FlyBC's Paragliding Site of the Day September 2016 Archive Page - from the Universe's Largest Paragliding Centre :-)

Date	Site	Forecast	Winds @ 3000' in knots	Lapse Rate °C/1000' Cloud Base in Meters	Comments
9-30-16	Woodside after 11 am	Agassiz BC Sun and clouds mixed. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 19C. Winds light and variable.	250° @ 12	-3.0°C (unstable) 1100 metres	Woodside Report - we were flying at Woodside today after noon, as I got slowed down at the Sumas Border picking up gear. That was okay though, as I only had Dean here to finish his P-2 flights and we completed his last 4 of 25 high flights by 6 pm. Dean launched first at noon and had a sleddy, but Derek & Martin N flew after Dean and stayed up long enough to make them late for their 2 pm meeting at Bridal. Dean's next flights got better and better and it was soon soarable and he got some nice airtime to add to his P-2 rating. Dean was doing well with his reverse launching today until the last flight where it was stronger and he was rushing things. Remember the motto: "Just kite it! . . . then launch!" Dean did get his 25th flight in though and exam day is tomorrow. Bridal Report - while we were flying at Woodside today, Derek & gang headed to Bridal and logged a couple of hours of hard flying to get above launch and then it was easy as Derek made it to Saddle height. Martin N top-landed to drive the truck down. Some say this may be the last good Bridal day as the sun's angle gets too low to work. Eric enjoying Hedley near his hometown of Princeton. Eric earned his P-2 with us this spring. hedley BC sled ride from Erik Bobicki on Vimeo.
9-29-16	Woodside after 10 am	Agassiz BC A mix of sun and cloud. High 18. UV index 4 or moderate.	250° @ 13	-3.0°C (unstable) 800 metres	Woodside Report - we were flying at Woodside today after 1 pm. No students to train today, so that allowed me a Zeno flight, after watching Derek & Martin N launch and search for lift to no avail. Norm flew Bev's Buzz Z5 down and she drove as the cycles were lame. I waited while on the phone tracking a lost shipment, and eventually the cycles got really nice. I launched into what I thought were soarable cycles but here was more sink than lift. On the way out to the Ranch I was only getting 20 kph on the GPS, so it should have been soarable on the slope, but the only lift was over Duncan's new construction project. Nice landing near the firepit in SW winds. At 5 pm I went back up to take Barry tandem and it was nicely soarable then as we tree hugged our way up the South Knoll. We flew for over an hour in sweet lift. We got above launch and made a few top-landing approaches, but it got rough and turbulent as we got within 2-3 metres of launch, so I bailed and came back about 5 times before heading out into really strong South winds, up to and just past the ridge.
9-28-16	Pemberton Road Trip	Agassiz BC Sunny. Fog patches dissipating this morning. High 20. UV index 4 or moderate.	250° @ 5	-3.0°C (unstable) 1200 metres	Pemberton Report - Norm & I tried flying in Pemberton today arriving there around noon. We saw Guy's students in the air doing smooth sleddies. Another group was struggling to get off Miller Ridge, light to tailwind on launch. We went up in the 1 pm shuttle to try out the newly graded road to Upper Launch, not bad now but it looks too narrow for logging trucks yet. Guy launched his students again in light inflow winds. They had sled rides to his private field. It was inverted and hazy, as CanadaRASP predicted, but launchable so we were not driving down! Scott F launched and found a bubble down low and hung in there for 2 hours (ala Martin N). Oni launched and did much of the same bobbling around in the only good thermal. Norm launched and tried to head west to no luck. Now he was out in the bubble with Scott & Oni. "Not a very big thermal", I thought as I launched the Zeno and flew to that same thermal and further to the east I found a better climb all to myself (until Peter C flew at me!). We were turning and turning and gaining and losing for 25 minutes when I tried a glide out to some dark fields, thinking that might work. Nice glide on this Zeno! I flew to the other ridge and back when I found nothing and barely lost a 100 metres. I went back to the east rocks and turned some more and then headed out to the Community Field for a nice west wind landing. Soccer practice was starting up soon, so timing was good and Norm and I wanted to drive back thru Duffy Lake to avoid the rush hour in Vancity. We got back to the Sasquatch at 8 pm, and logged 8 hours of driving for 30 minutes of soaring. Meanwhile back at Woodside, Martin N flew for 2 hours and top-landed to drive Degas' truck down but we had a nice time in Pemby away from the normality of the Ranch.
