FlyBC "Site of the Day Archives" - February /2007
"The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who ... looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space ...
on the infinite highway of the air. - Wilbur Wright
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Woodside Report - low clouds and snow all day.|
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Woodside Report - these days when a good day is forecast you have to grab it! Up to 15 PGers reported over Woodside Mountain today! Alan logged 3+ hours getting up to around 1300 meters. He managed to get in a layer that wasn't prone to sinking when the high cloud came over a few times, others weren't so lucky so Joe had a large revenue day! | Best Guess at who was out: Andy, Al, Derek, Martina, Ian J, Jeremy, Nikolai, Norm, and some other non-identified wings. New Glider From Ozone - Buzz Z - The Solid Intermediate Advanced profiling for efficient glide performance in active air ! Light and clean sail design for easy launching and in-flight agility. Balanced sail tension for stability in active air and moderated glider feedback. 6 sizes enable you to choose the section of the weight range you want to fly in, and ensures you have a wing that is tailored to your size! DHV 1-2 / EN B* Certification The Buzz Z is a solid mid-range DHV 1-2 glider with the perfect balance between performance, fun, and safety for pilots who fly less than 50 hours per year. Stability and comfort in active air is what sets the Buzz Z apart from the competition, and DHV 1-2 pilots can fly this glider with confidence in a wide variety of conditions. The direct handling and agile turn of the Buzz Z make it an ideal thermalling and XC glider for DHV 1-2 pilots who want to fly XC in real XC conditions, with comfort and confidence in their wing. * Expected Designer’s Notes >> Buzz Z The Concept: A Better Buzz We love the Buzz. It has been one of the more popular wings we have produced, and after more than two years it is still a favourite in the DHV 1-2 / CEN B category. The Buzz Z fits into the same category: the exact middle of the 1-2 range, with improved performance and a few subtle differences tailored to suit a wider range of pilots. New Features: 6 sizes! We have reduced the weight range of each wing in order to make it easier for you to find the right size. This has reduced the size difference between wings to just 1.7m2 instead of nearly 2.5m2. This is a major improvement that will be particularly appreciated by pilots who have been ‘between’ ideal weight ranges in the past. The cell openings have been reduced, and their positioning optimised. This is to increase glide performance, but is also an important factor in low speed flight- another result of this improvement is improved low speed flying characteristics, ideal for circumstances such as top-landing. New profile. While we wanted to maintain the stability and comfort of the Buzz profile, our testing in the past year has led to exciting new advances in profile development, and the new profile of the Buzz Z yields more glide performance and is more forgiving in deep brakes. The new profile has also improved the launching characteristics, and made the wing more spin resistant, with a more progressive feel to the brakes. The handling is more direct and the feeling is that the glider reacts to the pilots input, in exact amounts: In terms of brake input, you truly ‘get what you give’, when flying the Buzz Z. More cells. With 3 more across the span, the top sail is cleaner and the cell arrangement is more balanced, improving airflow at the wingtip. This has produced a straight forward aerodynamic improvement with no sacrifice in safety. One center cell instead of two. This has reduced the span between the center lines, improving the comfort in flight and moderating the glider’s feedback. Comfort = performance. New diagonals. The Buzz Z features partial diagonals, which improve many aspects of the wing without increasing weight, keeping the sail light and clean, which translates directly into better handling and pitch characteristics. New line arrangement, and internal structure. Thanks to the new diagonal design, we have reduced the line attachment points and the overall line amount by 47m. This is another ‘free’ performance increase, with no sacrifice in safety or Smoother Arc. A balanced and more constant arc has allowed for a slightly increased projected aspect ratio. Materials. The new Porcher Skytex 45 Evolution has reduced the canopy weight, leading to countless advantages over the heavier Gelvenor cloth. The lighter Buzz Z inflates better, has crisper / lighter handling, and better passive safety. The Skytex cloth has proven to have better long term mechanical characteristics compared to the Gelvenor as well, meaning that the Buzz Z will last for hundreds of hours when properly cared for. What Hasn’t Changed: Aspect Ratio and Planform. The flat AR of 5.1 has proven to provide an excellent balance of performance and handling. Sail Tension. Based on the same concept as the Buzz, the sail tension of the Buzz Z provides the great feeling of elasticity in the brakes, the long and progressive brake range, and its unmatched in-flight comfort in turbulent air.
