| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| Follow @flybc |
FlyBC "Site of the Day November 2015 Archive"
Woodside in the Outflow
|
| 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@ 3000' in knots |
Rate °C/1000' Cloud Base in Meters |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11-30-15 |
 Agassiz BC Sunny. Windy. High plus 5 except plus 1 near Hope. 1100 metres They had two beautiful sled rides in smooth conditions. Kevin reported in at Elk at 2:30 pm where he was launching into +20 kph cycles. I got my truck fully loaded by dark and am heading south for a few months, come and say hi to Bob for me when you are out and refill her food system and water fountain, por favor.  11-29-15
|
| Agassiz BC Sunny. Wind east 40 to 60 km/h diminishing to 30 near noon. High plus 4 except plus 1 near Hope. 1100 metres Despite NE 30-45 kph gusts in Agassiz, it was blowing in straight at Woodside. Martin, Derek, Denny, Paul (here for his 24th & 25th supervised flights) and they flew off and had nice sled rides with only a few thermals over Andrei's house. I drove down to meet Karolina (my 1 pm tandem passenger). After briefing and waiver signing we headed up with a full van load and after Paul had his graduation flight #25, I got the tandem gear ready. I just got the new SupAir SORA demo tandem back from Utah, and we have puchased it so we have a tandem in Mexico for family members of tour guests.
We stayed a bit long over there and had a low long glide out to the Ranch but it was all downwind and we had a nice touchdown and Karolina stayed on her feet for my last Canuck Tandem of 2015!
Elk Report - a bunch of desperados hiked Elk today and had nice sleddies too, as I overheard Peter saying he did not get much lift off Mt. Thom. Apparently it was pretty windy at the Prest Road LZ, +30 kph from the east. 11-28-15
|
| Agassiz BC Sunny. Windy. High plus 3. 1100 metres It was blowing +40 kph North in Agassiz & Hope but oddly it was blowing up on Woodside on the webcam. Not liking the prospect of a turbulent flight for the students, we headed out. We ended up in Merritt where there was light SW winds and only -12C in town. I almost made it to the top of Sugarloaf Mtn. before spinning out because it was very icy under the snow, and my tires are shite. New tires next season for sure!
Roman was ready but unfortunately the winds went tail and after a long wait for a lull we hiked back to the truck. George was behind us in his truck and got a bit lost and met us at my Van and he followed us down to the big hayfield LZ, which is all plowed up getting ready for replanting in the spring. Derek reported that Martin N and he had gotten two flights at Woodside staying up for 30 minutes in leeside thermals, so we raced back to Woodside arriving just around 4 pm to find winds over the back, so we just drove down. Horsefly Report - Julian took a load of desperados up Horsefly today and they all flew. Lots of snow up there too but Julians tires are better than mine so no problems getting up there.
Elk Report - Claudia, Peter, Paddy and a group flew Elk today too. Desperados were out all over the province, including some flights off Mt. Seven in Golden. 11-27-15
|
| Agassiz BC Sunny. Windy. High plus 4. 1100 metres Perfect kiting winds for Paul & Roman in the LZ and at times we even had inflow winds on the windsocks on launch . . . but was it rotor or thermals. I decided it was not a good idea to go flying even though we had Martin N and Julian here as wind techs, so we stayed on the ground kiting and testing harnesses. Tomorrow looks like a replay with strong NE winds aloft so we are headed North to Cache Creek or Merrit or South to Hedley, we will decide at 9 am. Only a few more sleeps til Mexico! valle task 6 the flight from Philippe Broers on Vimeo. 11-26-15
|
| Agassiz BC Sunny. Windy. High plus 4. 1100 metres
Mexican Dreams by Brett Hazlett Valley of the Brave from Brett Hazlett on Vimeo. 11-23 24 25-15
|
|  Agassiz BC Cloudy. Rain beginning early this morning. High plus 5. 500 metres But we had a great visit and I got to meet the new babies my Nephews just produced, pictured here with my Mom.
Roman was out flying this weekend, but apparently he had time to take this great photo of the Barn.
Chilliwack Promo Vide narrated by the famous Kevin Ault (one of our awesome tandem team). 11-22-15
|
|  Agassiz BC Sunny. Becoming a mix of sun and cloud in the morning. Windy over eastern sections in the morning. High 8. 1100 metres We sent up some concrete in Julian's truck and we worked on a washout near the 4 km mark, throwing bog rocks and concrete into the washout hoping it will stop the water damage this winter, more is needed for a permanent repair.
