2 sledders at Oceanside paragliding tandem flights 03-29-15

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ffbsmeh9fv75e49/Emily%20first%20flight%20032915.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c1yyfkc4lug8al8/10921321_10206443558914728_308817157_n.mp4?dl=0

www.facebook.com\/video.php?v=10206439043881855&ref=notif¬if_t=like_tagged

I went back to Oceanside today. It was the last day of spring for my kids (17 & 20 years old) so I got them a paragliding tandem flights at Oceanside with John Kraske. Although, the conditions was really light but John managed to get above launch earlier (for Emily) so my kids had a blast on their flight. 

Gabe and I is the only hangs and we launch later with other paras when the wind was drop down even more so most of us only had an multiple extended sledders. Gabe and I both had 2 flights.  

1 flight 4.5 hrs at Oceanside report 03-28-15

Oceanside was spectacular again today.  The smooth light condition allowed me to fly for 4 hr 45 mins.  I launched at 10:15am (landed at 3:00pm) in a really light WSW wind right after paragliders John S and Mike who showed me that the condition was soarable. I didn't plan on having a long flight, but it ended up that way with the great condition. The hang group Ray, Kory, Jeff and Gabe came around noon and all of us had great air time flying with lots of paragliders.  As usual, Ray went to the back ridge and sky out everyone.  There was a large crowd of people all over the beach, so finding a landing target was probably the most exciting part of our flight for today.  Too many footage from yesterday and today's flight;  I only uploaded my today launch and landing for tonight.   I will be at Oceanside again tomorrow (Sunday).  Hope everyone had great flights at Dog , Blanchard, Mattole, Yaquina ,Moolack , Woodrat, Tiger, ..... etc

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z8p9gds4rn0eihf/AAAiXldyx2Yd0VAEVgfpHn5Oa?dl=0

1 flight 2 hours at Oceanside 03-27-15

The forecast was right about the wind direction. It turned really south around 10:30am when we were ready to launch. About 6 paragraders and myself waited at launch for long time but the wind never switch back to west. So after 1.5 hrs of waiting i decided to do a cross wind launch. Wind speed was light 3-6 mph SSW so I expected a slid ride. Launch at 12:00pm.

Surprisingly, it was quite soarable and just keep climbing once I turned left right after punched off. A few minutes later I was 300ft above launch and 5 paragliders started joining me in the airs and we all works out great in the narrow lift band. The wind became stronger after an hour later and all PGs landed. The strong head wind pushed me up to 700 ft above launch for another one hours until I feel really hungry. So I had a 2 hours great flight so far for today.

The late afternoon conditions become too windy , too gusty (15-30 mph) at launch, also a pouring rain now. Fortunately, we had a great flight earlier.

1 flight 1 hour at Chehalem 03-25-15

Chehalem were quite soarable this afternoon.  Enrique and I arrived launch at 1:45pm and it was blowing about 5-8 mph with occasionally some stronger cycles. I launched right after Enrique and it was easy to climbed four hundred feet above launch and surprisingly the airs was so smooth during the whole flight. I saw the rain approaching after 40 mins later so I headed to the landing field further down south. We went back up to launch and the wind was down to 2-4 mph which doesn't look soarable anymore so we decided to go get a coffee.  Nice day and nice flight. 

3 flights 2 hours at Oceanside 03-24-15

I arrived Oceanside around 7:30am this morning.
1st flight 5 mins sledder (no wind)
2nd flight 10 mins sledder
3rd flight 1 hour and 40 mins and the highest altitude was about 500 over launch.

The soarable condition turn on around 12pm. I shared aires with 5-6 paragliders and everyone soared. The wind were light (WSW 5-7) when I launched around 12:30pm. Now is high tide but still have room to land at the beach. @ 3:55pm

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The wind still good but the problem is so many people at the beach and I see largest number of kites flown on a single line at the beach that make landing very scary. I lost my flying mood now. Rick @ 4:30pm

1 flight 1.5 hours at Oceanside 03-21-15

I arrived OS launch @ 9:15am and see some favorable winds (10 mph SW). When I was ready to launched at 9:45am , it felt like the wind drop down a bit but still got plenty of lifts along the ridge. I got 600 over and flew for 1.5 hour. Trip to Happy camp was easy this morning. I landed because high tide is coming. Going back up for round two after lunch.

