.8
2 Gavin Fridlund Ozone X-Apls 39.85 348.3
3 Butch Peachy Moyes-RX 3.5/S4 16.15 220.8
4 Owen Morse Wills Wing T3 154 16.13 220.7
5 Jeff Chipman Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 13.39 199.5
6 Kenneth Andrews Wills Wing T2C-144 13.13 197.2
7 Jason Glade Wills Wing Sport 3 155 11.10 174.4
8 Jason Boehm Wills Wing T3 7.10 126.5
9 Edward Wiggins Wills Wing-T2C 5.00 104.4
9 Jeff Galvin Moyes Litespeed S 4.5 5.00 104.4
9 Nathan Hallahan Moyes Gecko 155 5.00 104.4
9 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T3 144 5.00 104.4
9 Sara Weaver Wills Wing SPORT3 135 5.00 104.4
9 Jon Irlbeck Wills Wing-Sport 2 155 5.00 104.4
9 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat-C 12.7 5.00 104.4
9 Mitchell Mcaleer Icaro 13.7 MR700 2002 5.00 104.4

Cumulative:

Name Glider Total
1 Zac Majors Wills WINGT3 144 1356
2 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat-C 12.7 1053
3 Owen Morse Wills Wing T3 154 901
4 Kenneth Andrews Wills Wing T2C-144 854
5 Gavin Fridlund Ozone X-Apls 783
6 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T3 144 644
7 Sara Weaver Wills Wing SPORT3 135 636
8 Jason Glade Wills Wing Sport 3 155 482
9 Jason Boehm Wills Wing T3 477
10 Jeff Galvin Moyes Litespeed S 4.5 412

2021 Crestline XC Classic⁣ Not Exactly Classic »

Sat, May 29 2021, 5:30:03 pm MDT

Were there previous Classics?

competition|Crestline XC Classic 2021|Gary Anderson|Owen Morse|PG|Sara Weaver|Wills Wing T3|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/crestline-xc-classic/info/details

https://airtribune.com/play/5068/2d

Three at goal:

1 Z. Majors (1) 01:24:47
2 O. Morse (22) 02:02:15
3 K. Andrews (25) 02:02:28

https://airtribune.com/crestline-xc-classic/results/task5068/day/class-1-open

Kingposted and paraglider in the mix at goal.

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Zac Majors Wills WINGT3 144 01:24:47 992.4
2 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat-C 12.7 01:25:47 948.5
3 Owen Morse Wills Wing T3 154 02:02:14 680.3
4 Kenneth Andrews Wills Wing T2C-144 02:02:30 656.9
5 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T3 144 02:12:37 539.1
6 Sara Weaver Wills Wing SPORT3 135 02:19:31 531.7
7 Gavin Fridlund Ozone X-Apls 02:33:11 434.9

Discuss "2021 Crestline XC Classic⁣ Not Exactly Classic" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

2021 Crestline XC Classic⁣ Hang Gliding Competition »

Sun, May 2 2021, 9:31:36 am EDT

How can it be a classic if it is the first one?

CIVL|Crestline XC Classic 2021|USHPA|World Pilot Ranking Scheme

https://crestlinesoaring.org/topic/crestline-xc-classic-hang-gliding-competition/

Come join us for this first USHPA sanctioned race-to-goal hang gliding competition at Crestline, California! This will be a CIVL category 2 competition with both WPRS and NTSS points. We’re planning for three days of racing at this legendary Southern California site on Saturday, Sunday and Monday May 29-31, 2021.

Discuss "2021 Crestline XC Classic⁣ Hang Gliding Competition" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

Owen's Records

March 25, 2021, 10:24:40 pm EDT

Owen's Records

In Owen's Valley (little joke there)

Owen Morse|record|Thomas Weissenberger

North American:

Claim number : 19294
Sub-class : O-1 / HG with a rigid primary structure / controlled by weight shift
Category : General
Group : Not applicable
Type of record : Out-and-return distance
Course/location : Bartlett, CA (USA)
Performance : 357,6 km
Pilot : Owen Morse (USA)
Aircraft : T3 / Wills Wing
Date : 20.06.2020
Previous record : no record set yet

Claim number : 19295
Sub-class : O-1 / HG with a rigid primary structure / controlled by weight shift
Category : General
Group : Not applicable
Type of record : Free out-and-return distance
Course/location : Bartlett, CA (USA)
Performance : 357,7 km
Pilot : Owen Morse (USA)
Aircraft : T3 / Wills Wing
Date : 20.06.2020
Previous record : no record set yet

World:

Claim number : 19296
Sub-class : O-1 / HG with a rigid primary structure / controlled by weight shift
Category : General
Group : Not applicable
Type of record : Out-and-return distance
Course/location : Bartlett, CA (USA)
Performance : 357,6 km
Pilot : Owen Morse (USA)
Aircraft : T3 / Wills Wing
Date : 20.06.2020
Previous record : 353 km (03.11.2013 - Thomas Weissenberger, Austria)

Claim number : 19297
Sub-class : O-1 / HG with a rigid primary structure / controlled by weight shift
Category : General
Group : Not applicable
Type of record : Free out-and-return distance
Course/location : Bartlett, CA (USA)
Performance : 357,7 km
Pilot : Owen Morse (USA)
Aircraft : T3 / Wills Wing
Date : 20.06.2020
Previous record : 339,9 km (27.10.2013 - Thomas Weissenberger, Austria)

Supporting the Oz Report »

March 5, 2021, 7:54:02 EST

Supporting the Oz Report

Many supporters

Davis Straub|Mitchell "Mitch" Shipley|Mitch Shipley|Owen Morse|Oz Report

Davis Straub|Mitchell "Mitch" Shipley|Owen Morse|Oz Report

Davis Straub|Mitchell "Mitch" Shipley|Owen Morse|Oz Report

Thanks to the very, extremely even, strong support from Stephan Mentler, Daniel Lukaszewicz (making up for a couple of free riders - what do they think this is, Freebook?), Mitch Shipley, Knut Ryerson, Owen Morse, the Passing Zone, Kip Stone, Jostein Vorkinn, Oded Kalir, LakeShore Hang Gliding, Gregg & Kimberly, and Moyes Delta Gliders Pty Ltd.