9-27-16	Woodside looks like outflow til noon	Agassiz BC Partly cloudy. High 21C. Winds light and variable.	250° @ 5	-3.0°C (unstable) 900 metres	Woodside Report - we started flying at noon after hours of kiting at Eagle Ranch & Heritage Park and it was very nice for students. New students Jamie & Tanya spent 3 hours in Mission with Degas, while the other students flew Woodside. They logged 6 flights with good launches and landings there. Phil & Pete were test flying the SupAir Leaf and Ozone Rush 4 and Pete decided on the Rush 4 for his personal ship. Martin N was out showing the boys where the thermals were and managed 2 hours of thermalling around. On the last flight, Jamie & Tanya got their first high solos in with perfect conditions on launch and in the Eagle Ranch LZ. Someone flew off Dundas Peak in Hamilton, ON and sparked an outcry. Looked like they had a nice flight and I don't see where they broke any Transport Canada laws? Article here from the Hamilton Spectator.
9-26-16	Woodside looks like outflow til 5 pm	Agassiz BC Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. High around 25C. Winds light and variable.	050° @ 5	-3.0°C (unstable) 800 metres	Woodside Report - we were closed Monday for lessons but Degas, Martin N & Dylan flew after 3 pm and had extended sled rides.
9-25-16	Woodside looks good as soon as cloudbase lifts	Agassiz BC Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 21C. Winds light and variable.	250° @ 5	-3.0°C (unstable) 800 metres	Woodside Report - a fun and productive day with five students and two tandems! Eugene is on his second day of training and already showed us how to thermal without a vario or any guiding at all from me, it could be the nice SupAir EONA he was flying or his skill or both. Peter & Phil are on the last of six days of training and they have now logged 30+ flights and written the P-2 exam and are signed off. I pity the students at some other schools that are on their second season of flying and are not signed off yet. David also wrote his P-2 exam and passed it and is now ready to fly legally! Colleen & I took a couple tandem and we both got to soar and thermal above launch for 30 minutes. Martin N came over from Bridal where he had a quick sleddie, but made up for it with two hours of soaring at Woodside. We are closed Monday for lessons but back on Tuesday.
9-24-16	Woodside looks good as soon as cloudbase lifts	Agassiz BC Sun and clouds mixed. High 18C. Winds light and variable.	250° @ 12	-3.0°C (unstable) 1200 metres	Woodside Report - we met at the Ranch at 9 am, flying Woodside at 10 am once all the gear was sorted out. We arrived to clear skies but by the time we were set up and ready bands of clouds came over launch and threatened to shut us down for a bit. Tasks today included "big ears", "speed bar", "rear riser turns" and a combination of all of the task during the five flights today. On the second run up the mountain we found a discarded couch at the bottom of the mountain and brought it up to launch for folks to wait their turn to fly. We had one out-landing in the Harrison Highlands when David refused to give up on his thermalling . . . even when getting too low. Conditions were good for Andrew, Norm and Colleen to soar for as long as they wanted yet good enough to keep new students flying. We were finished and doing the log books and briefings by 6 pm and everyone learned a lot today. Phil and Pete are almost finished their P-2 Course and it is only Day 5 for them!
9-23-16	Woodside looks wet all day so we are heading inland	Agassiz BC Merritt: Mainly cloudy with 70 percent chance of showers. High 18. UV index 3 or moderate.	250° @ 8	-3.0°C (unstable) 1200 metres	Coyote Report - we met at the Ranch at 8 am, and headed inland to Merritt arriving in the tailend of a rain storm, so lunch at Boston Pizza waiting for the rain to clear. No luck as it was still coming down hard at noon, but the Interior Radar showed clear skies in Ashcroft to the north, and the forecast was amended to include East wind at 20 kph. We arrived to find east winds at 1 pm and headed up Coyote Hill. The first flights were sleddies, but by the third flight David was staying aloft soaring in close to the ridge. Soon everyone that listened to the guidance were staying up too! By the end of the day around 6 pm, we had Pete with 6 flights. Phil managed 7 flights and his first top-landing. And David got 10 flights as he top-landed many times. John had a fun hike & fly up to Yak Peak a few weeks ago, brilliant film-making here by Simon!
