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 

Nueve

While the pool umbrellas and tiles were not wet this am, it looked more cloudy down low today and I hope for a typical burning off the clouds by the sun to give us a nice first day. 

I tore into my breakfast burrito before capturing a 'before photo' and it was so good, it took some effort to put it down for this shot. Fresh guacamole with a tortilla filled with eggs, grilled onions, peppers and some lime juice squeezed on it was divine. Fresh guava smoothie and a spot of coffee had me ready to brave the day. 

John Dudley on top of the Cipri for the drive through town. 

The sky let go of some drizzle on the way out of town prompting Flacko and Cipri to don the rain tarps for the gear on top. 

Parking under a big tree to tarp up. 

The road up was wet and muddy. 

We got up top and waited a while as it was still drizzling. Eventually the sky opened up, but not before a bit more rain. 

The clouds were thick but the sun did come out. We launched everyone and some got up and away but many, including me landed below and packed quickly to escape rain showers that others were flying away from. 

Preflight meeting and orientation. 

One of our guys landed in full on rain and I ran across the field to help bunch up his wing and run back to the shelter the rest were under to stay dry. 

The sky was epic

Dorian with his soaked wing in the hangar. 

We waited for the rain to stop and Flacko and his dog were there in no time to pick us up. 

We were in town in no time eating chicken and then back to a hotel for a cool shower before our meeting and he dinner. 

Dorian laid out his glider to dry downstairs and the west wind had it bone dry in just an hour or two. Some pilots had 3hr flights today, but all the guides agreed it was an odd day for sure. 

Potato and egg appetizer. 

Dinner was nice, and we had crepes for desert. Everyone is excited for tomorrow

And so am I. 

Happy anniversary to my lovely wife, Carmen. Thanks for 8 wonderful years.  I am grateful to be your hubby.  I wish I was there to celebrate it with you. For sure when I get back. 

Te amo mucho, mi amror. 

Besos

Martín

Ocho

A favorite shot from the air. 

Today we slept in. We ate breakfast (desayuna) at 8:00am.

Wing/pilot list for group 1. 

All the departing pilots took care of last minute things, paid bar tabs, downloaded video clips and said their goodbyes. There was not enough time to sneak a flight in, so everyone had a more relaxed experience departing our tropical paradise. 

I didn't take a morning photo, but it looked like the day might work but would likely rain. It seemed better than the day before, and it did turn out to be better indeed, but cloudbase was low and it did rain here and there a bit.  Tomorrow, the first day of the new group, looks even better and according to Julian of the service staff at the hotel, it will be drier. 

I spent some of the day coloring hand drawn wing "cheat sheets" with help from Colin (from group 1) so all the guides will have an idea of the colors of the wings for each pilot in thieir group while flying and coaching them in the air. Marge spent hours creating a digital version on her computer. In the future, we will have it all on computer and just print it out each time iww make a change and in whatever order or arrangement we choose without physically having to cut and paste (or tape) as the case may be. 

My office for today. 

The new group of pilots have arrived at the hotel earlier this time and should be well rested for tomorrow. I have a tandem with Jim from Santa Barbara, and I'm all set to go. 

There was no meal planned so we all went to town and had pizza.  My youngest daughter Darla would have loved it, she loves pizza. Mia, her older sister, loves sweets like her dad. She would love the bakeries here:

Everyone in my family loves smoothies, and around here smoothies are as common as Starbucks coffee in Seattle. 

Rob really likes the guanabana smoothie and I love the mango with pineapple or with banana. You can't really go wrong. 

It's getting late now and we get up early so I am going to bed. 

Cheers and goodnight. 

Marty

Siete

Wet umbrellas and tiles around the pool suggest that it rained last night or early this am. The sky seems to concur. 

While this normally doesn't mean a thing here, it does make me wonder about the day considering the weather of the prior two days. 

Yesterday was a blast from the past for me. I saw my friend Carlo Borsatino on launch. He was here attending a trip with Jocky Sanderson's group. I met Carlo in 1999 or 2000 while attending the X-Ceará meet in northern Brazil. He was flying an Apco Bagheera, and I was on a Windtech Quarx, along with my friend Ryan Swan. In fact Gabriel Cañada the co-owner of Windtech was there too. Carlo would go on to open a school in the UK called fly bubble and carry Windtech products.  It's like a family reunion here for me. I've fallen out of touch with both Ryan and Gabrielle. I wonder how they are doing?

Breakfast included two eggs sunny side up, but I asked for more "fuego" on mine and flipped them over to solidify them more. Veggies and a roll completed the dish.  Interesting combo, and I polished it off with some café con leche and a fresh smoothie that is prepared each morning. 