Martin N also launched and had an equally smooth ride down to the Ranch, so I launched Chris, Johannes, Paul and finally Roman (the new guy from yesterday).
It was now 3:45 pm, and the wind went tail so we only got one flight. Monday to Wednesday look like outflow and rainy/snowy so we are closed til Thursday. Elk Mtn. Report from Kevin on the ham band as he landed at Prest Rd. with Delvin, Sam W, Harry S, Kirk L and they had light takeoff winds and good outflow to push them to Prest LZ. 11-21-15
|
| Agassiz BC Mainly sunny. Windy over eastern sections this morning. High 6. 1100 metres The road was not too bad with some washed out sections and a bit of ice and snow but no blowdown from the last storm. We got to the top launch and there was no wind, so we started clearing the trees that have grown up on the launch slots. The webcam showed Woodside had up cycles? My chainsaw was still hurting from the other tree work at Woodside but Paul got it tuned up and running pretty well and he did a great job clearing the brush out with everyone else helping to clear the debris.
We got to the top of Woodside and there were reversible cycles and the birds were showing no turbulence as they flew by so we sent Paul off first. Next off was Sean G trying out Josh's Advance Epsilon 7 and he liked it so much he bought it!
We went back up after watching new student Roman practicing with Colleen in the LZ, doing very well for his first kiting session. The next launch cycles were still pretty good but by the time Darren H had launched it started to blow down. But we got 2 really nice flights in and some work on both launches, so it was better than a 5-6 hour drive to maybe not flying at the destination site. Tobago Cays in the Grenadines Report - world travellers Alex & Nicole are on Luis R's boat in Tobago Cays in the Grenadines and they got to fly a small site. Small takeoff on Jamesby Island at the marine park in Tobago Cays.
11-20-15
|
| Agassiz BC Sunny. Windy this morning. High 6. 1100 metres Paul is trying to get his last 8 flights to get to signoff stage, exams are done and he has all the skills mastered but is 8 flights short. We managed to get 2 flights knocked off today before the wind went tail at 4 pm.
New Zealand looks pretty nice on a motor! Ozone kite desgner Rob Whittal on an Ozone Viper PPG wing, sweet! Surreal Perspectives from White Cloud Productions NZ on Vimeo. 11-19-15
|
| Agassiz BC Clearing in the morning. High 6. 1100 metres The winds had dropped from the 1o kph north wind and when I checked the webcam it was blowing up at Woodside. Paul arrived at 1 pm as did Degas and we headed up to install new windsocks as the storms had shredded off the old ones. The carpet is also a mess on top, down to the orignal layer with much of the new stuff in the trees behind launch. Paul got ready and had a nice sled ride to the Ranch. I drove down after Degas launched and he was stll up as we drove up for Paul's second flight thermalling in the Valley. Paul's second flight was very smooth with a nce thermal he took to just at launch height where he thermalled for 15 minutes doing very well. He has 8 more flights to finsalize his P-2 Course and he is well on the way with great launch skills. Degas headed home as we went up at 4 pm for Paul's last flight. This time it was blowing down slightly as we got to launch but patience paid out as we got some lulls and Paul did a strong forward launch and was on his way into the sunset for flight #3.
11-18-15
|
| Agassiz BC Mainly cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers. Temperature steady near plus 5. 1100 metres Back to the Ranch and the chain saw would not start. It would not start at Horsefly last week but I didn't have time to debug it, too busy painting etc. I sent the guys to lunch but apparently the Sasquatch was closed as their water supply was plugged up by a slide, as I raced to Mission to get a new saw. I met everyone back at the Ranch around 2 pm, and I tackled the first tree and I was partway through the cut when the tree shifted and pinched the bar.
I started cutting again and the chain snapped. No sweat I had a spare chain and once installed I cut the tree and on the last cut it jammed again. Some cussing was heard. We tried unjamming it by dragging the tree behind Julian's truck but that did not work. Julian had to leave and we finally got the bar free by manual cutting and hatchet work.