9-22-16	Woodside looks dry and good all day	Agassiz BC Plentiful sunshine. High 22C. Winds SW at 15 to 30 km/h.	250° @ 15 after 3 pm	-3.0°C (unstable) 1200 metres	Woodside Report - we planned to be flying Woodside all day. Martin had his 25th and 26th flights to graduate today. We had two flights with excellent conditions and 5 students all flew, but a house fire erupted at the bottom of the hill and the road was closed due to fears a propane tank might explode. Degas took the students to Mission for the balance of the afternoon.
9-21-16	Woodside looks dry but outflow so we are heading to Merritt	Agassiz BC Sunshine and clouds mixed. High around 20C. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 km/h.	350° @ 5	-3.0°C (unstable) 2200 metres	Merritt Report - we are meeting at the Ranch at 9 am, planning a road trip to Merritt. We arrived at Merritt at noon for a snack to find light NE winds and on top of Sugarloaf Mountain it was coming in straight so Phil & Peter got their first high flights under gorgeous CUs. We got 2 flights in off Sugarloaf with 2 different LZs. We then tried the NE facing launch near the water tank and some more experienced pilots flew off there in no wind, a first for us at this site.
9-20-16	Woodside looks dry but outflow winds may foil our flying plans	Agassiz BC Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 20C. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 km/h.	350° @ 5	-3.0°C (unstable) 2200 metres	Woodside Report - we met at the Ranch at 9 am, planning maybe a road trip to Mission or Merritt but the conditions were favourable to stay at Woodside despite some outflow and we flew 4 flights. Martin got his 24th flight but we were denied his 25th and graduating flight due to outflow.
9-19-16	Woodside looks wet and windy	Agassiz BC Showers this morning becoming less numerous during the afternoon hours. High 17C. Winds SW at 10 to 15 km/h. Chance of rain 70%.	240° @ 15	-3.0°C (unstable) 700 metres	Woodside Rain Report - we were suspending operations today, good thing too as we had heavy rain and thunderstorms dumping hail.
9-18-16	Woodside looks possible	Agassiz BC Mostly cloudy skies with a few showers this afternoon. High 18C. Winds SW at 10 to 15 km/h. Chance of rain 40%.	240° @ 15	-3.0°C (unstable) 1000 metres	Woodside Report - we were flying at 8 am and Martin had a great soaring flight before the winds picked up. Then it was off to Mission for some training hill practice flights, where Martin did a great job with his reverse launching. We went up twice in the afternoon with experienced pilots and drove down as the gust differential was too great. Great Lapse Rate today!
9-17-16	Woodside looks wet so maybe Cache Creek will work	Agassiz BC Cache Creek: Overcast with rain showers at times. High 19C. Winds S at 10 to 15 km/h. Chance of rain 50%.	250° @ 12	-3.0°C (unstable) 1800 metres	Woodside Report - we assessed the road trip options at 8 am and heading inland won't work due to winds and thunderstorms so I stayed home and did chores and book-keeping.
9-16-16	Woodside looks like nice conditions by noon	Agassiz BC Abundant sunshine. High 24C. Winds light and variable.	250° @ 12	-3.0°C (unstable) 800 metres	Woodside Report - we tried flying at 10 am but the conditions made us wait a bit. Dawson, Billy, Martin & Fish all flew 2 flights before it got too windy and then lots of kiting while I did errands. We went back up at 6 pm when it looked calmer but after Billy got dragged a bit we packed up and headed down.
