A Vast Playground

HDH. Dillingham. Kaena Point. Kuaokala Ridge. Whatever we want to call it, the northwestern tip of the island is a vast playground for airsports of every flavor. Nowhere on the island do we have a chance to mix it up with so many other aviators in such a variety of conditions. Over the last two days, an adventurous couple of crews made their way out there to seek their fortunes, and many of us were rewarded for our strenuous efforts with long high flights over that spectacular peninsula.

Annecy 2013: In Search of the Holy Grail

Aloha, all Hawaiian monkeys and friends! As usual, you are all more than welcome to join La Peste et Mad Dog on yet another amazing journey to the origins of paragliding in France. The pilgrimage will start in Annecy, France, and end wherever your cross country dreams take you on each and every day, even if that's just to the landing zone. We'll be there from August 17th thru the 31st, as most apartments check you in and out Saturday to Saturday. Mad Dog will be heading up the x/c adventures every flyable day, and La Peste would love to take any willing compadres on a hike, via ferrata, bike ride or maybe a relaxing beach day on Annecy's famed and gorgeous lake, basking in the sun which will whisk us pilots to the heavens while paragliding!!! If that sounds good, it's all actually better than that...

West Side Story: Alone and Unafraid

Nanakuli was "on". Jeff made the call and planted the seed. “Stalker: west side looks good. I'm running errands today, but it was clear blue skies when I left”. But the seed didn’t sprout for most. An expedition to Dillingham the day prior took the mickey out of most of those that could have flown. A day to recoup and rest was in order, but not for me. I spent the prior day on a 10-hour flight from NYC to HNL, so I was rested. And I was perfectly positioned. I had the first appointment of the day to get a chipped front tooth repaired from an out-of-hand paragliding party. I was at the Hickam dental clinic and that’s half the drive.

More Like Bob

We have all lost many friends throughout our lives, and as we continue our journeys without them, we do our best to honor their memories. In Bob's case we are lucky to have an annual event to bring him to the forefront of our thoughts, and to bring us all together with a single purpose. This weekend we celebrated his life with our fourth annual Bob Johnson celebration: over fifty pilots, family members and friends braved the damp weather to fly and camp and celebrate. Thanks to everyone who made it happen once again this year!

Signs of Summer

We only have two seasons, which are indistinguishable to most visitors, but as local soaring pilots we like to think we have a special appreciation for the differences. While winter offers a grab bag of pressure possibilities, summer is our stable and consistent bread and butter. Winter arrived late this year and has been very slow in wrapping things up, but a couple of recent classic flights at Kahana suggest that summer is just around the corner. Well, at least after this weekend's next cold front!

Endless Winter: Soaring the Perfect Wave

In the classic surf film, they chased summer around the world to make it last all year, in a quest for the perfect wave. In Hawaii this year we are blessed with an extended winter of great flying conditions. It was late to arrive but it is apparently not going to end. We don't have to chase the weather very far around this island to find a good soaring spot. Another twenty pilots soared above the surfers for a second consecutive Monday at Diamond Head, the landmark monument gracing our urban southern shoreline, well loved as the crown jewel of our wintertime collection of flying sites. We always say it, but this time it was true: the conditions on this day were the best we've ever seen at this site. Of course we're always ready to be proved wrong: here's to the next one!

JK Rallies Brad's Homecoming

JK: "Fx is for lite trades tomorrow and less precip. All eyes on the BLIP in the morning. Looks like XC possible. Who's planning to chase?"
Alex: "Love your enthusiasm JK! But are we reading the same forecast? Maybe you have some special aviation source of weather intel. If it's not classified, I hope you can share it with us!"

Second phase SIV/ACRO clinic

Brad Gunnuscio is back in Hawaii to host another SIV/acro clinic here on Oahu. Bad Brad, as he is known in the acro world, is one of the world's best SIV instructors and one of the top acro competitors in the world, and he's finally come back to Oahu this weekend for some fun with our club.

Diamond Heist

I can't bear the thought of three of our dearest pilots cooling their heels in jail right now. Scrappy, Fireman Dave, and Brent were arrested by HPD for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. At least that's how Thom described it in his cruel prank call to me after I left. Imagine what that was like for an anxious mother hen like me. But that fable doesn't diminish today's true tale: twenty pilots enjoyed another unseasonably perfect prefrontal day at the crown jewel of Oahu flying sites, the queen of wintertime conditions, Diamond Head. IN APRIL! I think we must have pilfered this day from next winter's storehouse. You know what they say: fly it like you stole it!

Thermal Wonderland

The east range looked perfect and clear this morning, tempting many pilots, including me, out to Makapuu in hopes of a downrange mission. But our hopes were dashed by offshore flow and a lowering cloud base. Then I wondered if it was the kind of sea breeze day that would be good on the west range out at Dillingham. Last week we were skunked on a day like this, but today I was feeling lucky, even if I had to scout it without my usual wingmen. I headed out there and drew on all the powers of my little half nut, braving the forbidding hike and the unforgiving launch all by myself, and I was rewarded with a long flight over a magical thermal wonderland!