1 flight 1 hour at Newberg 03-20-15

I think there was five paras who flew Chehalem ridge today. Two paras (Mark S & John S) and I got a soarable flight. Mark and I got about 300ft above launch for a while until the air turned rowdy and windy. I landed after 50 mins of air time but it felt like I flew for a couple of hrs because of the bumpy air. I went back up to launch to check the condition at 4:15pm; the wind calmed down to 4-8mph and was still blowing straight up . The wind at the LZ was about 0-3 mph breeze when I landed and rain arrived at 4:36pm. Thanks Nick B for the ride up. I'll post today's video later.

About where I'm going tomorrow, I'm still debating between Newberg or Oceanside. I will decide tomorrow morning

1 flight 2.5hrs at Bingen Report 03-18-15

Keita , Trivas and I went up to launch around 11:00am and it was already soarable when we arrived. Mostly thermals than got better by the time I ready to launch. My vario was busy beeping ups for around 2hrs 30 minutes during my air time. Four Paragliders still in the air at 7pm. Great day!

Time : 2.5 hours

2 flights 1 hr at Dog Mtn 03-17-15

Five of us flew multiple times today. I had two flights; it was soarable on the second flight around 12:00, but the wind wasn't strong enough to get us above launch except for Kim ...  We went back up around 2:00pm and waited at launch for round 3 but rain was keep developing.  So, we decided to call it off for the day and head home early.  

PS. Hey Gabe, I can fly Dog again tomorrow but I was hoping if you or anyone will fly Bingen.  I can carry your glider for you and all you need to do just walk yourself slowly to launch. 

2 flights 3 hrs Dog Mtn 3-8-15

Dog turned on around 4pm today. I flew for 2.5 hrs on my 2nd flights with Scott, Robin, Dave A (pg) and I landed right before sunset. All the best lifts and thermals arrived at the end of the day.
Btw, Bingen looks really good tomorrow. Let me know if you or anyone want to go. I can help you carry the glider to launch.

1 flight 1 hr at Bingen 03-06-15

A lot of extended sledders early today at Bingen so when I was ready to launch I expected a sled ride for myself too but it turned out to be a soarable flight. The ridge lifts / thermals were light and lift band was small and narrow in one spot but it was working great. I was thermaling with Mark and Peter in that same spot for awhile. Then more bags launched and came to join us later. I think Jim , Mark and Peter flew for a long time and I bet everyone pretty happy the outcome today.

This is the today video, this time I shoot it from different angles. 

https://vimeo.com/121528485

or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHC3f_HkCdU&feature=youtu.be

This is the footage of  Ondrej launching 30 mins before sunset.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x91_UVzi1D4&feature=youtu.be

1 flight 3 hrs at Dog Mtn 03-02-15

I got the best flying day of the year today at Dog so far! Here is the video report of Monday (Mar 2nd )flight at Dog. Another great day!

Report from Ray: 

Me too! 2 hours 19 minutes, max altitude 5784. Towers to Elk, down lake to cliffs, lift everywhere over lake too. At one point turned around before getting to Morton Airport while on Peterman ridge. Winds were mostly N at 11 to 17 at altitude but noticed NE at launch and landing altitudes later. Luckily got off launch just in time leaving Gabe and Kory scratching their heads. Jeff popped off sometime after I had been in the air an hour and another brave soul crashed their new U2 into the north launch trees. Robin ok, glider not. Observations said it was obviously too NE to launch. Awesome day for rigidwing when we have strong conditions such as these. The slim profile smooths out the strong lift. The bump in the weather Sunday night payed off, driving to SLC not necessary. Ray