Flying - Dasklip

Flew Dasklip in Porterville for the first time in ages. Arrived at launch at 11:30am. Conditions were light and quite southerly. While I waited on the ramp checking out conditions, several PG pilots had extended sledders.

After rigging, conditions were still very southerly, but much stronger on launch. The launch is down a ramp, with some rising ground on the northerly side. A spine runs down the ridge to the south. One wants to avoid launching in a southerly cycle so that you avoid rotor from the spine, and avoid being pushed towards the rising ground to the north.

Dasklip Ramp

I watched conditions for about 30 mins before seeing a good launchable cycle. During that time, several PGs launched from their takeoff higher up the ridge, climbed out and headed north. By yawing their canopies into the southerly they are able to get off launch in conditions I wouldn't launch in.

After finally seeing a good cycle, I clipped in and moved to launch. My dad, who had volunteered to drive, gave me hang check and then we stood and waited. A sweltering 30 mins went by before a solid cycle came through and I could launch.

Climbing out above launch

I joined two PGs in the air and we immediately climbed out above launch. What a relief to be in the air and climbing after such a long and hot wait on launch. While I concentrated on coring my first thermal in over a year, the PGs out-climbed me and headed north.

It didn't seem to be a day for getting very high, so after getting to 3500ft AGL, I followed them. I passed the trailing PG on glide and then found some lift. I started to climb and the PG joined me in the thermal. Again he out-climbed me, while I struggled to find the core. Eventually I got frustrated with being way below the PG and left the lift quite low. I thought this might be a foolish move, but I wasn't enjoying the thermal I was in. I headed north, hoping to find another PG-free thermal for myself. I headed slightly away from the ridge towards a farm, in the hope of finding something there. I was rewarded with a solid thermal that smelt strongly of manure. There were even bits of straw for me to circle around. It was a lovely thermal and the combination of smell and sight and vario sounds helped me to start dialling my rusty thermalling skills.

Looking back towards Dasklip launch (red arrow)

At the top of this lift I pressed on, and got to Bumpy Peak (18km out) below ridge height. After Bumpy is a section where there is no road access for 8km or so. I stopped at Bumpy to look for lift and found another nice thermal that took me above ridge height again. My PG friend joined me in this one and was really aggressive, forcing me out of my pattern a few times. I was getting sick of this guy, so I headed back into wind, a guaranteed way of dropping him. Again I found a lovely core and worked it up to about 4500ft AGL, before continuing north.

Next to Bumpy Peak, looking north. Citrusdal is top right.

My goal was Citrusdal, which requires going over the back of the ridge into the next valley, but as I approached the Pass I could see some strange weather ahead. The forecast had mentioned strong winds and thunderstorms to the north and it looked like this was pulling in early. I aborted my plan to go to Citrusdal and instead decided to land at the base of the Pass. On my way there I flew into a broad band of convergence. I was climbing smoothly and fast as I flew with full VG on away from the ridge. Clearly the northerly was pushing through already.

I didn't like the look of things to the north, so rather than hang about enjoying this lift, I sped through it and flew to the Pass. I picked out a convenient field (which I somewhat regretted later) and boated around losing altitude. I could see the northerly was picking up, so I ended up spiraling down and landing about 30km out.

While the field was really convenient, it had been recently ploughed, and it was full of loose soil. As the wind picked up while I derigged, I got completely sand blasted and filthy. It was howling and pretty unpleasent and I was relieved when everything was done and I was back in the car.

Anyway, apart from derigging, it was a wonderful day and a great return to thermal flying.