Altinator - First SB flight

October 17, 2008

My first flight in the mountains of Santa Barbara was a 13 minute sled run--but also the most dramatic terrain and vistas I've flown over. I continue to put off landing at Parma while I get more airtime at other sites. John introduced me to a less popular LZ that is an easy glide from the Altinator launch. Conditions were very light, and there were a few paragliders at launch when John and I arrived. This made it necessary to set up on the road above launch. We watched as the PG pilots eeked out some airtime in the light thermals south of launch. After the last 3 flights I've had, it was a treat to set up and break down without 15+ mph winds to contend with. By the time we were set up and ready to go, the launch area was empty. The walk from the road down is along a steep dirt path that tends to crumble and slide under one's feet. I found that even without gusty winds to deal with, it was a real challenge to carry my glider down the hill without getting wingtips hung up in the bushes or falling on my ass. I sure wouldn't want to try it in much stronger conditions...


Altinator October 19 2008 from henderthing on Vimeo.

I wanted to see where I should fly to find lift--not to mention the LZ, which is not visible from launch--so I asked John if he wouldn't mind launching first. I watched him take off and head straight south. I started up the camera, hooked in, and took a few steps down to the launch. It felt really strange being on top of this mountain all alone with my wing, and I realized that I'd never launched without other people around before. Nonetheless, I shouted my "hooked in, balanced, and clear" to any wildlife within earshot--and launched. This time I managed to zip into my harness. I can't believe what I've been missing comfort-wise and am embarrassed to admit that this was the first time I've used the zipper in the air. My flight was uneventful but spectacular. I cleared the front ridge with hundreds of feet to spare, which surprised me a little. I thought I might have to fly around it. I seem to have a consistantly pessimistic estimation of my F3's glide ratio in the real world. The LZ was easier to recognize from the air than I had imagined. As I arrived, it took me a while to spot John, who had flown well past the LZ and was circling back for his landing. I followed him in--needing to add an extra turn to my final to lose a bit more altitude--more reason to wait a little for Parma. Having the video is great, as I can see that I was gripping the bars and oscillating on my final approach--a couple bad habits I thought I had licked. I promised myself not to repeat them.

This is my last catch-up post. Hopefully from here on out, I'll be posting within a few days of any future flights.