Northwest Foot-launched Flight Log

Latest 20 Flights Of 1722 Logged

Tiger, 14:00 on Sun, 25-Jul-10, Scott R. Wind WNW at 5-10, sky Blue Duration: 1:30 Max Alt: 3275

Daniel Uchytil and I were the only HG's. Pretty squirley, small, punchy thermals, and lots of PG's made this a particularly challenging day. Briefly got over the towers.

Rampart, 12:30 on Thu, 22-Jul-10, Martin Slatta Wind NW at 20 +, sky Patchy Qs Duration: Hour 1/2 Max Alt: 5600 ft.

Low cloud base 5200, but lift every where .LZ at boat launch is very small. Landed up by gold creek, west of I-90 new construction zone.I first flew over to the boat launch to land but got a royal as* kicking,so I flew over to the I-90 side of the lake where I had a wind flag set up from last year.I decided not to land there because of the shoulder on I-90 is closed due to road work. I landed north of there by gold creek at new road work area.The work crew was great,After I broke down and lot's of pictures they gave me and gear a ride out to the over pass.

Blanchard, 14:30 on Sat, 17-Jul-10, Dave Duperon Wind W at 0-10, sky Blue Duration: 5 min Max Alt: Launch

Yet another flydown. Dave's maiden flight on his new Freedom! Congrats!

Blanchard, 18:41 on Sun, 11-Jul-10, Dave Duperon Wind W/SW/NW at 0-10, sky Blue Duration: 4 min Max Alt: Launch

Just a sunny sledder. Great to fly with Joel on hist first day back. Congratulations, Joel!

Chelan Butte, 15:30 on Mon, 05-Jul-10, Dave Duperon Wind N/S/E/W at -10 to +10, sky Cu Duration: 20 min Max Alt: 100 over

Very good day, thermals every which way, light prevailing from north. Finally got around to launching after all participants off the hill. Made the wrong choice; left lift in front of lakeside launch for theoretical "better" lift on S side. S. side turned out to be no fun; punchy, small, leeside with sink. Made it to soccer fields with plenty of room to set up good approach. Could have gotten back up off east end but was not interested by that time. Good launch and landing is a good flight, these days. Soccer fields are very pleasant. Lots of folks beamed up on S and W sides to CB. See the photo!

Penthouse, 14:00 on Fri, 18-Jun-10, Jimmy C Wind variable at cyclical, sky Some Q's Duration: 1:10 Max Alt: 6600'

Was thinking about heading up the Cultus ,when I called Tony Hillis and we talked ourselves into Flying here. When we got there wind was very lite over the back form the NW but the south cycles were strong enough to negate the prevailing. Oooo leaside thermals. Tony punched off into a fairly strong cycle and was over launch pretty much immediately. I had to wait quite a while before I could get off the hill, and didn't get more than about 20' over before heading out to the SE ridges where Tony and I workled like hell to gain 200 feet. I would have been satisfied with thermalling down low like that but I saw a small ripper coming up through the trees and flew to it and stuck my left wing in it and pushed out like Superman for what seemed like a hundred turns till I got up high enough to flatten out and turn the other way to unwind. Whoa, them were some tight turns makin me all dizzy and shit. The efforts eventually took me to cloudbase at 6100 where I let the cloud have it's way with me and suck me up to 6600'. From there it was time to head to Higgins cause ya just don't get that chance very often. While over there I spotted a black bear on the south slope just a munchin on something. I toured the entire ridge stopping to thermal up now and then to stay over the top wishing I had a camera. Valley flow was rather lite but squirley as usual but the landing was just about perfect and ended in severe grins!

Chelan.., 12:00 on Sat, 19-Jun-10, Et.. Wind Var.. at Var.., sky Pt Sunny.. Duration: 1hr 45min Max Alt: 7000..

Easy climb-out in glass smooth up.. Flew the clouds over the Butte for a bit while a heavy overcast moved in from the south.. Crossed over town and got cBase at Deer.. Moved north to a big climb at Arbuckle where I almost got hit by an out of control swallow chasing bugs at 7K; he looked out of place at that altitude.. Toured the lava plateau near Alta lake and elected to land just south of Pateros.. Later in the afternoon the sun was out again and the sky was lit up with big development in every direction..

Penthouse, 8:04 on Sat, 12-Jun-10, Jimmy C Wind south-west at 10+, sky some Q's Duration: 35 min Max Alt: 4775'

Daily and I punched off after 2:15 into easy up launch conditons. I was able to hang above launch with my 225 but wishing I had the Fusion. Cut my flight short so I could make it to work. Other pilots later and all soared. This is the earliest we've ever gotten up through the snow.

Chelan.., 12:30 on Sat, 12-Jun-10, Et.. Wind Var.. at 0-5-7-0.., sky Q.. Then Clear.. Duration: 3hr 30min.. Max Alt: 8900..

Smooth Butte climb to 82.. Crossed to Lamoine and had to go all the way to the blacktop before I got up from 4K.. Cloud hopped well south of the main road to the Mansfield area while the clouds disappeared all over the flats.. Kept going to the Pot Hills.. Turned around and flew back without much trouble until the intersection.. Dove to the powerlines south of Jensens and almost decked it.. Found just enough to barely get into McNiel by 50ft.. Picked my way along the rim; made the soccer field no prob..