By now it was 4 pm, and after a few more small trees down we were on launch and the lights in Chilliwack were already lighting up, so we had little sunlight left. It was gusty and strong and without a doubt it was soarable, but it might take a long time to get out to the LZ, so we drove down. Josh was super-disappointed that he could not fly his new Delta 2, but we have a nice weekend shaping up. 11-17-15
|
|  Agassiz BC Rain at times heavy. Amount 25 mm except 40 mm near Hope. Wind east 20 km/h becoming southwest 60 to 80 this morning. High 10. 400 metres Josh was the designated painter as I pushed the scaffolds around.
The power finally went out around 1 pm, and we hauled out the generator to power the sprayer and the lighting. It is always a good idea to have a generator fueled and ready for these events even in urban areas as Hydro is usually understaffed to deal with these storms.
We installed the simulators in the loft ready for Reserve Simulations in the spring.
11-15-15
|
| Agassiz BC Cloudy. 30 percent chance of showers early this morning. Periods of rain beginning this afternoon. High 7. 900 metres The snowline all around is quite low, Woodside has snow on launch as does Bridal.
11-15-15
|
| Agassiz BC Cloudy. High 9. 400 metres Short border lineups at Aldergrove and I had a few stops on the way down for warmer clothing as there was snow on the hills. I arrived at the Blanchard LZ to hear Derek was on top, waiting for sun. I hitched a ride up with Konrad in his VW bus and left the Van in the soggy LZ. When we arrived on top, the winds were light SE so we were sitting on the South Launch, in the sun but the cycle were pretty light. The Canuck contingent consisted of Claudia & Peter, Derek & Martin N, and myself.
Martin's Rush 3 will be dry by the time someone wants to buy it as his new Swift 4 is on the way from the factory. 11-14-15
|
| Agassiz BC Periods of rain. Amount 5 to 10 mm. High 8. 400 metres 11-13-15
|
| Agassiz BC Rain at times heavy changing to a few showers this afternoon. Amount 40 to 50 mm. High 11. 800 metres We got a huge shock as news of the Paris massacres came in mid-meeting, what a shame. 11-12-15
|
| Agassiz BC Showers ending this morning then cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers. Windy early this morning. High 8. 800 metres Smithers Report - Kevin & Mark took out their new Rapidos, getting tuned up for snow season and some speed-flying!
11-11-15
|
| Agassiz BC Showers ending this morning then cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers. Windy early this morning. High 8. 800 metres Blanchard Report - Woodside and Eagle Ranch were blown out today so the smart money was on Blanchard WA. KVA & MON went there and were rewarded with 2 hours of nice soaring.
11-10-15
|
| Agassiz BC A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High near 10C. Winds light and variable. 800 metres I was late getting back from a Rona run so I told them to drive up without me. When I arrived I watched Rod launch on the webcam in strong NW cross winds and he went up fast. He said it was slow heading north and also slow heading south so some convergence was going on. Josh launched right after Rod and the both got high, as Rod pushed speedbar and headed out towards the Ranch. Both Josh & I asked why, with no response. Rod flew over the parking lot as I unloaded wood and after a few minutes it started to drizzle. Oh, that is why he headed out. He could see the rain coming. Smartly, Shaun G stayed on the ground and drove back down. 11-9-15
|
| Agassiz BC Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High near 10C. Winds NE at 10 to 15 km/h. 1200 metres A group of desperados arrived and we headed up. Rod F, Denham, Martin N, Degas, Shaun G, Julian were all hopeful but we also took some tools to clean up the launch area a bit, in case it was not good to fly. Conditions on the road were good with no washouts after all the rain lately, and no snow.
First off was Rod F on his fancy new Ozone Swift 4, and he was climbing out front with the eagles, so everyone got ready fast.
Some pilots had some challenges and only Denham got off first try with a forward launch on his new Nova Rookie.
The vehicles were left at Sandpiper Golf Course as this was the first LZ, but Julian decided to fly to the Ranch requiring full speed on trims to make it there as it was breezy at the Ranch from the east, but at Sandpiper Airstrip it was only 10-15 kph from the NE.