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Woodside Report - low cloudbase and rain. | A great story about competitive paragliding!
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Woodside Desperados Report - Andy showed up early and headed up the mountain hiking, and met up with Al. They hung out on launch for 30 minutes or more waiting for the wind to quit blowing over the back. So much for 160 at 20 knots, it was more like 090 at 15 knots! Eventually Andy took off and was heading out to the River when he followed some seagulls that thermalled up and away, and he managed to get a nice soaring flight while Al landed at the Ranch. We picked Andy up at Joe's and drove up with Norm, Thomm, Al, Andy and myself. The cycles were lame to non-existent and it took all of us a few tries to get off, with little bits of lift but nothing to really climb in. The rain held off until 6:00 pm. | Elk Report - Daryl and Max were the only ones that flew. Strong winds from the south gusting to over 30 km/hr. Even Ivan hiked down!
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Woodside Report - snow earlier, then wind and rain all day long. Winter is lasting way too long! |
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Woodside Gloat Report - Andy and I met halfway up Woodside, he hiked and I drove the Tracker to mid-point, and then we both drove to the Launch. 10 cm of snow on the road earlier but we drove right in to launch. | Nice cycles to launch into, and the sky looked ominous with imbedded CUs, so we were cautious not wanting to be in the news like Ewe! I launched first at 2:00 pm and got some lift to the north, but started sinking. Over to the clearcut, a few bubbles but not enough to turn in. Over to the South Knoll, not even any lift in the gulleys . . . but it was all shady. When I turned to go back to the clearcuts, I was barely penetrating to the NW? I was eyeing the roads below for an LZ for awhile, but got out and headed to the highway. A few bumps over Hwy 7, but still going down. I ended up in Abe's backyard with the cow patties after 13 minutes. So much for cloudsuck, all I got was ground-suck! Andy's flight after me was better but not by much. He encountered the same NW wind aloft and was able to hang over the highway for more turns but he was in Abe's pretty soon too. We headed up to Joe's for a ride up for flight #2, but Joe was out. We knew Derek and Martina were going to go flying after 3:00 pm, so we waited at the Kettle. After a while, we heard Kevin on the radio calling from Chilliwack on his way here. We hitched a ride with Kevin to launch and the snow was starting to melt most of the way up the road. 
The view from Woodside Launch today - photo by JPR Andy launched first this time, getting "plucked off". My first attempt was pretty similar except when a gust picked me up, I went off the brakes to stay on the ground and the Boom Sport frontalled and "gift-wrapped' me. After a few minutes I was re-sorted and in the air. By now Andy was at 1000 meters by the cliffs. I soared the north face to gain altitude getting +1.2 m/s at times but no stronger so you had to be patient, but then a thermal kicked off as Kevin and I were ridge-soaring and I took it to 900 meters and then NE to the cliffs and the towers. As I hit 1100 meters over the towers, I noticed I had no forward speed (no GPS). So fly fast and try to go forward, good thing the liftband is smooth. Eventually we are all at cloudbase at various places on the hill at around 1200 meters. I lost Kevin for a time, behind a cloud I guess, but we all headed out toward the Ranch and beyond. 
Kevin behind Woodside Launch, cool clouds, the two hills on the right are Cemetary Hill and Hopyard Hill, with the town of Agassiz beyond - photo by JPR All the way out to the river, I was getting lift and I climbed to 1470 meters under a great cloudstreet that occasionally dropped sparkly snow crystals into the sunlight. After over 30 minutes of straight flight I was at the River at 1400 meters. What a view, and still super-smooth. I am sure we could have continued to land in Chilliwack. 
