Home, at last.

The awards Ceremony - (That's me at far right)
Dave & I got home this evening after a 10 hour drive. It's nice to be in my own bed.

The last two weeks were very rewarding. The Rat Race was a lot of fun with flying 8 days straight. The Nat's had too much wind, and the flying was very challenging. I had two days at the Nat's where I chose not to fly in the conditions at launch and was fortunate that both day's tasks were called off. I never put myself in a position I didn't want to be, no risky landings and no botched launches.

HERE ARE THE STATS:
I learned a lot of lessons that I'm still digesting & pondering - In 14 days I flew 202 miles - Total flight time 24 hours. I made goal at the Rat Race 3 times in the comp & once to declared goal in practice. Landed out 5 times without incident. Relaunched '0' times. I ate 10 Power Bars, 5 Crunchy Energy Bars, and 30 pints of water on the hill. I only had to hike once - 2 miles. Won two trophies and scored 5 T-shirts. Met a LOT of cool people & successfully met my declared goal by having more fun than anybody else at the comps!

Timo

U.S. Nats Day 6 - Lakeview blows even more

Today was a no fly day. Winds at launch are forecast to be 15 kts. & winds aloft forecasts predict winds at 9000’ & 12,000’ to 30-40 kts. Tomorrow, the last day of the comp, is supposed to have light Southerly winds but winds aloft may still be strong.

The last two tasks were brutal for those of us on DHV 2 wings since we were unable to get to a point in space that would allow us to reach the turn point upwind of the working course line. The task committee had to assign the turn point to keep the 65 competitors near the main roads, but the tasks were near impossible for most. I’m hoping for a task tomorrow that will challenge my skills & decision making rather than the penetration performance of my wing. Don’t get me wrong – the second task did have three DHV 2 wings in goal – it was doable that day & I made a rookie mistake getting downwind of the proper line. But the third task just seemed to be impossible for the slower wings since we had to be flying South of the course line to make the turn point and there just wasn’t any lift there.

Considering the above, I’m feeling good about the way I’ve flown the tasks assigned. In a couple cases I didn’t go very far (18.5 K) but given the circumstances – I gave it a good effort & am happy I just got over the back & on course.
These two down days have allowed Dave & me to get out & see the countryside around Lakeview and, I’ve got to say, it is beautiful country. I’m writing this while sitting in the sun in a 100 acre meadow that I flew over the last two tasks. You can get to the boonies in 15 minutes around here – for the ME that’s a hermit, this could be heaven. I imagine the winters can be cold & long here, but the spring & summer is great. Dave’s out on another walkabout & I’m just relaxing – it could be worse ;-)

If you are reading this blog & are considering competitions, I would highly recommend them for improving your skills & increasing the quality of your flights. At some point, boating around your local site may get a bit tedious, as it did for me. When that happens, you need to have the skills, equipment, & experience to safely fly your first XC. One of the best places to fly your first XC is at a local comp. Generally, the first couple of waypoints are nearby with small valley crossings. This will give you experience at starts, strategy & experience using the GPS. Retrieves are usually simple & you’ve 10 guys/gals in the area with radios that can help you out. The best aspect of comps is the exchange of information by the finest XC pilots. At this Nat’s I’ve had the opportunity to talk with Frank Brown, Eric Reed, Josh Cohn, Dean Stratton, and many other top 20 pilots. The Rat Race was more geared for mentoring, but it’s hard to avoid learning just lurking & listening. Don’t be shy & don’t stop learning. Cross country flying is very challenging and very rewarding. Competitions are just a simple way to get in the air with a safety net that is organized.

Tailwinds,
Timo

U.S. Nats Day 5 - Lakeview blows some more

No flying today & probably not tomorrow either. . .The wind sure does blow in this area. Dave & I went to the pilot meeting at 8:45, gathered our morning smoothies (Thanks Gail) & listened to the 10 pilots who made goal yesterday tell their tales. The scorers presented a nice flight analysis which showed the relative position & speeds of each of the top 3 finishers. We all applauded the accomplishment of these ten guys who completed the longest task in US paragliding comp history, 145 kilometers.

Yesterday I placed 26th for the day. For the day, I was 4th in the masters class & 2nd in the serial class. I'm now sitting 27th overall & very happy. My flying is improving and I believe that I'm thinking more about attacking the tasks rather than following gaggles. I still want to complete a task here, so it looks like Saturday will be the day for that.

Dave & I went to the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce to ask about hikes & were treated to a great tour & food orientation of the area. I've never seen folks so happy to have a bunch of paraglider pilots in their town. We have been constantly told, by shop keepers & locals, how much they enjoy looking up & seeing us launch. This launch is different than most - it's 700' directly above town. Every launch can be seen by EVERYBODY in the small town.