Here are our supporters: http://ozreport.com/supporters.php

As you know, all we are asking for is a subscription payment of $20/year.

Seems simple enough. Like most content on the internet, you get to read the Oz Report for free. The trouble for us, not you, is that there are not enough hang glider pilots in this world to make advertising pay for our web hosting costs.

Please, help us out. Support something that you find useful so that it can continue to be there for you.

Options:

1) Click paypal.me/davisstraub.

You should see this:

Type in the amount that you want to send in for your subscription.

Click "Next"

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If you can contribute from your PayPal Balance or from your bank account that is connected to your PayPal account, please do as this incurs no PayPal fee.

2) If instead you are using a credit card to make this contribution, click this button:

3) Another way to do this is, click here: https://www.paypal.com

With this option please click the "Send&Request" tab.

Type in my email address which you can discern from "davis" and I'm at "davisstraub.com". (I have to write it this way as we hide email addresses here at the Oz Report.

Click "Next."

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If you consider me a friend then click the "Sending to a friend" button.

Enter the amount here:

If you’d rather just send a check for $20 or more (US Dollars only, please), please feel free to do so.

Payable to:

Davis Straub (Not to the Oz Report)
6548 Groveland Airport Road
Groveland, FL 34736

If you send a physical check, be sure to send me your email address so that I can register you as a subscriber.

These are our supporters (if you are not on the list and have donated to the Oz Report, email me and I'll make sure that you are recognized): http://ozreport.com/supporters.php. Some of you who I've missed in the past did write to me and made sure I knew just how important the Oz Report was to them. If I've missed you, please do tell me.

4) This last option. Come over to the Oz Report support web page and sign up to support us: http://ozreport.com/support.php. Or click here:

Thanks to all our supporters: http://ozreport.com/supporters.php who have kept us going and paying our bills over the last twenty five years.

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Penn Jillette Goes Tandem

March 4, 2021, 8:34:39 EST

Penn Jillette Goes Tandem

With Owen Morse

Owen Morse|Penn Jillette|Tandem|video

https://vimeo.com/519370769

Owen Morse writes:

Pre-pandemic, Penn Jillette tells the story of hang gliding with me on his podcast, “Penn’s Sunday School”.

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It's hard to set a record

August 19, 2020, 9:17:58 pm MDT

It's hard to set a record

Willy Dydo gives it a try

Jamie Shelden|Owen Morse|record|video

Jamie Shelden|Owen Morse|record|video|Willy Dydo

Flytec 6030|Jamie Shelden|Owen Morse|record|video|Willy Dydo

Scot Huber writes:

I heard it through the grape vine. It costs nearly $1000 to get your world record recorded. At least this is what Willy Dydo told me Owen Morse told him it costs. I was there the day Willy looked like he would beat Owens record.

Owen and Jamie showed up at the finish point at Bartlett below Walts Point. Apparently the New York Times sent a photographer out that day to get some shots of Owen flying his wing. Willy had talked to them at launch that morning so they knew his radio frequency and his intentions.

He had reported being at 16k and having an 8/1 glide on his 6030 to finish the task, maybe 20 minutes earlier.

I was resting that day after going 200+ the day before trying to break the open distance record, but wanted to be there if Willy made it. To take some video and record his accomplishment.

When Owen and Jamie drove in myself and Jay, Willy's buddy and driver that day, were in the lower LZ talking and listening to the radio.

The look of anxiety and apprehension on Owen's face when he said , "he is going to make it, isn't he " were priceless. I said I don't think so, as the wind was about 12 mph out of the south/south east and I knew where Willy had sent his radio communication from, and there was no way in my experience that he had the altitude to get in.

He soon came on and informed us he was landing south east of Lone Pine near the 136 Hwy. He had done a 222 mile out and return, but having gone out 3 miles further then Owen had, was now 6 miles short of closing the task.

Owen and Jamie had big smiles and I just had a big grin inside of the whole episode. That Owen is dating Jamie and she is on the rules committee just adds more flavor to the mix.

I don't have any intention of paying anyone to get my name in a record book. I fly hang gliders for the joy of being in the sky, and pushing the limits. Politics and payments are a disgrace to the freedom and joy of flight.

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Owen Morse on Podcast

August 2, 2020, 10:57:02 pm MDT

Owen Morse on Podcast

Joggling and breaking records

Owen Morse|record

https://www.cloudbasemayhem.com/episode-124-owen-morse-professional-juggling-and-joggling-and-a-new-hg-world-record/

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Owen Morse Tells His Story

June 23, 2020, 5:51:07 pm MDT

Owen Morse Tells His Story

Of his World Record Flight

Owen Morse|record

Get the whole story here: https://www.willswing.com/owen-morses-new-out-and-return-world-record-flight-on-the-t3-154/

Contemplation:

This flight was a dream come true for me. For six years I’ve been chasing the out-and-back world record, and this year, all the pieces of the puzzle finally came together beautifully.

