Cape Lookout skunked report 5/29/17

If you'd wished you gone flying today at Cape Lookout,  don't worry, you didn't missed a thing. I didn't even bother to unload my glider, but instead headed off to the skatepark after spending hours trimming the bushes at Cape Lookout's hiking trail and watched a movie in my van to kill time.  The beach was almost completely under water by 4pm (Pacific City, High Tide 6.6 feet at 05:04 PM).  The wind was too light (0-2mph) from 11AM to 4PM (time I left) and beach filled with tourists everywhere all day. Two PGs took a sledder and I think a few had left for Kiwanda.   Sollie or Kilchis also not flyable today due to low cloudbase as well. 

3 hrs 2 flights at Cliffside 5/28/17

Video Link

https://youtu.be/WjXLws0j6vM

Since nobody replies about going to Sollie or Kilchis , I changed my mind last minutes decided headed out to Cliffside instead of the coast on Sunday. It turned out very good day. Only two hangs (Luis , myself) and about 6-8 PGs. A lots of smooth thermals from morning till sunset. Luis and I had two flights and I got 3 hrs of air times. Thanks for Mark Rabe driving for us. 

2.5 hrs Cape Lookout 5/24/17

https://youtu.be/GcAfE7G371M

 

 

Cape Lookout was very good today. I flew for 2.5 hrs from 3:30 to 6pm mostly by myself until around 6pm when joined by another paraglider Laren.  As usual there wasn't much wind at launch but plenty of lifts once l turned left towards the cape. Cloudbase at 2400 ft and drop down to 2000 ft later. An easy climbed up to 2300ft, the wind direction was almost straight north and felt like 15-18 mph. 

 

 

1 hrs Cliffside 5/21/17

Video 
https://youtu.be/LIyVCBgarks

 

Re-check the air time I had today. I got 55 mins of air time

I was the only hang who came out today at Cliffside joining about 20+ paragliders sharing the sky. It was very hot with light wind plus on and off strong thermal cycles at launch for most of the day. I think l launched around 2pm after a few hrs of hang-waiting.  Thermals seemed to have gotten better as my flight continued, but also experienced plenty of waterfalls kind of sinky air all around. Many of us got low, then climbed back up while losing it again and had to scratch below launch until another thermal kicked in, if lucky enough to find one. Some paras were able to climbed above the windmills and maybe went XC. I flew for 45 mins and reached 1800ft a few times.  

Also, got the reported from Robin that Cape Lookout today had, "Heat wave Block" or "Thermal Block," whatever you like to call them.The wind there was too north and PGs were sinking out, so he didn't fly. 

2 hrs and 45 mins at Cape Lookout 5/20/17

Video 

 https://youtu.be/S0ksF9-P0CY

Cape Lookout was good today. 5 hangs (Robin, Ray, Neil, Steve, myself)  and about half a dozen of paras all had great flights. I flew for almost 3 hours from 2 to 4:50pm. 

The wind at launch was really light (0-2mph) from morning till afternoon so few paras who launched in the morning was getting flushed. Few paras tried again around 1:30pm and they were able to stay up so l decided to launch. 

The winds were still pretty much dead calm at launch but had a lot of lifts once I turned left.  Ray's instrument indicated 8-10mph at 1000ft coming from 320 degree direction.   Air was smooth , lifty and a lot of clouds was forming between 1000 to 1500ft MSL. Definitely a fun day of cloud surfing. Congrats​ to Robin who drove down from Seattle and had a great long flight too.  He will stay at Oregon coast  next few days with his girlfriend. He might fly again tomorrow if weather is good. 

PS, l left launch at 6:15pm and it was blowing much better than earlier. Still have a lot of beach for landing and l think pg John Kraske going to get a sunset flight.