A hearty welcome is extended to Rick and Ruth Sharp and the Paraflypg.com team for their 14th annual paragliding training school at La Salina.  Rick has been emailing me more as time approached concerned with conditions at the ridge.  February demonstrated above average flying conditions with pilots flying 2000 + above.  On Feburary 18, one pilot claimed to have reached 3300. Admittedly he was really high. I also flew that day, and was 2000+ at the southern most part of the south ridge just before Bajamar.  I actually contemplated shooting for Ensenada. Even so, the other pilot was much higher than me.  He was at the back of the south gap.  Unfortunatley although he was specked out, he spent a significant amount of time attempting to penetrate back to the ridge.  Eventually he failed to make it and landed 300+ meters back on the mesa. 

Importantly, however, this was towards the end of a two week period that I flew La Salina almost everyday.  And each day I was amazed that I was averaging 2000 above.  Some flights I never flew below 1000+ and flying over to my beach house at La Salina Del Mar would often bring me in at 500-1000 ft above making some very fun descent maneuvers before entering final approach. 

Conditions changed when Jeff Greenbaum and Craig Addelson came to Bajabrents B.4 Beachclub on February 19th.  Monday the 20th was blown out by 8:30 AM.  The prevailing north wind never dropped below 20, BUT NO  PROBLEM we went to Cantamar and played with a airfoil.  Jeff taught Craig and I the basics and before you knew it we were ripping it up.  Admittedly Craig was a natural and Bajabrent had to struggle a little before getting it down.  But I feel comfortable working with one and hope to master it well enough to move into a bigger kite and eventually kite surfing this summer right in front of the house. 

Ultimately, however, conditions improved for Jeff and Craig.  We flew a couple days together at La Salina, and Salsipuedes.  But it was High pressure flying. Launch window opened between 10:15 and 11:00 AM.  Mostly bullet thermals so it was rocking a little to a lot.  Max altitude maybe 1500 on Tuesday, then dropped to 300-500 for short periods making beach landings a  little difficult.  White caps would show by noonish which further impeded beach access.  I returned stateside on Wednesday afternoon, wherein Jeff and Craig finished out the week flying 4 outta 5 days at four different flying sites I showed to them while they were there.  Jeff posted a better log of their  experiences at www.sftandem.com . 

Murdock Hughes (published author) and his wife Jan accompanied by flying companion Rick? flew together with Jeff and Craig Friday the 24th.  Conditions remained the same with HP (High Pressure) dominating.  I flew a couple flights of around 1 hour, mainly a lot of scratching with max altitude @ 300 above.  We would try for the beach but inevitably landed at the main LZ or the new Bajabrent LZ being created at the fence juncture immediately across from the La Salina community south of the vacant beach lot just south of Baja Seasons and on the east side of the freeway. 

Murdock and his companions appeared to fly everyday until Mondaythe 27th when a storm front blew in.  I was then visited at home in the afternoon by TURBO BOB who flew his trike down and landed in front of my house.  We talked excitedly about the front moving in that promised great flying but by 10:00 AM, as I anticipated, the conditions looks strong---very south and gathering storm clouds.  Eventually it rained a bit.  Tuesday the 28th was blown out. 

I made a quick turnaround in Diego between tuesday and Thursday night.  a Few rainstorms threatened and actually hit LA and SD, with little/no precipitation in LS. I then flew Friday, Sat, Sun morning with flights of 30- 115 minutes.  Again conditions were suppressed with HP. Max altitude was 500 feet, My Sat morning flight was an hour and 45 minutes... I started trying to get to the beach 90 minutes in, couldn't get the right bump from any of the house thermals....then Helen the Hawk (my flying girlfriend) came out of nowhere, and led me into a very bumpy thermal....and sure enough I went to 650 above. I shot for the beach, but after hauling in my flags, I drifted too far downwind, and couldn't penetrate effectively. I was 250 above when I was 200 east of the road.  Tempted, but not stupid I landed in the new LZ locationas I admired the whitecaps blowin across the ocean.

 

What did you think of this article?

Liked
Disliked
No Opinion