Diez

For whatever reason, it just seemed right today. It looked about right, but that is a slippery slope, as it always looks like it won't be good, at least from my 'home site' perspective. Nonetheless, I was optimistic. 

Breakfast was a yummy omelette and the juice appeared to be a blend of mango, banana and who knows what else. It was delicious. Café con leche sent me out the door with a spring in my step. 

Clouds on launch were low, as is the norm here, and the roads up were especially muddy today, forcing Flacko to "put in the hubs" and employ 4 wheel drive to make it up some of the steep and slippery slopes on the short cut we usually take to launch.  The Cipri takes another slightly longer route.

It was clear the car would not stay clean today. 

The hike up the 100+ steps went well today as my solo glider is considerably lighter than the tandem from the day before. 

Some horses posed for me as I trudged up the slope. They are in charge of trimming the grass it seems. 

The group arrived, we set up, and as is usually the case, the clouds formed over the house thermal. Pilots began launching off and soaring. No rain today. 

Todd out front soaring with the launch in the background. 

Everyone but John launched right behind me and before long we were all up together at cloud base waitng for the clouds to raise up higher as the day warmed up. 

As a group we flew to La Union as regrouped. The other groups weren't all there yet, so I had my group fly back towards launch to rendezvous with John. 

As we moved back to the south towards takeoff, John reported he had landed safely below at Oscar's LZ. (Landing Zone).  After a short radio confirmation and "atta boy" from me to John, we turned back around to La Union to move with the other groups now with us and tried to possie up there all together. 

Everyone had done so well up to this point, but the last climb proved to be the crux of the day and only Chris made it out to the valley with me and got established on the flats. Dave, was out there somewhere but ended up flying with others today. U

It was patient at first but Chris was on my elbow like "Radar O'riley" used to be with "Colonel Potter" on the TV program M*A*S*H. This has been his hallmark and it is precisely what I need all my team pilots to do. 

We flew for a few hours all told before I charged out front to find us some more lift, but in doing so, I plummeted down in sink. I let Chris know my situation and he wisely stayed in the lift he was in and watched me land. He was thinking of landing with me but I encouraged him to sky out and continue his fun, which he did. I couldn't have been more happy for him. Too cool. I packed up in shade, texted Flacko my coordinates and he was there before I could finish packing my wing 10 minutes later. Nice. 

The ride home was refreshing and we picked up two more ecstatic pilots, both from SB, who, like me, we're talking nonstop and replaying the fun we all had.

 

Back at the hotel a cooling off period in from of my fan was in order as I began charging things and dowloading data and go pro footage, mostly of Chris today!

THIS, is "the usual" for flying around here. I'm confident the great weather will continue so everyone will get their day in the sun. Ahhhhhh. 

Hasta mañana,

Martín