My previous attempts had ended prematurely for a number of reasons – thunder storms on course line, a NOTAM due to a nearby forest fire, a harness pitch cord failure, and running out of daylight (another way of saying I had been flying too slowly). It takes a lot of things to go right to have success, and one significant thing going wrong can be the end of it all.

On June 19th, 2020 the winds were forecasted to be light and variable throughout the day at most elevations. Though there were not going to be any clouds along my planned course line, usable lift was expected to be just above 18,000 feet. Only two days before the summer solstice, I knew the number of daylight hours were on my side. The other thing I had going for me this year, was my new wing.

I hook in at 225 pounds, putting me squarely in the weight range for the large wing, but because the summer conditions at my home site (Crestline, California) can be rowdy, for the last decade I have opted for the medium sized wing. But the new T3 has changed all that. With the bearing tips, I’ve found that I don’t get pushed around anymore and I can put the wing exactly where I want it to be. There seems to be some significant turbulence dampening too, so this year I stepped back up to the 154, and I couldn’t be happier.

I launched Walt’s Point (elev: 9,300 feet) as early as I thought reasonable (9:41am Pacific time). Though I found lift right away, I wasn’t able to climb above 10,500 feet as the westerly winds seemed to be blowing the light lift apart. Wishing I could depart the mountain above 11,500 feet (but fearing that I was burning daylight) I pushed east to tag my start/finish waypoint in the valley along highway 395. From the moment I left the mountain, and until I returned, my vario was silent. Though expected, it was unsettling to be looking up the side of the Sierra Nevada range from 7,000 feet. It was a long slog to get reestablished, but my patience was finally rewarded with a climb that put me back in the game.

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New Out and Return World Record

June 20, 2020, 6:42:48 pm MDT

New Out and Return World Record

222.22 miles or 357.6 km

CIVL|Facebook|Owen Morse|record|video

Owen Morse goes 5 kilometers further than Tomas Wesienberger's out and return record in Chile.

Tom's records:

https://www.fai.org/page/civl-records?f[0]=field_record_sport:2026&f[1]=field_type_of_record:258&f[2]=field_subclass:229

World Out-and-return distance 353 km 03 Nov 2013 ratified - current record

World Free out-and-return distance 339,9 km 27 Oct 2013 ratified - current record

Video of landing: https://www.facebook.com/1045041299/videos/pcb.10220597765147816/10220597728466899

Animation: https://ayvri.com/scene/6vk1zgy9jx/ckbnvb0w300013e5rhjv415x9

I calculate:

That is the distance to the out point. Double that distance gives you 359.22 km or 223.21 miles.

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Out and Return Record Attempt

July 5, 2019, 8:39:13 MDT

Out and Return Record Attempt

In the Owens Valley, USA

CIVL|Owen Morse|record

Owen Morse attempted to break Tom Weissenberger's out and return record (Class 1) on Independence Day. Here is his track:

He didn't quite make it back to his start after flying for over 10 hours. He was facing a head wind on the way back.

Current records from Tom (set in Chile and published here earlier in the Oz Report) are 353 km for declared out and return distance and 339.9 km for free (undeclared) out and return distance.

Discuss "Out and Return Record Attempt" at the Oz Report forum   link»

2018 Green Swamp Sport Klassic »

March 22, 2018, 8:14:26 EDT

2018 Green Swamp Sport Klassic

Many informative seminars

Christian Ciech|Davis Straub|Green Swamp Sport Klassic 2018|Greg Dinauer|John Simon|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Larry Bunner|Owen Morse|Steve Kroop|Tom Lanning|video|weather|Zac Majors

I dislike the fact that we have had three days of bad flying weather. Florida weather is usually very consistent and we average 5½ flying days during a competition over a seven day period. We likely will get 4 days of flying. Also some flying days are vastly superior to others and we have had some great flying days during previous Green Swamp Sport Klassics. But so far not this year.

To keep pilots from committing hari-kari we have Mitch's landing clinic (which did get in some flights before the wind picked up on Wednesday). He has also been lecturing to packed houses about landings.

Jonny and Zac had a joint seminar going back and forth answering pilots' questions. Tom Lanning spoke on cross country by the numbers. Larry Bunner gave a class on Skew-T charts. Christian Ciech answered pilot questions in a simple and straight forward manner to so many pilots that there wasn't room to get around. Steve Kroop from Flytec USA held pilots in the palm of his hand for four hours, also showing off new products from Naviter that will be available by the end of May. He almost didn't get them back. Owen Morse gave a short lesson on juggling.

Mitch is doing a landing clinic every morning using the electric winch tow with videos of each landing for stop action reviews.

Some of us took up other sports during the windy Wednesday:

Heather Simon, John Simon, Zac Majors, Davis Straub, Augusto, Greg Dinauer, Rick Cizauskas

Heather Simon, John Simon, Zac Majors, Davis Straub, Augusto, Greg Dinauer, and in the middle Rick Cizauskas. The day was topped off by a rousing night of hard core karaoke. The guys are already doing the landing clinic at 8:04 AM.

2018 Green Swamp Sport Klassic »

March 20, 2018, 8:14:24 EDT

2018 Green Swamp Sport Klassic

Day two, seminars all day into the night

Christian Ciech|Green Swamp Sport Klassic 2018|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Larry Bunner|Mitchell "Mitch" Shipley|Owen Morse|Quest Air|Steve Kroop|Zac Majors

Given the chance of rain and forecasted lack of lift, we went into seminar mode. Pilots got an earful.