Horsefly needs some work to round off the front slope to make it friendlier but this day proved its value on outflow conditions with up to 2 hours of soaring in the sunshine. 11-8-15
|
| Agassiz BC 40% chance of showers. High 10. 800 metres 11-7-15
|
| Agassiz BC Rain. Amount 20 mm. High 10. 400 metres 11-6-15
|
| Agassiz BC Cloudy. 60 percent chance of showers this morning. Periods of rain beginning late this morning. Fog patches dissipating this morning. High 8. 700 metres Not a good day for flying as it rained constantly. 11-5-15
|
| Agassiz BC A few showers ending late this morning then mainly cloudy. High 9. 700 metres
I should have listened to my own advice on "Site of the Day"! 11-4-15
|
| Agassiz BC Increasing cloudiness. 60 percent chance of showers late this morning and this afternoon. Fog patches dissipating this morning. High 9. 900 metres Thanks to Denis & Andrei for piloting for me as I just sold all our tandem gear last week and we are not replacing it until next spring. Denis took off first after a very professional briefing despite the cold temps.
Their tandem gear may take some time to dry out as the grass was pretty wet where they landed at the Ranch. Another World Record Tandem flight on an Ozone Magnum 2 by Honorin! This time 11 hours in the air! One tough pilot & passenger!
11-3-15
|
| Agassiz BC Cloudy. 30 percent chance of showers early this morning. Becoming a mix of sun and cloud near noon. Fog patches dissipating this morning. High 10. 900 metres By noon Geoffrey had done 11 flights and Denham had made it almost to the Picnic Shelter on one flight as it was a bit thermic! We drove up with a full Van of pilots and pilots started hucking off as soon as they saw Geoffrey thermalling around on the EONA S, not bad for his 4th high flight!
Alex, Denis & others made good use off the lift (+2.5 m/s) and lots of whiteroom action.
We did 4 laps with Geoffrey keeping me too busy to fly, I need an assistant instructor who likes driving too! We flew right til sunset (which happens pretty early now).
EIKO Test Report - Appreciate the chance to test the EIKO 23 hiking glider by SupAir. I was on the lower end of the 65-100kg weight range flying at only 78-79kg. Line sorting and pre-kiting on launch was super easy. Love the way such a light glider comes up with less than 5km/h of wind. Great climb and even at my lighter wingload the brakes were not too spongy. I'm sure the 20m model would be a sports car, as I'd be at the top of its weight range.
Plus after a long hike don't you want to thermal up and do a little XC to see the rest of the mtns? Felt better performance than the Ultralite 3. Nice wing SupAir. What a great day for Nov. Thermals up to 2.5m/s and lots of eagles showing the best climbs to base - Alex R 11-2-15
|
| Agassiz BC Mainly cloudy. High 10. 900 metres Denham & Derek arrived just after 1 pm and we headed up the hill as cloudbase rose above launch. TJ's RASP showed launch to be obscured all day but this is Mother Woodside and she delivered. I launched first on a nice Delta 2 that just came back on trade from the Yukon, which was used in a Record Crushing 245 km XC flight by Shaun K this spring. He trained it well! I headed over to the Soth Knoll where the birds were playing and immediately got into cloud, so I headed out to the sun and plyed there while Derek & Denham bith disappeared into the soup. We played for 30 minutes and then it shut down, too much overcast. We all landed in the circle at the Ranch, the only high dry spot after all the rain on the weekend. We regrouped and headed back up and it was a bit sunnier and we got another 25 minutes of ridge soaring the South Knoll. Tight formations needed to stay in the air! World Record Tandem flight on an Ozone Magnum 2! And only 9 hours in the air! 11-1-15
|
| Agassiz BC Periods of rain. Amount 10 to 20 mm. High 10. 500 metres A belated report from August 2015 - "Greg, Alex and I climb Mount Meslilloet from Norton Lake and launched our gliders 50m below the summit . . . A fun adventure day!" - James F. 10-31-15
|
| Agassiz BC Rain. Amount 15 mm. Becoming windy this morning. High 14. 500 metres As we found out last week, the original launch slot is the better place as it is bowl shaped and makes the winds flow better than the knob that was just clearcut. If anyone wants to develop an outflow launch, this is the idea place: 900 metres of altitude, leagal airspace, legal landing spots (Sandpiper Airstrip, Harrison Riverbanks), and only a 5 km drive directly to launch (even 2WD). Sumas is a hike up and is in the lee in NE winds, a waste of time with illegal landing and airspace issues. Even the District does not support its use due to the LZ. |
FlyBC Paragliding Past Site of the Day Reports click to select the month and year you wish to review.
|
Box 79, Harrison Mills, BC Canada V0M 1L0 Mobile: 604-618-5467 Skype: flybcpg E-Mail: FlyBC E-Mail |