Chilliwack from 1400 meters - photo by JPR After 1:30 in the air, I was feeling pretty cold. It was forecast to be -11 celcius at 6000 feet and we were almost there, so -8 celcius was my guess at our altitude, plus the windchill factor at 39 km/hr. I wasn't shaking yet, but my feet were numb. What we heard for the entire second flight, recorded on my cell phone! As top-landings were out with the wind velocity, I suggested we fly over to Agassiz and talk Derek into driving us back up. I headed out first with Kevin and Andy close behind, over to Hopyard Hill near Peter's Runway and then into the Agassiz High School playing field was the plan. At times I felt we were to cross into the wind to make it but I came over town at 570 meters, so it took another 10 minutes to setup an approach. Derek saw us as he drove home from Harrison, as he didn't go flying. We all landed in the school and packed up by the time Derek came to get us (thanks Derek!). Back to launch as it was getting dusky, and it was howling strong so we wouldn't have had safe top-landings, this was the best course of action. Even if Derek wasn't there, a cab back to launch is only $25 bucks, a lot better than an accident or torn wing. Where was everyone else, I know it looked dicey, but it worked out for us for two flights!
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Nanaimo Report - a pretty day on the Island, lots of snow on the Vancouver North Shore. Gary: it looks like Bowen Island is still there. I took this shot for you as you are stuck in New Zealand! | 
View of Bowen Island from 700 feet ASL on the way to Nanaimo - photo by Nokia Woodside Report - I was sitting in Richmond watching a Bald Eagle climb out in about 10 turns in a blue hole between some clouds! I got in the car and headed east to Woodside. It was cloudy most of the day according to the WebCam but at 3:30 pm, everthing opened up. By the time I got there and met Rob, Derek and Martina it was getting pretty late, but I laid out on the snow at the back of launch and watched Rob, Martina and Derek do a "no wind dash" off the edge, and sledders into the Ranch. My turn and it was catabatic at this point, and my first attempt didn't even get the glider over my head? As I laid out again it was pretty obvious that the wing had soaked up a lot of water off the snow, and it weighed much more than when I started up the hill, so I bagged up and drove down. Snow and hail later in the evening, so not sure what tomorrow will bring?
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Woodside Report - you know it is a good day when you look in the telescope around 1:30 pm and Norm and Alan are already at launch laid out! Unfortunately, the forecast winds of south at 20 knots was more like east at 10 knots making it hard to get off. They both got cycles before Delvin and Doug arrived and were in the air about 30 minutes apart. | 
View of Norm and Alan way above Launch - photo by Nokia We arrived at launch and setup when there were still some cycles, Delvin tried first and had to stall out before the edge. Next Doug tried on his new Vulcan and he stopped over the edge! No damage to either, and by the time Al and Kevin arrived it was hard over the back for 30 minutes so we gave up. Alan was still in the air, popping above launch now and again, in leeside thermals. Norm had landed already and was headed to work, so watching Alan was making everyone really anxious to get in the air, but it never happened for us. As Kevin says, February requires one to be on the hill early to bag a flight, coming out after work doesn't work because there isn't enough sun to overpower the leeside winds.
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Woodside Report - it got blue but still windy all day. I headed out as the winds got clamer near Surrey, but as the valley narrows near Deroche it was howling! Good day for chores, but tomorrow looks flyable. | Phoenix AZ Report - Hey Jim: Came to Phoenix with no wing. I actually called the "Site Manager" for South Mountain (Carlos, an instructor) but the only assistance he wanted to provide was as me being a client. Another local filled my head so full of local compliances I said screw it, I'll be strickly hiking this trip. Here are a few shots of the launch, LZ, towers behind launch, and the weather today. They have a 4000' ASL cap over the launch becuse there is so much air traffic (there was an aircraft about every 3-5 minutes) from Sky Harbour Airport a few miles to the north. The LZ is the cleared out area in the cactus scrub at the base of the mountain, just short of the housing - Ed 
View of Ed's butt from Launch - photo by Mrs. Rilkoff 
View of the LZ just before the houses - photo by Ed Rilkoff 
Telecom Towers behind Launch - photo by Ed Rilkoff 
"CUs a poppin'!" - photo by Ed Rilkoff
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Valley Report - rain and wind. |
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Woodside Report - the smart people stayed home today. We did some LZ maintenance and chores and headed up the hill at 4:00 pm. It was launchable in lulls, but cloudbase was low and it was very lifty, so I decided it was a good day to head home early. The snow level is at Bridal Lower Launch altitude - 800 meters, so it was cold at Woodside launch. |
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Woodside Report - Norm's said it was "lame"! So he didn't fly, but Martin H "bagged" two flights and Rob S one flight. Good kiting winds and Bev was out in the Eagle Ranch LZ airing out the Buzz. | Elk Report - reports over the radio stated gusty and strong winds at the top of Elk, not sure if they flew.