Started off with Larry Bunner giving a talk on using soundings through Skew-T, transitioned to Mick Howard's mentoring talk (which he continued from the morning all through the day). Then Christian Ciech at 3 PM with a very crowded room, followed with a bit of juggling from Owen Morse, and finally Mitch Shipley on landings and introduction to his landing clinic. All the seminars were very well attended.

Tomorrow, if we don't fly, we've got Zac Majors up first at noon, followed by Owen Morse at 2 PM,  then Jonny Durand at 3 PM, with Steve Kroop from Flytec USA at 7 PM. Never a moment's rest around here at the Green Swamp Sport Klassic.

Monday night we had the biggest rain storm that we've had since we arrived at Quest in December. The 2018 Quest Air Cross Country League starts again on Sunday.

Crestline weather for the weekend »

April 6, 2017, 11:38:14 pm EST -0400

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

April 7 - 9

Friday: Prefrontal with substantial winds from the south becoming SW during the day with building high clouds. Should be a soarable day.

Saturday: After overnight rains of maybe 1/4" to 1/2" we see a gradual clearing and a another soarable day.

Sunday: Morning north winds switch to upslope by mid-day and some cumulous clouds will form to make for a soarable afternoon.

Discuss "Crestline weather for the weekend" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Crestline weather for the weekend »

March 30, 2017, 10:18:57 pm EST -0400

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

March 31 - April 2

Friday: Following a breezy (ok very windy) upslope Thursday, we get a chilly breezy north wind non-flyable Friday.

Saturday: North winds continue but temps are up a bit. Still no flying.

Sunday: Should be a nice sunny upslope flyable day all day.

Have a great weekend!

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

March 24, 2017, 7:50:27 EST -0400

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

March 24 - 26

Friday: Mostly sunny and flyable.

Saturday: An early morning rain should gradually clear up by early to mid-afternoon. Best time of day to fly is probably late afternoon.

Sunday: Back to sunny and flyable.

Spring is in the air. Have a great weekend.

Discuss "Crestline weather for the weekend" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Crestline weather for the weekend »

March 17, 2017, 3:11:59 pm EST -0400

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

March 17 - 19

Friday: A mostly sunny day with a mix of a few high clouds and temps in the mid upper 80s. Looks soarable with lift to 5 or 6K in the afternoon.

Saturday: Another sunny day, maybe not as warm as Friday but still comfortable and soarable.

Sunday: A slight chance of some morning low clouds but they should burn shortly after sunrise making for yet another soarable day.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

March 10, 2017, 1:08:49 pm EST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

March 10 - 12

Friday: A nice upslope and flyable day.

Saturday: Morning north winds should mellow and switch upslope by 1 or 2pm allowing some flying before it builds again from the north overnight.

Sunday: A well established santa ana will blow away any chances of flying.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

March 2, 2017, 9:45:46 pm EST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

March 3 - 5

Friday: The end of a santa ana event brings a switch to upslope and great flying starting late morning and should be flyable all day after the switch.

Saturday: Fairly breezy upslope and flyable all day with increasing high clouds during the day.

Sunday: An approaching front brings lowering clouds and increasing chances of rain. Morning might have some chance to fly and likely only the lower levels. Good chance of scattered rain by mid-afternoon.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

February 23, 2017, 10:38:59 pm EST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

February 24 - 26

Friday: Starts out with steady north winds in the morning through early afternoon but it looks like an upslope switch by 2pm or 3pm.

Saturday: Looks like the best day of the weekend with mostly sunny and flyable.

Sunday: An iffy day. Potentially rainy throughout the day, but if not, simply clouds and threatening rain with much of the day flyable. Spin the wheel and find out if you get to fly.

Discuss "Crestline weather for the weekend" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Crestline weather for the weekend »

February 16, 2017, 8:40:37 pm EST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

February 17 - 19

Friday: An approaching storm leaves only a slight chance of getting any flying in, and those chances will only be early in the morning. By noon and beyond we will have strong winds and rain for the remainder of the day and overnight into Saturday.

Saturday: Most likely the winds will be weaker but the chances of continued rain scattered throughout the day makes it not likely to allow much flying.

Sunday: We see an improved chance of some flying as things dry out a bit. Still some lingering chance of some scattered rain, but we see enough of a chance to fly that we are giving it a thumbs up at this point.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

February 9, 2017, 10:44:38 pm EST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

February 10 - 12

Friday: An approaching cold front will bring rain by mid-afternoon. Chances of flying are good, but better in the morning through mid-afternoon; after which, the rain will dominate into the overnight hours.

Saturday: Morning clouds linger, but show signs of flyable by noon. Wrap around moisture will make for hit and miss in the afternoon.

Sunday: Building north winds, so no flying at Crestline or Marshall.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

February 2, 2017, 8:35:48 pm EST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

February 3 - 5

Friday: A flyable day with mostly overcast skies. Best time of day to fly is between 11am and 2pm with a good chance of cloudbase dropping below Marshall and Regionals after 2pm.

Saturday: After an overnight chance of light sprinkles, we will see a slow lifting of cloudbase. Best time to fly will probably be after 2pm.

Sunday: Morning through 2pm will probably be best as we have another flyable day. We will likely see some peeks of the sun in the late-morning, but look for clouds to reform to overcast skies and cloudbase dropping below Marshall after 3pm as we head into another wet overnight -- which is likely to continue most of Monday and even into Tuesday morning.