We decided to go hiking in the Gearheart Wilderness area. It's about a 35 min. drive West of town. We picked up some lunch & headed out. We hiked 9 miles total & climbed 1700' in about 3 hours. The scenery was great with pinnacles & palisades amongst thick forest trails. While hiking we ran into Hawaii Ray, Cliff, Frankie, and Tim K. They hiked back with us & shared a beer in the parking lot.

I'm not sure what's on the docket for tomorrow but the wind is forcast to blow & I'll be ready to fly if it doesn't.

Results for the various classes & overall can be found HERE.

Tailwinds,
Timo

U.S. Nats Day 4 - Third Task

Today, as forecast, the wind was blowing at launch. Conditions were marginal, but there were definite lulls that would allow for safe launches, so a task was called.

The task started with a 13.5 mile leg to Cutoff (the turnpoint I couldn't reach yesterday because I was too far downwind of course line) and then a 75 mile downwind leg that was over Plush & proceeded North.

The Wind Techs launched without trouble & had little luck staying in the air until about noon. Additional Wind Techs were put in the air & they began to find lift but their drift downwind to the North was noticeable. The wind began to come up & most pilots were not too quick to launch. Dave & I launched about 15 minutes before the Start time of the task. We launched into a down cycle & had to grovel for 10 minutes before we found a thermal & started a bumpy, drifty, climb to 9000'. Dave left for better lift & found none & had to side-hill-land for a relaunch. Meanwhile, many pilots were dirting in the LZ out in front of launch.

I continued to search the area for lift & after reading "PATIENCE" on my vario I took a deep breath & realized I would be having fun if I quit being frustrated that I hadn't gone over the back yet. I worked a couple small rough thermals & finally found a smooth 400'/min. core that soon bloomed into 650'/min. steady climb to 9500'. Sam Crocker & I headed over the back towards Cutoff. I was wary of getting downwind of the course line this time. I stayed over the road & took climbs back a bit, but soon penetrated back near the road. I was able to travel 6 miles while working very disorganized lift towards the turn point. Eventually I had to make the decision to either push out towards the road or press on & land in the boonies while maximizing my track towards the point - I chose the latter. Dave has had two long hike-outs & I had none - it was time for me to experience the beauty of SE Oregon's wilderness first-hand.

Eventually I made a nice landing in, what might be called, a meadow. In truth, the slope I landed on was covered in sparse sage with softball & football sized volcanic boulders everywhere. As I approached the clearing I awoke a sleeping coyote & he ran off in a hurry. The landing went well & I made contact with Kevin on the retrieval freq. I told them I'd hike out & meet them at Hwy. 140. . . I was actually looking forward to a bit of a hike.

Today was a day of marginal conditions & contrast. The task was the longest ever called for a US Nationals competition, yet there were many pilots on launch who decided not to fly due to the wind & drift in climbs. There were also many good pilots in the LZ with minimum distance points. I wouldn't have launched if I thought it wasn't safe. Conditions when Dave & I launched were fine. The challenge was climbing high enough to cross over the back of the ridge without drift so far from the course line that I ended up in a position like yesterday's frustrating flight.

I know that at least 6 made goal today - probably a couple more.

My flight is HERE

Results will be HERE soon.

U.S. Nats Day 3 - Second Task

I woke up this morning feeling good - I had placed 19th in the first task of the US Nats! I made some good decisions & got lucky at the right times. Nobody made goal yesterday and there was a good distribution along the course-line. For at least today, I'm on the top sheet of the standings.

We got to the launch around 11:30 and the winds were perfect for launch. SW winds were forecast at altitude & I should have put more weight in my strategy to the winds. The Task was a 13.5 mile Xwind run to Cutoff & then a downwind 28 mile run to Plush & Flagstaff Lake. I had a great start, leaving the start cylinder at 3 seconds after the start time. Then I made a rookie mistake that screwed my whole flight.

My exit from the start was right on the course-line which meant that my first thermal climb to 11,000' took me downwind of the course-line. I'd penetrate upwind until finding the next thermal & then drift downwind until the climb petered out & then penetrate upwind until low enough I needed a climb & then do it all over again. . .and again. It became painfully apparent that I wasn't going to be able to get to the waypoint without dirting. I got a mile away from the point but couldn't get there against the increasing headwinds.

I watched many gliders hit the deck trying to head upwind, landing in tiger country (you don't know how far out "the boonies" are in Lakeview) so I swallowed my pride & turned xwind for a great spot with grass next to the main road. Getting to goal from the turnpoint was very doable in the 15 kt. tailwind - I just couldn't get to the turnpoint.