9-15-16	Woodside looks like nice conditions by noon	Agassiz BC Abundant sunshine. High 24C. Winds light and variable.	250° @ 12	-3.0°C (unstable) 800 metres	Woodside Report - we started flying at 10 am. Good launch conditions all day. Martin got 5 flights in today, and Fish joined us for the last flight and it got windy at 5 pm, but they did well climbing and penetrating to the Ranch. Saint-André-les-Alpes from Brett Hazlett on Vimeo.
9-14-16	Woodside looks like nice conditions by noon	Agassiz BC Plentiful sunshine. High 24C. Winds light and variable.	250° @ 10	-3.0°C (unstable) 1000 metres	Woodside Report - we only had Martin G here for lessons, and Denis worked with him in the LZ until it was flyable around noon. We only got two rounds in as it blew out around 3 pm, but Martin is progressing well. Denis did one tandem at 1 pm and we had high hopes of a Harvest Run for him and Martin, but Denis hit nothing but sink and landed in Riverside while Martin got to the Eagle Ranch LZ.
9-13-16	Woodside looks like nice conditions by noon	Agassiz BC Abundant sunshine. High 26C. NE winds shifting to W at 15 to 25 km/h.	250° @ 10	-3.0°C (unstable) 1000 metres	Woodside Report - we thought we would be flying by noon, but the outflow was a bit spooky with nice cycles up the front for 5+ minutes and then a huge reverse gust from the back . . . so we waited and were rewarded with nice smooth flights. We had three tandems at noon that got pushed back to 2 pm, and the flights were very nice with Jenette & I getting above launch! The remaining four tandems also had to wait for Denis & Andrei to take them but they were all nice quality rides with Denis getting high on the last flgiht with a 240 lb dude! Students got three nice flights in today on their way to P-2 certification.
9-12-16	Woodside looks like outflow and strong for a few days	Agassiz BC Sunny by the afternoon. High 22C. Winds NE 20 kph.	040° @ 10	-3.0°C (unstable) 2000 metres	Woodside Report - we were closed for flights Monday due to outflow winds, but did run a ground school session for new student Martin. I was a bit late as the Van needed a new battery, and some work on the ABS system but we are good to go up Woodside now. Reports from Pemberton, with folks getting nice flights off Miller Ridge in the AM and 2 hour flights in the PM despite North wind forecasts.
9-11-16	Woodside looks like outflow and strong for a few days	Agassiz BC Rain showers early, then sunny by the afternoon. High 22C. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.	040° @ 10	-3.0°C (unstable) 2000 metres	Woodside Report - we were closed for classes Sunday due to outflow winds. Derek and the gang flew Bridal with mixed results, with Mike M getting to over 2000 metres over Cheam.
9-10-16	Woodside looks good for today for new students at 10 am	Agassiz BC Mostly cloudy skies with a few showers this afternoon. High 21C. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 km/h. Chance of rain 30%.	240° @ 10 after 12 noon	-3.0°C (unstable) 1000 metres	Woodside Report - we were open for classes at 10 am, but didn't go up to fly Woodside til 11 am. We only had three students and they are doing well so the rounds were fast, taking about an hour each and we got three flights in and during the last round Colleem & I flew a nice couple tandem and we found some nice lift and nicce landing conditions for Colleen but it was switchy whne I came in with Natasha as the thermics got stronger. I got a ride up with Bev to retrieve the Van and sent the students to lunch at 3 pm and many pilots were standing down, and Denis was commenting about the strong gusts. Guy H was in the air on my Zeno and parked at times but he had a nice 2 hour ride out to the Ranch. I took the students out to kite later and it never camed down even after it got dark.
9-9-16	Woodside looks good for today for new students after noon	Agassiz BC Sunny to partly cloudy. High 23C. Winds light and variable.	240° @ 10 after 12 noon	-3.0°C (unstable) 1000 metres	Woodside Report - we were open for classes at 10 am, and we did not fly Woodside til 11 am but we still got five student rounds in by 6 pm. Jason is now up to 10 flights in 3 days, Fish came a bit late and got 3 flights to round him out to 13 flights in total and they are both progressing very well with excellent forward & reverse launch skills. St. Andre PWC Report - three tasks in now, with reports of +10 m/s thermals. Felix Rodriguez is in second place overall on an EnZo2 and Luc Armant is in third place on the new Zeno. Results after three tasks. Results from Task 3.