Have a great weekend.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

January 26, 2017, 7:00:08 pm EST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

January 27 - 29

Friday: Strong north (Santa Ana) winds. No flying here today.

Saturday: See Friday.

Sunday: See Saturday.

Have a great weekend. See you next weekend!

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

January 20, 2017, 0:03:48 EST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

January 20 - 22

Friday: Rain day with snow likely at Crestline. No flying.

Saturday: The wet ground will provide plenty of moisture to make for mostly overcast skies; mix in some southeast wind, so there is a chance of flying, but it probably won't be great.

Sunday: Ditto on Friday. Wet and stormy.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

January 12, 2017, 11:56:09 pm EST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

January 13 - 15

Friday: The storm from Thursday is trying to leave to the east but a tail of moisture is likely to wrap around onto us along with north winds. The optimistic pilots might find a window of flyable but it is a bit of a long shot.

Saturday: Less moisture, but north winds build and threaten to take away another fly day. The optimists that hang out and wait for it could have a slightly better chance to fly than Friday, but still it's fairly unlikely to happen.

Sunday: This is the best chance to fly this weekend. But it is sandwiched between north winds from Saturday and returning north winds Monday so it's not a guarantee to fly -- but still your best shot this weekend.

Have a great weekend.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

January 6, 2017, 3:57:56 pm EST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather


January 6 - 8

Friday: A partly cloudy day with upslope winds and flyable conditions.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a 50-50 chance that we could see some light sprinkles at some point during the day. Fair chance of some flying between the wet periods.

Sunday: Sunny Sunday! Perhaps the best day for flying this weekend.

Have a great weekend!

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

December 29, 2016, 9:37:59 pm EST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

December 30 - January 1

Friday: A mostly rainy day with a 30% chance that we see some flying more likely in the lower levels like Marshall and lower. This storm will move out by the evening.

Saturday: The damp mountains will probably cause lingering clouds blocking the launches in the morning, and a second storm arrives in the afternoon. Not a very good day to fly. Only a 10% chance of flying today.

Sunday: Definitely think of Sunday as the best day this weekend. Some cu's (cumulous clouds) much of the day as things dry out and winds remain upslope. Happy New Year. Why not celebrate a start to a great 2017 with a nice flight? Dress warmly!

And have a great weekend!

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

December 22, 2016, 10:09:24 pm EST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

December 23 - 25

Mother nature is presenting us with an interesting weather weekend.

Friday: An approaching winter storm will give us increasing south winds and lowering cloudbase. There is a chance of some flying, but most likely early, if at all. We are classifying the day as "yellow" with the reason being caution for the wind strength.

Saturday: After the overnight storm dumps rain, and the snow level drops down to as low as Regionals (3400 feet), Saturday does indicate some drying. There will be enough lingering rain to again make for a "yellow" day, not because of yellow snow, but caution for the scattered rain and lousy road conditions.

Sunday: Just when we get out of the woods with respect to precipitation and road conditions, we decided to classify Sunday as another "yellow" day to indicate the possibility of north winds. But the best flying day this weekend will be Sunday, and if we had a yellowish-green color, we would use that for the day. Do you have only one day this weekend? Do you feel lucky? Then try to convince the family that all you want for Christmas is to fly.

Good luck, and have a great weekend!

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

December 15, 2016, 10:27:47 pm EST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

December 16 - 18

Friday: After an overnight of about 2 inches of rain and strong winds, expect another 1 to 2 inches during the day. Not a day to fly, but definitely a day to give thanks for the wet stuff.

Saturday: Overnight clouds and diminishing rain change rapidly to light to moderate north winds and mostly sunny conditions in the morning and throughout the day. If there is any flying to be found it will probably be only early, and from the lower launches. Please exercise caution.

Sunday: Stronger north winds. No flying here, but just think of the needed rain we got on Friday.

Have a great wet weekend! Ha. But we really do need it.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

December 11, 2016, 8:45:37 EST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

December 9 - 11

A high pressure centered SW of us will keep the storm track mostly north of us this weekend giving us a triple green (flyable) weekend.

Friday: Some scattered high clouds and light upslope winds make for a flyable day.

Saturday: Clouds thicken a bit, especially later in the afternoon, but another flyable day.

Sunday: Clouds move in during the overnight hours, and provide a chance of very light rain. The morning clouds should burn off by noon, making for another flyable afternoon.

A special shout out to David Aldrich for another brilliant weekend weather picture!

Have a great weekend!

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

December 1, 2016, 7:04:19 pm PST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

December 2 - 4

Friday: Strong north winds. No flying.

Saturday: Continued strong north winds. No flying.

Sunday: Morning north winds weakening rapidly and should be upslope by noon or 1pm for a flyable afternoon. Might be some turbulence associated with the rapid switch so exercise caution.

Have a great weekend!

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

November 24, 2016, 11:10:55 PST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|PG|weather

November 25 - 27

Friday: Light north winds in the morning will switch upslope before noon for a nice flyable day. This will be the best flying this weekend.

Saturday: Winds will build upslope and the potential problem is that it could get a bit too strong, and it could even start raining by mid to late afternoon. Chances are 70% for some good hang gliding in the early to mid-day, and it's a 50-50 for paragliding due to the wind strength.

Sunday: Continued windy and high probability of rain. Good day to plan non-flying activities.

Have a great weekend!

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

November 17, 2016, 8:29:17 pm PST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

November 18 - 20

Friday: Morning north winds should switch upslope by mid-afternoon. Best time to fly might be about 2pm.