As it turns out, a LOT of folks had problems with the wind today - the results are out for task 2. I placed 35th today which puts me at 29th overall. I'm very happy with the points, but consider my flight today to be less than I'm capable of. Every task I've blown this last 10 days has been due to major mental lapses. Decision making - above all else - is what makes a consistent pilot & a contest winner. Guys like Josh Cohn, Eric Reed, and Bruce Goldsmith all use their noodles to consistently win diverse tasks that require more than good climbs and fast flying - they win with their brains. I aspire to achieve some level of experience & XC intelligence that will help me to improve my results.

On a more esoteric theme - I'm feeling the flying more this week. I mentioned the steep learning curve I was experiencing at the Rat Race last week. The curve has gone near vertical at Lakeview. The quality of the competition & camaraderie is conducive to fast information exchange. My paraglider flying experience is limited to about 3 years & only in the last two have I flown XC regularly. The 2-week full-immersion learning experience I've had is priceless.

I hope we fly more this week - the wind is forecast to blow, though.

Tailwinds,
Tim

U.S. Nats Day 2 - First Task

Today the wind was light at launch & Dave & I were ready to fly physically & mentally. A task was set early which had an entry cylinder at the Blackcap LZ & then a 29.5 mile leg to Ennis ridge. The next point was 10 miles down-ridge & Xwind to Simms Junction & then 2 miles to goal. I had a good launch & scudded around launch, low, for a while before I got into the gaggles boating around before the start.

The gaggles today were very orderly. After some rather exciting gaggle flying at the
Rat race last week, it was nice to fly with cooperative proficient pilots. I was a couple minutes late at the start & had to get low to get to the cylinder in a timely manner at all. As I climbed up to 11,500' I had a great view of the valley & of Abert Lake & the amazing Abert Rim. The cliffs are 1600' high & are vertical. I hope we head that way this week.

As I continued North along a low ridge, I was able to fly with other pilots & share the responsibility to find lift. The climbs were topping out at lower & lower altitudes as we continued North to the turnpoint. Looking down, I saw many early dirting of some good wings and good pilots that were racing hard in (what was becoming) marginal conditions. Lift was weak as we approached the waypoint and the valley wind was coming from the Abert lake area. I was with a group of gliders that all were in the desperately-looking-for-lift mode. We would scramble for any shard of lift & if anyone had a bubble & began to turn, the rest would pounce. All this effort only extended our flight a couple of miles towards the last turnpoint before goal. I landed in a wonderful field of freshly mowed hay with 5 other gliders. Fortunately a retrieval van pulled up & I hustled to get in it for the long ride home.

In the van I heard many stories of flights, but I began to realize that my flight was one of the better ones. I knew some of the top guys had flown farther than I had, but most pilots hadn't made the Ennis waypoint.

Dave had a similar flight as I had until he got about 10 miles from Ennis. He got low on the ridge & decided to land on the slope in a clear spot & hike out. He and Meredeth hiked about 6 miles to the road for pickup.

No one made it to goal today so it will be a fully weighted day. I'm very happy with my flying today - I was a bit slow, but that helped me pick my way along the course. It was a day of survival & I seem, recently, to be good at those if I am PATIENT.

Tomorrow may be a good day like today.

My flight is HERE

Results will probably be HERE soon.

Tailwinds,
Timo

U.S. Nats Day 1 - Lakeview blows

Lakeview is an interesting, quaint town located in the high plains of SE Oregon. The landscape is filled with rustic ranches & alkali lake beds - wet & dry. It's the highest town in Oregon (so they say) at 4800'. Launch is at 6200'- a hill overlooking town that is only a ten minute ride up a dirt & gravel road. The wind blows here. . .it blows a lot. The winds were forecast to blow 15-25mph & that's what we had at launch at 12:30pm.

The Black Cap launch is a bit rough. There is a very nice road & a slope that's been cleared of boulders. The boulders are stacked down where the slope gets even shallower. It's not that high off the valley floor & it can be a stretch to make the LZ.

A task was called & it was a short downwind dash to a town called Plush. We hoped to get off the hill in lulls & manage a fairly safe flight. I had already suited up (to stay warm) but was not feeling good about things on launch. It seemed to me that there were going to be 60 guys all trying to get in the air at Start minus 20 minutes in marginal launch conditions. My strategy was to hang back & see how the gaggles were getting up & penetrating upwind to avoid loosing the start cylinder before start, before I launched, & then only launch if I liked the lulls. I wasn't going to screw up the trip with a flight I already didn't like the looks of. The task committee wanted to fly today (as did we all) but conditions were marginal. At 2 pm the task was canceled.

I'm sure some of the competitors would have rather just hucked & competed, but it had great potential for mayhem. The next few days look much better with winds less than 10 kts. & good temps. I expect some good flying in the next couple days. 100k (60 mile) flights aren't out of the realm of possibility.

My camera broke last week, so I'm not sure if I can get photos, I'm working on it.

Tim