Dog, 14:00 on Mon, 07-Jun-10, Jim S. plus others Wind W at 5-10, sky Partly Sunny, sprinkles Duration: ~2:00 Max Alt: 4200

Typical DOG day: very soar-able, ideal launch conditions, scads of eagles, adolescent and mature, with other wildlife.

Cultus, 14:19 on Sat, 05-Jun-10, Scott R. Wind NW at 5-10, sky Blue Q Duration: 1:30 Max Alt: 4573

Met up with Dave L, Chris C and Christine in Clear Lake. Beautiful 2WD, approx. 30 minute turnaround. Waited for NW cross to subside, and launched into a West facing upslope trickle. Immediately found a weak thermal in front of launch. Calculated glide slope to the LZ is 5.8 to 1, so if you don't get up, head out. Huge thanks to Chris for the site orientation, and for deciding to drive my rig down. This site is in it's fragile beginnings, so please go with a local before flying.

Chelan Butte.., 13:00 on Sat, 05-Jun-10, et.. Wind SSE.. at 5-7.., sky Pt Cldy.. Q..q..q.. Duration: 3hr 30min.. Max Alt: 8400..

Sunk out right away on the Butte.. Clawed back up and crossed with 8.. Sunk into McNeil.. Clawed up again and went inland with 72.. Not too bad from there to the rodeo grounds.. Then things went bad again; Groveled to the deck near the pot hills.. With less than a thousand over the ground, dove away from the road on a hunch.. Got up BIG from 32 to 82 right away.. After that low save, decided to turn back to Chelan; Drove most of the way without much stress.. Cleared the point with just a couple hundred and got pounded into the gorge in BIG sink.. Crapy DW landing in the soccer field.. Love/hate relationship with Chelan..

Blanchard Hill.., 16:50 on Fri, 04-Jun-10, et.. Wind SW.. at 10-15.., sky Pt Cldy.. Duration: 1hr 10min.. Max Alt: ?_4000..

Litespeed Carbon Outer LE Mod Test Flight; No instruments (dead battery).. Unexpected great after work flight.. Fresh post frontal breeze.. Decent ridge and thermal.. Good climbs; well above the Lilly Lizzard plateau.. Friendly local thermal guides.. Landed early for the IPA..

Tiger, 16:00 on Sat, 08-May-10, Gary Wind N at 10-15, sky clear Duration: 1 Hour, 30 min Max Alt: 4200

Marty and I carpooled to launch finding Tom in the air about 2PM. Brian and Paul where set up and waiting for Tom to do better. The cycles had a NE component that were sending para's to the LZ. Brian, Paul and Vince had short flights, apparently disrupted by the NE flow. Marty and I waited. But Marty had the same demise with the NE. I waited until 4ish and found big lift and big sink with a yoyo flight low over the king dome to 4,200 + above the towers, mutiple times. I think Tom went XC south?

Jordan Ridge.., 14:00 on Sat, 08-May-10, ET.. Wind NW.. at 5-10.., sky Pt Cldy / Q_Street.. Duration: ~2+hr.. Max Alt: 6,500..

Cloud Street flying.. Unable to jump the gap west of Granite Falls.. Landed at Lochsloy..

Frailey Mt.., 14:00 on Sat, 08-May-10, Airwreck.. Wind NW.. at 5-10.., sky Pt Cldy / Q.. Duration: ~2+hr Max Alt: 6,500..

BIG thermal on Stimpson Hill just west of Frailey..

Cultus Mt.., 14:50 on Fri, 07-May-10, Eric T.. Wind NNw.. at 10.., sky Pt Cldy w/ Cu Nimb.. Duration: 1hr45min.. Max Alt: 6,500..

JC, CK, DF, RE, BJ.. N wind-broken initial climb.. cBase just over 5K.. Found big climb above cBase out over the Skagit near Iron Mt.. Nervous eye on big localized over-development and associated rain.. The sky closed-out on both sides.. Exited easily to the flat west of C Lake..

Blanchard Hill.., 17:40 on Tue, 04-May-10, e..tHRasHer..t Wind W.. at 10-15.., sky Mst Sunny.. Duration: 1hr 15min.. Max Alt: 2200..

Aeros TARGET 16: Had a short flight at around 2.. Went back up and jumped at 5:40.. Ridge with some thermal to 22.. Crept over to Chuckanut.. 1750 was not enough to stay comfortable; Back to Blanchard Hill and flew until the last ride to the top landed..

Blanchard, 15:30 on Sat, 01-May-10, Dave Duperon Wind WSW at 5-10, sky Sun/Cu/Clouds Duration: 5 min Max Alt: Launch

Yet another sledder...

Blanchard Hill.., 16:00 on Sat, 24-Apr-10, ET.. Wind W.. at 15.., sky Mostly Cldy.. Duration: 1 hr 45 min.. Max Alt: 3100'..

Got there at 2;dead calm.. Watched Brian and Darren thermal for a while.. Decided to set-up when the west wind started to settle on the water behind Guemes Island.. Launched and eventually did 3100 out on Chuckanut; Froze my fingers.. Yawn..