Saturday: Should be the best flying day this weekend with sunny and upslope all day. But if you are into strong wind and less thermal lift perhaps Sunday is your better choice.

Sunday: Upslope and flyable but winds will be strong and might cause it to be blown out at Crestline. High clouds will persist most of the day with building mid-level clouds in the afternoon as a front approaches. Might even be a chance of some rain by sunset.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

November 10, 2016, 4:34:47 pm PST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

November 11 - 13

Friday: A sunny and flyable day. Nice, light, but upslope winds.

Saturday: Much like Friday, flyable and mellow.

Sunday: We will see the north winds returning. Very slight chance of some upslope, but the chance is slim. Maybe think about heading to Mentone or Elsinore?

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

November 3, 2016, 11:15:25 pm PST -0700

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

November 4 - 6

Friday: A mostly north wind day but there is a fair to good chance of a mid to late afternoon switch to upslope. There is a chance the upslope just rolls into Marshall and not Crestline.

Saturday: A nice flyable day. Come and get it.

Sunday: Morning low clouds should burn by late morning for a flyable afternoon.

Have a great weekend

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Common Swifts fly for 10 continuous months without landing

October 28, 2016, 9:08:35 PST -0700

Common Swifts fly for 10 continuous months without landing

Two months of nesting

Owen Morse|record

http://gizmodo.com/this-amazing-little-bird-can-fly-for-nearly-a-year-stra-1788301932

Researchers have just discovered evidence that common swifts (a small type of bird) can spend 10 continuous months per year in the air without landing—a world record for sustained flight in nature.

The birds are extremely common in Europe, where they land for two months to breed, spending nights roosting in the nests they build themselves. After breeding, they fly off to Africa, where no one has ever discovered roosting areas, and now we finally know why.

Biologists at the University of Lund, led by Anders Hedenström, made the discovery that common swifts are able to stay aloft for at least 10 months by capturing some in southern Sweden, where they nest, and attaching micro-data loggers onto the birds. The team of researchers has reported their findings in Current Biology.

Thanks to Owen Morse.

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Gliding events in Florida and Georgia in 2017 »

Thu, Oct 27 2016, 4:21:45 pm GMT
Our buds

Ron Gleason

Ron Gleason «Ron Gleason» sends:

Seniors – Old guys flying around FL after winter hibernation, Seminole Lake Gliderport, 3/11-17/2017, maximum 65 gliders

Grand Prix – Gliders racing around a course, 3 hour tasks, maximum 20 gliders, Seminole Lake Gliderport, 3/19-25/2017

Standard class, 15M and Open Class – Cordelle, GA 6/3 – 14 /2017, maximum 65 gliders

Our buds

Ron Gleason «Ron Gleason» sends:

Seniors – Old guys flying around FL after winter hibernation, Seminole Lake Gliderport, 3/11-17/2017, maximum 65 gliders

Grand Prix – Gliders racing around a course, 3 hour tasks, maximum 20 gliders, Seminole Lake Gliderport, 3/19-25/2017

Standard class, 15M and Open Class – Cordelle, GA 6/3 – 14 /2017, maximum 65 gliders

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

October 20, 2016, 7:16:08 pm MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

October 21 - 23

Friday: Morning north winds switching upslope for a nice flyable and hot afternoon.

Saturday: Upslope and flyable. Slightly cooler than the last few days.

Sunday: A flyable day. Some mid and upper clouds blocking some sun and even cooler than Saturday.

Enjoy your weekend.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

October 13, 2016, 9:34:46 pm MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

October 14 - 16

Friday: Nice onshore soarable conditions all afternoon.

Saturday: Morning low clouds will burn by 11am or noon allowing for another flyable day.

Sunday: The morning clouds return and are a bit more persistent than Saturday, however a burn is probable by early to mid-afternoon. Perhaps a 40% chance of no burn.

Have a great weekend.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

October 6, 2016, 8:52:51 pm MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

October 7 - 9

Friday: North winds all day making for no flying here.

Saturday: Morning north winds will switch about noon to allow for a flyable afternoon and lift to 6K with sunny skies.

Sunday: Upslope all day with lift to 6K. Late afternoon some high clouds might move into the area.

Is this your card? Have a great weekend.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

September 29, 2016, 9:28:26 pm MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

September 30 - October 2

Friday: Onshore winds and flyable with nice thermals to 6K or 7K.

Saturday: Continuing flyable with lift a bit lower in height, but base wind slightly stronger than Friday.

Sunday: Morning low clouds will burn to a sunny and soarable day to wrap up a triple-header soarable weekend.

What's not to like about that?

Have a great weekend!

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

September 16, 2016, 6:18:59 MST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather


September 16 - 18

Friday: Morning north winds should switch upslope by noon for a nice soarable afternoon and lift to maybe 7 or 8K.

Saturday: Morning north that could persist all afternoon at Crestline and a 80% chance of upslope at Marshall. The top of the lift is forecast to be very good with thermals perhaps to above 10K MSL. 20% chance that the north persists all afternoon.

Sunday: Morning north winds and a similar chance of upslope and high altitude gains like Saturday. Similar 80% chances of upslope and 20% that it remains north.

Have a great weekend!

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

September 9, 2016, 10:42:31 pm MST

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

September 9 - 11

Friday: A soarable day with light to moderate upslope winds in the afternoon. Lift will be between 4800 feet MSL (mean sea level) at Marshall and probably 5500 feet or 6K feet MSL at Crestline.

Saturday: Don't miss the 31st Andy Jackson Memorial Fly-in! Food, Fun, Prizes, and Flying! It will be a hot day, so bring your families to the pond at the Cross Country Ranch to cool off while you cool off in the air. What more do you need? For the weather, see Friday.