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no pireps. |
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no pireps. |
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Woodside Report - lots of rain in the PM. |
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Woodside Report - it was socked in above launch from all sides of the mountain. | Elk Report - Alex R, David S, Ivan and Graham hiked Elk and David had the flight of the day, and unfortunately Graham had to hike down due to clouds and snow.
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Woodside Report - Jeremy and Rob S were out playing while the rest of us worked!. |
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Woodside Report - it rained all night and til 10:00 am, then it got progressively brighter. Annette (SkyPig) flew three flights, Colleen two, Gary H. two flights and I took Mandy, for a nice tandem around 4:00 pm. Light cycles at times but reversible. | 
Colleen flying around noon - photo by Nokia Derek and Kevin showed up and Rob was out testing his new Mantra M2 and got above launch for 3-4 turns, before Kevin stole it from him! 
Rob's new Mantra M2 flying around 4:00 pm - photo by Nokia Overhead at the Grammies last night, a great flying song from John Mayer: JOHN MAYER Gravity Gravity is working against me And gravity wants to bring me down Oh I'll never know what makes this man With all the love that his heart can stand Dream of ways to throw it all away Oh Gravity is working against me And gravity wants to bring me down Oh twice as much aint twice as good And can't sustain like a one half could It's wanting more That's gonna send me to my knees [repeat] Oh gravity, stay the hell away from me And gravity has taken better men than me (Now how can that be?) Just keep me where the light is Just keep me where the light is Keep you all where the light is Just keep us where the light is Ohh.. where the light is! [repeat]
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Woodside Report - a good kiting day with east wind all day at 10-15 kph. Always blowing over the back at launch unfortunately. | Elk Report - Alan was rewarded after a good hike up Elk. He climbed one thermal up to 2000 meters at +4.5 m/s then it was broken up by east wind and he flew out. Ivan was out too.
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Fraser Valley Report - Alan says it was a calm day, he hiked up Bridal and the road is drivable to the spur junction. He said it was cross at launch, but he had no glider anyway. |
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Woodside Report - the forecast was wrong for rain, but the east winds may have not helped launching. | 
View of Woodside Mountain February 8, 2007 - photo by Woodside WebCam
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Woodside Report - rain and low clouds. | 2007 Ozone Challenge Results Link - Randy Parkin and Bruce Busby are there with several other Canucks I don't recognize. Rolf Pott's Book on Vagabonding - travel on the cheap. It kind of matches what we do in Mexico, integrating into the local economy rather than going to all-inclusive beach resorts.
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Woodside Report - the road up is very icy, Joe was commenting on not liking "sliding backwards helplessly"!. | There were small cycles at launch but I was not motivated to hike up. No other pilots out today. Brad Henry's Excellent Mexican Adventure Report - Daryl Sawatsky, Bernie Scherler and I are on our second week of our paraglide holiday in Mexico. I have flown Mexico for many years and have been to Valle and Tapalpa several times. We spent the first 5 days in Tapalpa, there were several friends planning to paraglide there. Unfortunately an unsual weather system caused wet and very cold conditions in Tapalpa. So we went to an area south of Mexico City. The city is called Tenacingo meaning (at the base of the big wall - the wall being the mountains). Paragliding in new here, most of the launch sites are about a year old and are maintained by a locals Daniel Perodoza and Dan Miller. All together there are only 4 local pilots. There are 6 paragliding sites all but one are South, SE or SW. The launches surround the city and are just a few kilometers from the town center. Since the 25th of January we have flown cross country every day our altitude range was 2900 to 4000 meters. The infrastructure for retreival is excellent as there seems to be more taxis than passenger vehicles. The taxi cost 1 to 3 dollars. The mexican people are wonderful here . We did not meet any foreigners for the entire duration of stay, guess we were the only ones! Tenancingo is 1 hour south of Mexico city, 2 hours from Toluca mtn, 1 hour from Taxco and Valle De Bravo 2.5 hours. There are ancient pyramids and ruins withs within a 50 mile radius. It is so cool here, much to do on no fly days. We have made many friends in Tenacingo. I can´t say enough about this area and plan to come back again December 1 for there 1st fly festival! Google Maps Link then enter Tenancingo, México in the search field. From Wikipedia: Tenancingo, México Tenancingo, México, is a city in central Mexico located at grid position 18°57'N 99°35'W, 26 miles (42 km) from Toluca de Lerdo, southwest of Mexico City. It is situated on the central Mexican plateau at an altitude of 6,634 ft (2,022 m) and had a population of 24,774 in 1990. The town's economy is principally agricultural, concentrating on the production of grain, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables and livestock. It was formerly called Tenancingo de Degollado.
