Just Another Day at Green Walls

A week or so ago, after my first jaunt down to the beginning of Green Walls, everyone said, "That was just way too easy - it is usually so much harder". I thought, how lucky am I to have my first XC at Makapuu be so easy. Well, guess what??? It was easy again today!!

We were all launching at Crazies. When I got there, Jorge the pod man had just taken off and was soon out of sight, followed by myself, then Joey, visitor Harvey, Maui Doug, and then later, Fireman Dave, Nick, and Matt. Oh ya, Jared, too. Reaper helped everyone launch. He was grounded, since he only had his tandem wing with him and no victims.

We all flew around the lighthouse for a bit, and then I noticed that Harvey was venturing off towards Waimanalo. He is a visitor, so thought I had better go watch him. When I got past the Hangy Launch I noticed it was smooth and very lifty … hmmmm, around the corner, ok.

I left the front playground and started heading for the back. I caught a glimpse of Jorge flying in the clouds above Olomana. That crossing is not for me, YET. I was getting just the most puffy easy lift ever, better than last time even. At 2,900, soaring Green walls, I was so comfortable that I made a call to my wife and told her to look up at Olomana and beyond. Of course the first thing she saw was Jorge. Figures. No, honey that's not me - I am further back at the Wall.

I was alone at the end of Green Walls, looking at the next jump across, thinking of the Pali. Then I noticed I had a wing man below. Orange glider, no helmet, no radio, leg in a cast, guess who? Well, he kept going, and I wanted to follow him, but better judgment prevailed: my GPS battery died, and I was getting cold, so I headed back.

I guess I started something, cause when I turned, there was Maui Doug and Joey coming across the walls. The sweetness of the flight being radioed to launch got Reaper all fired up, and when Ginny showed up, he strapped her on and they also went for a jaunt downrange along with Nick and Fireman.

Reaper got put on a short leash when Bonnie showed up wanting to get in the air too, so he turned around, and Nick followed. We all landed with big grins on our faces. Maui Doug made the mistake of saying "That was my FIRST time to Green Walls" - ooops, beer, Doug. Reaper took Bonnie up to get her fix.

Dave was still at the Walls and perplexed, since he had to be home by 7:00 pm, but it looked so good to go for a longer XC. He tried, but it got light, and he was low, so he bombed out in a Waimanalo field. Jared went on to land at Windward Community College. Jorge went from Green Walls, to Olomana, to Lanikai, back to Olomana, then to the H-3 and back to the LZ. I wish I had his frequent flier miles.

At O dark thirty we all had a frosty, then went on home. Just another rough day. Hehehe.