As the trade winds built back in yesterday, many pilots were treated to butter smooth lift and a beautiful cloud show: towering sunlit blossoms of convective energy, taller and better developed than the cumulus humilis clouds we see trapped under our typical low inversion on most trade wind days. Boomers like that demand our respect because of the potential for strong lift and gust fronts. During our fourteenth straight day of cross country conditions, many Kahana pilots respectfully stayed local, while a couple of us ventured carefully up and downrange, climbing up high between cloud bands to make transitions.
I surfed a dark cloud belly offshore past Mokolii and turned around just before the class D circle, before returning to follow McStalker to Punaluu and Hauula, for a sweet little 18 mile bowtie
tour. Many pilots opted to test their high wind landing skills at Punaluu. Thanks to Duck for the retrieve!
Roll call: McStalker, Harvey, Sandy, Johnimo, me, Gaza, Alison, Allegra, Sharky, Drew, Jonathan, George, Woody, Sean and Kai, Duck, Thom, and Bryce.
We heard Frank and Kauai Joe on the radio at Makapuu. I'm pretty sure Dave, Jorge, MDoug, Five-0, and Kauai Courtney flew there as well. Glad you are okay, Courtney!
1 comment:
Some of those boomers had the Hoover Effect stretching all the way down to below 700 ft. Many times I found myself heading out over the water for various reasons, and was surprised to find lift so low and far from the hill. A few times I was tempted from my original plans into half-hearted bay crossing attempts, but I always ended up with a blue patch that dropped me off at the "wall", and down down I went. Who knew such an E day could have such potential for a bay crossing? If only I had a few more hours to fly, I might have connected the dots ... maybe next time we get some more of those cumulus congestus I can try in earnest.
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