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Woodside Report - it looked flyable most of the day, but I was back to work. I am sure Andy was spotted among the clouds! Rumours were that he has been soaring Woodside getting above launch while the birds were sinking out! | Honduras Updates - Hi Jim, Colleen and gang: Haven’t written in a while but I have checked in to the "site of the day" page occasionally to see what everyone is up to. My trip to Mexico at Christmas was fine. I had four days of flying before my family arrived and we headed to Puerto Vallarta. I stuck to flying from the Talpalpa launch, a little expensive but so luxurious and I figured after paying the first day ($380 pesos) that it made sense to top it up to the weekly rate ($700 pesos) and stick around as the conditions were favorable. Nothing really spectacular but I had several good flights of up to 2 hours. I met a couple who were down on vacation from Colorado and will be passing through Tegucigalpa in March. Dan flies hang gliders and Hildegard, paragliders. They may have been in Talpalpa around the time you guys were there. Christian and I will invite Gustavo from San Pedro Sula and some pilots from Guatemala while they are here and try to organize a mini "fly in". Lately the flying is getting better in Honduras with the dry season arriving and the winds not so strong as in December and January. Probably what is most interesting recently is that I have found a place were others can start to train in a safe location. It is on the military base for the Honduran parachute battalion with a 30 meter hill, easy launch and the landing field is an airport. I did two flights last weekend to check it out and was able to maintain in front of the hill for a while. The commander of the base is insisting that I teach him first and in return offered to take me up in the helicopters to try my hand at parachute jumping. I of course will try to convince him to help me look for new launches. There are mountains that look very interesting to fly from that would require long hikes through pretty much impassable terrain but are clear of trees at higher elevations - Keep well, Jeffrey
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Vancouver Report - I slept all day trying to get rid of the last meal in Manzanillo (food poisoning) but the rain was too much to venture out to the valley anyway. | Ozone Mantra M2 Wins Overall at the Australian PG Classic!!! 
Mantra M2
Photo © David GibbsGavin Zahner, flying our serial class Mantra M2, has won 1st place overall! Gavin says that the M2’s glide performance and stability on speed bar was crucial for the conditions at the comp. The DHV 2-3 certified M2 has just been released in size M, and this is the first international comp it has competed in. In Gavin’s words: "Maybe it shouldn’t be the Mantra M2, but the Mantra CB (Chrigel Beater ) The M2 definitely hold’s it’s own in the glide department with solid performance on the bar. That was critical both days. Also I think my theory of black gliders heating up the internal air more and therefore having better glide is unquestionable now Big thanks to the ozone crew for the glider, you’re definitely hitting the performance mark with this one." 1st - ZAHNER, Gavin, - Ozone Mantra M2 2nd - MAURER, Christian - Advance Omega (proto) 3rd - HYSTEK, Phil - Gin Boomerang Sport Congratulations on your awesome win, Gavin! Nice work! Although we’re not sure about the black fabric theory, we suspect that your win was more a result of pilot skill coupled with a glider that is just nice and comfortable to fly. The Mantra M2 is certified DHV 2-3 and available in M size now and will be available in the S and L sizes very soon. The Mantra M2’s balance of performance and comfort must be flown to be believed, so contact FlyBC for a test flight now!