Sunday: Will be almost identical to Friday and Saturday but maybe a slight bit stronger upslope wind in the afternoon.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

September 1, 2016, 10:08:51 pm MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

September 2 - 4

Friday: Morning low clouds should burn early for a soarable summer's day.

Saturday: Morning clouds should burn by mid-morning for another soarable day, but temperatures will be a bit cooler than Friday.

Sunday: Even cooler than Saturday, and morning clouds should burn by late morning or early afternoon but still, should be soarable again.

The grass at the landing zone will like this weekend, and you should too.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

August 26, 2016, 9:48:09 MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

August 26 - 28

Friday: A hazy soarable summer's day with lift to between 5K and 6K.

Saturday: Similar to Friday, but some noticeable cumulus buildup over the higher terrain both near Big Bear and the San Gabriel Mountains.

Sunday: Slightly warmer but much the same as far as soarability making it yet another triple-header weekend for soarable days.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

August 18, 2016, 8:31:43 pm MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

August 19 - 21

Friday: Hot summery day. Breezy upslope with lift to mid 6K's.

Saturday: Maybe a bit cooler than Friday. Same winds and lift.

Sunday: More of the same. What's not to like?

Before flying, please check the TFR status for the fire in the Cajon Pass. Our flying site could shut down at any time due to expansion of the TFR, or the TFR may be reduced in size.

Have a great weekend.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

August 11, 2016, 10:02:27 pm CST -0500

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction due to the nearby "Pilot Fire") might limit this weekend's flying to only Marshall. Here is the weather outlook...

Friday: A warm, flyable day with typical summer soarable conditions.

Saturday: A bit hotter than Friday with highs topping above the 100F mark and some CU (cumulus) development over the higher terrain such as Baldy (Mt. San Antonio 10,064 ft) and Big Bear (6,752 ft at the lake). Otherwise, another soarable summer day.

Sunday: Even hotter than Saturday with even more extensive CU development over the higher mountains. Not likely to affect the usual soarable conditions.

Have a great weekend.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

August 4, 2016, 10:21:11 pm MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

calendar|Owen Morse|weather

Looks like another lovely weekend with easy soaring to 6K each day. Very slight chance of early morning clouds each morning, but if they form overnight, they should burn off shortly after sunrise.

News is... the date of the Andy Jackson Memorial fly-in has been set for September 10th, so mark your calendars.

Have a great weekend!

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

July 28, 2016, 10:30:56 pm MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

July 29 - 31

Friday: Another hot and soarable day. Some buildup of tall cumulus clouds over the Big Bear area, but it should not affect the flying near Crestline.

Saturday: Still hot but slightly cooler than Friday and,.. yes another soarable day. The cu's might be more developed over Big Bear than they were Friday, but still not likely to adversely affect the flying at Crestline or Marshall.

Sunday: Soarable and a bit cooler than Saturday. Even more chance of thunderstorms over Big Bear. If we see any effect of the t-storms it will be Sunday, but still not likely to affect us. So it should be another triple play for flying days this weekend.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

July 21, 2016, 9:54:57 pm MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

July 22 - 24

Friday: Hot and soarable all day with lift to 5k feet, maybe 6k.

Saturday: See Friday.

Sunday: See Saturday.

Jump in the pond after flying to cool off. You'll be glad you did.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

July 14, 2016, 8:12:06 pm CST -0500

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

July 15 - 17

Friday: On a roll of typical summer flyable conditions. And yes, soarable probably from 11am thru 7pm with best time of day depending on what flavor of flight you like. Bumpy mid day and smooth in the evening.

Saturday ditto

Sunday ditto

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

July 8, 2016, 8:26:43 MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

July 8 - 10

The Crestline Soaring Society and the Cross Country Ranch will be co-hosting the 22nd Andy Jackson Airpark Fly-In this weekend!

The weather will be lovely.

Come join us, won't you?

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

June 30, 2016, 9:28:25 pm MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

July 1 - 3

Writing up a weather report for the weekend I realize that we are all under the weather knowing we have lost a close friend. We will miss you Larry.

As we think of you, it will be flyable all weekend.

And we will fly.

May your spirit fly as well. Hugs to Bonnie and family.

Love from the CSS and the Cross Country Ranch.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

June 24, 2016, 7:41:59 MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

June 24 - 26

Friday: Warm and sunny with possible early morning low clouds that will burn by 9am leaving us with a flyable and soarable day. But do not expect high altitudes as it we will have an inversion at 5k feet.

Saturday: Inversion weakens leaving us a chance of thermals to perhaps 7K.

Sunday: Another nice soarable day with lift to perhaps 6K or 7K.

Have a great weekend!

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

June 16, 2016, 10:03:37 pm MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

June 17 - 19

Friday: The morning "June gloom" of the past week is burning off early today, leaving us with a sunny soarable day.

Saturday: Warming up a bit, although hot, it won't be quite as hot as a couple weekends ago. Still, enjoy another soarable day. Think "pond" after flying.

Sunday: Morning high clouds will move out by the afternoon for yet another, yes, soarable day.

Have a great weekend!

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

June 9, 2016, 11:35:05 pm MST -0600

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|photo|weather



June 10 - 12

Friday: Some mid and high level clouds passing over as we have upslope, flyable and soarable conditions. We will probably see some cumulus buildup over the higher mountains to the east near Big Bear, but it shouldn't affect our flying other than the cloud cover blocking some heating and weakening the thermals a bit.