As we readied ourselves to load up and go, it began to drizzle and a quick phone call to friends in Roldanillo confirmed it was more even more widespread. We pushed back the departure time and the drivers packed the wings in tarps to be safe in case of more rain. 

After an hour or so of light drizzle,we had a meeting and decided to have a presentation about logging flights online and planning flights as well. Our youngest participant Collin led the discussion and did a bang up job!

Negrito, the little black dog waited with me and kept me company. I miss my pooches at home. Maybe he knows?

As we finished the talk the sky lightened up a little and we jumped on the Cipri to make our move to the mountains. Once there it started working but never fully cleared up. We cautiously readied our gear unsure if the weather would hold. 

Unloading the rain-proofed gliders

Several other pilots launched and began to soar, even though cloud base wasn't very high, some were able to surf the lift up the side of the cloud on the south side well above base. 

A hand full of our pilots launched and experienced a variety of conditions including sink, wind, lift and turbulence. Most headed out to get more terrain clearance, taking the advice of the guides via radio still on launch as we shut down the launch and waited to see if conditions would improve. It began raining in Roldonillo and the wind started to increase over the back of the hill. The pilots in the air landed out front without incident and kited their wings for fun and practice in the valley landing zone we call Oscar's. 

Putting it all back in the bag. 

We packed up and walked down to the Cipri waiting near the bottom of the stairs. 

Cipriano showing Rob his lashing skills for the wings on the Cipri. Not bad for a 70 year old!

So in the end, a few flew, and most did not. It was a great lesson in patience, observation and safety-based decision making. All pilots are accounted for and happy. Tomorrow this group leaves and another will arrive late so we can go flying again on Monday. Some folks are remaining here for more than one tour and will have an official rest day, as will the guides. It should be a fun send-off party tonight at the hotel. "Live from La Union, it's Saturday night!"

The view from the Cipri on the way home. Looks like we avoided a car wash with the wings uncovered on top!

Yours truly modeling some $2000 Cp ($1 USA) reading glasses from town. I added the Niviuk logo for style points with a black sharpie

Cheers from Colombia!

Marty

Sies

The sky is dark today. 

It could mean a slower heating day and better flying. Yesterday started cloudy but sunned up so abruptly that clouds overdeveloped and rained until the sky once again clouded over and mellowed out. 

Oatmeal or porridge with apple and guava chunks made for a tasty breakfast today. Ali our cook is flying tandem with Rob. She has flown once before with Rob tandem in Santa Barbara and flew to 9000', a personal best for Rob at the local site and a heck of an intro for her. 

The Cipriano vehicle or "chipree" as we call it is right behind us in the way up as usual.  The guides usually ride in Flacko's vehicle. 

Flacko's jeep. 

Flacko goes by several names such as John or John jeep, Freddy or Freddy Flacko. It took me a while to put it all together that it as all the same guy. He is an accomplished pilot as well and flies tandems as a local guide too. He takes great pride in his work as retrieve and coordinates with Cipriano to pick everyone up as soon as possible. It is really impressive. 

The man who is Flacko. 

Everyone sends him a text with their full name and gps coordinates. He looks on his map and fetches the hard to reach guys while Cipriano scoops up groups of pilots from Flacko at the main road rendezvous spots when he is full so he can go back on chase for more. 

John Spitzer finishing the hike up to launch. 

The sky stayed overcast and dark as we sat surrounded by cloud on launch with the wind blowing from over the back of the hill at up to 8 mph.  It made for a much cooler hike today but there would be limited soaring. 

The easy way to deliver gliders. 

I saw this cool bug on launch. 

After an hour of patient cool waiting, brad and Koyoko launched into a hole in the cloud followed by others soon after. A few made it back to our town, the rest and I landed directly below.  We packed up on grass and were picked up a few minutes after we hiked to the road. We headed straight to my the chicken place!

We nearly cleaned out the rotisserie chicken place.  It was amazing as usual. 

We ate like savages and the got back on the Cipri back to the hotel. Brian bought a horn at a store that sounds like a ocean ship at sea.  Can't wait to hear it at cloud base!  

Now I'm hanging up my laundry that I washed while in the shower. I have a fan in my doom and everything will be dry before I go to sleep. 

I miss my family and our two cute dogs too! I love you Mia and Darla, Joe and Andrea, my sweet Carmen and the pooches Sam and Rosie! Thank you for letting me be here living my dream. 

"Con abrazos y besos" 

Ciao,

Marty