9-8-16	Woodside looks good for today for new students once the clouds clear	Agassiz BC Cloudy. 60 percent chance of showers early this morning. Clearing this afternoon. High 19.	240° @ 10 after 12 noon	-3.0°C (unstable) 1200 metres	Woodside Report - we were open for classes at 9 am, but had to head to Mission for reverse launch practice as the mountain was clouded in. Koah & Jason had a nice session with Koa getting his new Sky Atis 2 into the air many times. We headed back after noon as we could see Woodside Launch on the webcam. On the way back near Deroche it was pounding down rain and hail. Hmmm? Plan B? By the time we got to the Ranch it was just light drizzle and we did some ground school sessions indoors before heading up the mountain. The rain has made the road a mess and they are still hauling so use 151.4300 MHZ to call out the kms as you use the road. Once on launch we had great strong cycles for the boys to use their new reverse launch skills and they both got a nice lifty flight out to the Ranch. Back up for flight #2 and it was getting sunnier, and this flight was even liftier but not so smooth near launch and also lifty in the LZ. Jason was overwhelmed and headed home early, too much airtime, but Khoa stayed for one last flight at 6 pm and it was smooth and perfect to end the day. No task at St. Andre today, too windy I guess? Saint Andre´ Ozone Zeno by Luc ARMANT from Philippe Broers on Vimeo.
9-7-16	Woodside looks windy for new students so we are heading to Merritt	Agassiz BC Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High around 20C. Winds light and variable.	240° @ 20 after 12 noon	-3.0°C (unstable) 1100 metres	Merritt Report - we were open for classes at 8 am, and made the call to head to Merritt at that time. We drove through hard rain most of the way to Merritt but it went to blue skies as we arrived and headed up Sugarloaf Mountain. We were kiting on the top after I showed the boys how to reverse launch with As & Cs. Jason caught on right away and was doing well. Rusty called from the bottom so I went to get him as I had his new Buzz z5 in the Van, and I left the boys kiting on top. Icould see them from the bottom as they were kiting, but when I got to the top I could not see Jason? He got dragged over the little hill we were kiting on and was down in a hollow packing up his gear. By now it got too strong to fly or kite safely, so we went to the Central Park in Merritt to kite and I got to take the Zeno out for a kiting session. As we were kiting I could see some rain to the south on its way here so I told the guys to pack up and while doing the packing a big gust front came through but we aere all safely packed up, and in a few minutes it was heavy rain. By the time we got back to Woodside we could see we made the right choice as Woodside was still gusty and turbulent with the trees swaying on the ground and at launch. Good productive kiting day all around with just $60 in gas as an expense. St. Andre PWC Report - two tasks in now and the air has been rough and windy, with reports of +10 m/s thermals and several gliders falling out of the sky but no reserves yet. But these pilots are the world's best! Noteable result on Task 2 as Luc Armant took second place on his stock Zeno, just behind Yassen Savov on an EnZo2. This is a testament to how good the Zeno performs despite Luc's skills. Results after two tasks. Results from Task 2. Dude on blue Enzo falling from the sky before the start of task 2 @ World Cup St. André from Yassen Savov on Vimeo.
9-6-16	Woodside looks good for today for new students	Agassiz BC Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High around 20C. Winds light and variable.	240° @ 10 after 12 noon	-3.0°C (unstable) 1100 metres	Woodside Report - we were in Mission til noon, on the Heritage Park Hill with newbies Jason & Khoa and they did very well. Eight runs down the hill doing forward launches prepared them well for Woodside later in the day. On the first flights at Woodside the new pilots did well with good launches and good approaches and landings. On the second round, Norm and Martin flew too and the air was "funky" down low with some +6 m/s lift followed by -6 m/s sink but the EONAs proved a stable platform for the students as they flew straight out to nice lift over the Construction Zone (soon to be renamed the "Highlands" as the lots are soon filled up with houses and no more construction). I was invited by Bev to fly but I knew it looked too good and I would have to fly straight out and bring the students back up so we drove down to facilitate the student flights. Norm & Martin flew out east towards Harvest as the cloudsuck was too much for them around launch. Derek picked them up as he was heading over to Woodside. I sent the students home around 530 pm, as I had to head in to Vancouver to pick up some gear but the last flight of the day for Derek, Bev, Norm and Gary P proved to be very lifty and nice as Woodside got quite soarable as the winds picked up.
