Monday, September 09, 2013

Perfect Thermals

I realize most pilots are weekend warriors, but we definitely need more weekday non-jobber slackers, flex-timers and retirees in our group. There was never a more perfect weekday to fly than today, with the fattest and most well formed thermals, and the highest cloud base, over 3,000 feet at times. There was no excuse for a cross country pilot to log less than 20 miles today. Except for my excuse … which is that I was by myself! (Or, still waiting for that ball to drop!) Come on guys - don't leave your president hanging like that.

Woody thermaled to cloud base with me at Kahana, out-thermaling me of course, but he didn't join me at Kualoa, where I benched up and looked longingly at the Pyramid and the main range. It looked amazing. I expected a full complement of the Usuals to come floating down from Makapuu. But no one appeared or even answered on the radio. I flew back and then flew to Punaluu where the thermals were feeding some intense dark bottomed clouds, which were still quite high. I should have dashed to the golf course but I had limited time so I joined Woody back at Kahana.

Two lonely pilots skied out with nowhere to go in the most perfect thermals I can remember all year. That just seems wrong! I look forward to more company soon!

3 comments:

Cruser Putnam said...

Same here...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200620728630629&set=vb.1532250600&type=2&theater

Thom said...

Not sure who Cruser Putnam above is. Hopefully we do not have to put a lock down on the 'comment' sections like we had to on the chat box.

Alex, thanks for the salt in the wound story. I had to work and did not get back home till after 7:30pm I think even One-Eye would call that a full day.

3K ouch!~!!!! and no freaking mileage. I think we will have to pass a decree on a day like this if you don't get atleast 30 miles.....NO BEER-FOR YOU!!

It will either make for sober skinnier pilots or that left nut will drop.

JK and I will be knocking at KNA around 1ish today,

It Will be Time To Fly, Get Your Big Boy Pants on and GO!!!

Alex said...

Thom, Cruser is a hang glider pilot on Maui. Those guys fly in some insane shear conditions over there!

Yeah, this was a great day to try and go far, but there were two factors keeping me from making the jump: I was worried it might be pretty strong uprange (sensor readings were stronger from Kaneohe to Bellows) and I knew I had to get back to the car in time to pick Logan up from school, so could not risk a long retrieve.