Saturday: Another soarable day. Better than Friday with less sun blockage from mid and upper level clouds.

Sunday: More flyable and soarable air. Enjoy your weekend.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

Thu, Jun 2 2016, 11:55:26 pm CDT

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

June 3 - 6

Friday: Nice upslope winds and soarable. Again. The event this weekend is the increased temperatures. As they say -- hydrate or die. Ok maybe not that drastic, but definitely leave the hand fairings at home, and plan a visit to the Cross Country Ranch pond for a refreshing swim after flying.

Saturday: More of the same as Friday's forecast.

Sunday: Slightly cooler, but still hot and worth a visit to the pond after your third 4-hour flight in a row.

Come and get it! It's an all-you-can-eat airtime weekend!

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

May 27, 2016, 0:16:21 EST -0400

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

May 27 - 29

Friday: A mostly sunny and soarable day.

Saturday: Might have a few morning clouds but they will burn early to make another soarable day.

Sunday: See Friday. We are so spoiled. Join us and you will be too.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

May 20, 2016, 0:00:05 EST -0400

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

May 20 - 22

Friday: A flyable day with upslope but the mantra is "May Gray". Morning low clouds make it look like a rainy day but it should clear to some sun by the afternoon and flyable.

Saturday: Hope you liked Friday because there is more in store for Saturday.

Sunday: Yup, a triple play on the morning cloudiness but flyable afternoon prognosis.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

May 13, 2016, 9:32:16 EST -0400

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

May 13 - 15

Friday: A mostly sunny and flyable/soarable day. Heads up on a TFR for those who were thinking of flying east. Looks like it starts about 3PM on Friday, and ends Saturday about sunset.

Here is a link to the TFR http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_6_2307.html

Saturday: Some clouds will move into the area overnight but these should burn by late morning allowing for another soarable afternoon. Remember the TFR mentioned on Friday.

Sunday: Perhaps some more morning clouds again, but an early burn to allow another flyable day. Clouds may form again onto Crestline launch just before sunset.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

April 28, 2016, 10:39:03 pm EST -0400

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

April 29 - May 1

Synopsis: Ever hear those guys on the radio during the last disclaimers of a commercial, where they talk so fast you can barely make out what they say? Well, the wind gods have prepared a weather weekend inspired by one of those ad disclaimers.

Conditions will change dramatically and rapidly. Specifically, a counterclockwise spinning low (as they do in this part of the world) forms Saturday over NV, and by Sunday, it has shifted to the east over AZ. Ok some "maybe" is mixed with this description. If it does this, the western flank of this low is a wet north wind that will cause the following daily forecast possibilities.

Friday: A mostly sunny day and flyable, but during the afternoon some clouds form and might even bring some evening scattered light sprinkles. Rain likely overnight into Saturday morning.

Saturday: Morning light sprinkles. We could have a window or two of flyable, but there is a chance of some north winds forming in the afternoon. Lots of room for optimists here though as this cutoff low will surely bring surprises to make the day different than this forecast.

Sunday: Morning north winds but could be upslope and flyable by 11am. Then a nice window of flyable in the afternoon. Clouds again move over the area late afternoon and could become scattered light rain at or after sunset.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

April 22, 2016, 7:16:50 EST -0400

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

April 22 - 24

The forces at play: A low pressure system moves across northern CA on Friday, heading into Utah Saturday, and the Dakotas by Sunday. Here's how that is going to affect our flying in SoCal...

Friday: We see a strong upslope day with it being the best of the three days this weekend. Though it's a mostly sunny day, height may be surprisingly modest with 6K typical. But easy soaring.

Saturday: A day to sleep in. North winds dominate the morning, and depending on who you listen to (simba or windyty) you will see upslope by noon (windyty) or upslope by 4pm (simba). So at least they both agree that if you wait until very late in the day, you will probably get some soaring in.

Sunday: A day of high clouds but it's upslope all day to make yet another soarable day.

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Crestline weather for the weekend »

April 14, 2016, 10:48:50 pm EST -0400

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Owen Morse|weather

April 15-17

Looks like the local pilots that headed to Wallaby for this weekend's Wills Wing party aren't going to miss much flying at Crestline and Marshall. Wish we could tell them of the 12K days they missed. Wink emoticon

Friday: A low pressure system has passed us and moved to our east, and with the counterclockwise flow around the low, we are in for a building of some strong Santa Ana (north) winds.

Saturday: The low pressure system located east of us continues to spin and we continue to get north winds. No flying.

Sunday: Our north winds begin to weaken a bit. But don't hold your breath for flyable conditions. We give it a 20% chance to fly in the last 2 or 3 hours of the day. That means 80% chance it just blows down all day.

Crestline weather for the weekend »

April 7, 2016, 9:24:25 pm EST -0400

Crestline weather for the weekend

Available on Friday mornings from Owen Morse

Facebook|Owen Morse|photo|weather

April 8 - 10

Overall weekend outlook: I wish we could be more certain as to when exactly we might get airtime this weekend but two things are certain, the rain is going to come, and it is very much needed.

Friday: A wet morning with not much flying will possibly clear out a bit in the mid to late afternoon for a 50-50 chance of some flying.

Saturday: In the morning, clouds linger from the previous day's rain. There is a 50-50 chance that the weather will allow some flying mid day, but then by late afternoon, an approaching colder system will move into the area bringing rain and even some thunderstorms. Fill up the Marshall aquifer!

Sunday: Colder temps and scattered showers bring yet another day of 50-50 chance to fly.

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