9-5-16	Woodside looks good for today for new students	Agassiz BC More clouds than sun. High 18C. Winds light and variable.	240° @ 12 after 12 noon	-3.0°C (unstable) 1000 metres	Woodside Report - we were open for classes at 9 am, but we could not launch til around 2 pm as cloudbase was obscuring launch. But after 2 pm it was perfect for students, tandems and experts all day long. Derek took the first tandem to cloudbase and I followed with a second tandem with some soaring but not as high as Derek. Carl K was here for his final two student flights and did well. I took a third tandem with Rob who wants to take lessons soon. Then around 5 pm we all went up for a glassoff flight, and Derek snagged a german tourist off launch and took her tandem. Colleen, Norm and Derek all launched before me and I followed on the Zeno. Colleen stayed in the air the longest and she found a nice layer of lift around 500 metres. I was soaring at cloudbase near the mountain and base was dropping as the air cooled, so I flew out and found a weird layered thermal over the Construction Zone and thermaled up above launch there where base was higher. I flew out over the river to the other side and was going up the entire trip, varied altitudes from 600 - 700 metres all over the valley. The Zeno is well trained to locate and stay in even the lightest lift, very efficient and lots of energy to flare with on landing.
9-4-16	Woodside looks good for the next week but we are not flying today	Agassiz BC Sunny to partly cloudy. High 21C. Winds light and variable.	240° @ 10 after 2 pm	-3.0°C (unstable) 1000 metres	Woodside Report - we were closed and cleaning up after the wedding but I saw many pilotss flying and getting high under a big CU. I noticed the winds picked up around 2 pm in our LZ and no PGers in the air at that time. Bev reported flights to Harvest and Best fields rather than having to hike Riverside! I got my new Delight 2 M harness setup and ready for a 6 pm flight but it started drizzling so I kept cleaning.
9-2-16	Woodside looks wet for the next 2 days	Agassiz BC Cloudy with 70 percent chance of showers. High 16.	240° @ 10	-3.0°C (unstable) 900 metres	Woodside Report - we were closed til Monday September 5th for Aaron's wedding party and the weather turned out very well for the event. We were wrapping up the service and taking pictures while a HGer was thermalling out over Woodside.
9-2-16	Woodside looks wet for the next 2 days	Agassiz BC Cloudy this morning. A few showers developing during the afternoon. Thunder possible. High 18C. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.	240° @ 10	-3.0°C (unstable) 900 metres	Woodside Report - it drizzled most of the day and we are closed til Monday September 5th for a private party. A reminder that Eagle Ranch will be closed on September 3-4 for a special event, Aaron & Christie's wedding, please land at Riverside during that period as the parking ot is reserved for wedding guests.
9-1-16	Woodside looks wet for the next 3 days	Agassiz BC Mostly cloudy skies with a few showers later in the day. High near 20C. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.	240° @ 10	-3.0°C (unstable) 1500 metres	Woodside Report - we were setting up stuff for the wedding when Derek called with a plan to fly Woodside. Martin N, Norm, Bev and I headed up to find lightish conditions but soarable. I prefer stronger stuff to launch the Zeno, but I got off after a few tries and was soaring with the boys as Bev drove for us. We got to 900 metres at the North Cliffs and it was quite smooth even when Martin was trying to wake me. I tried speed bar on the way out and had a blow out as the Kortel harness I was flying had a goofy speedbar setup with too much tension on the left. Ozone Zeno flies straight with a stuck 50% collapse and doesn't lose any height! I tried again and it blew out exactly the same way, so I am setting up a new SupAir Delight 2 for myself, with an Xtralite reserve so I am lighter loaded . . . and with a correct speed system. We flew for an hour and it got cold, time for warmer gloves or mitts.