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Colima Report - we woke to a grey sky and met up with the Quebec Pilots and they retrieved Elly's glider before it rained. Apparently she was following Norm out over the spine to the ridge when she sunk into the trees: Don't follow Norm on a DHVI wing! | When returning a car used for two weeks of Mexico Paragliding: always take it thru a car wash so they don't start looking for hidden damage underneath! Cost is $3.50 USD.  Colima Car Wash near the Hotel Caranda - photo by JPR This is a great site at La Cumbre (Summit) in Colima, 10 minutes from the Hotel, just off the Cuota at the Juaniquatlan Exit, with a cobble stone road up to the launch. The launch is a bit short but great if there is any wind, with a steep drop-off. It is top-landable but I tried a few days and it was too thermic for a safe approach. The site is being threatened by a Federal Mining Property "Mina La Fortuna" at the entrance to the road in, and we read a story that Court action is being undertaken to ensure clear access for the hundreds of hikers and pilots that use La Cumbre.  La Cumbre Launch photo taken from the Colima Car Wash - photo by JPR We headed to Manzanillo around noon, good thing too as we hit a traffic jam on the Cuota heading west. As we got to the roll-over accident that was slowing traffic, two ambulances had left taking some injured away, but there was one unfortunate fellow who looked like he wasn't wearing a seatbelt that was ejected from the SUV and was fatally injured. Sobering event after two weeks of crazy driving and flying all over Mexico. Needless to say we drove the speed limit for the balance of the trip to the airport. We got on the plane home with some time to spend the last pesos, great way to fly from Manzanillo direct to Vancouver. No US Customs or lay-overs/connections to go wrong. And your glider usually makes it tha same time as you do!
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Colima Report - we headed back to Colima as we heard the French Canadians flew three flights yesterday while we could barely stand up in the winds near Tapalpa. Unfortunately, as we arrived it was blowing the wrong way so we had to chill for a while, but the sea breeze kicked in and we all flew. | Eduardo was very sick with strep throat, but made up for it with a 3:36 flight time! He spotted a French Canadian PGer in the trees and was helpful in rescuing her, and she was okay. Everyone else flew a few flights retrieving in the back of a local pickup. We were all down by 6:30 in time for cervezas and Margaritas.  Colima Tree Landing - photo by JPR  Cranes soaring above Colima in formation - photo by CMV
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Sayula Report - we did a reconn trip to search out new launches on the Tapalpa side of the valley after learning of the new site fees at Tapalpa: 380 pesos per day for locals ($38 USD), and 5000 pesos ($500 USD) for the season. Some local HGers created a new launch just south of the Microwave Towers, cliff launch next to powerlines! Another launch was found above Tepec which requires a long drive, also a cliff launch. We located a suitable site above Sayula, about 100 meters lower than Tapalpa Launch but a shorter glide to the LZs. Also only 15 minutes back to the top from Sayula Town. |  Sayula Launch above Sayula - photo by CMV Unfortunately we could not test this new site as it was blowing about 50 km over the back, so next trip it will be flown. It looks like a good P2 site, except for powerlines on the glide out to the north may intimidate some. The other thing is that Sayula is downwind of the Colima Volcanoes, which are active and monitored by the Colima Government, so you might get ash on your wing if the volcanoo erupts when you are at cloudbase!  Colima Volcano Monitoring Status - photo by CMV
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San Marcos Report - we headed straight to San Marcos around noon after a great breakfast and walk around Tapalpa looking for gifts. | While Colima had parrots for a wakeup call here they have the Z Company Gas Truck (propane delivery). Click here for the movie of the sound the Zed Gaz truck makes starting at 7:00 am. Colleen and I hitched a ride up in Javier's F-150 with Umberto (two Guadalajara PG pilots we flew with in 2005) and Normando, Eduardo and Kirill drove up in the rental Pointer. Kirill was in the air above launch when we arrived. Normando and Colleen launched next into some pretty active air, followed by Eduardo. After about 40 minutes Colleen and Normando flew out to join Kirill in the Airpark LZ because it was getting rough and they couldn't get any higher. Eduardo hung in there and was rewarded with smoother, cloud-sucky air with the Austrians who launched behind him.  Eduardo launching at San Marcos on his Yoki - photo by JPR We went to Jocotepec for lunch and hat shopping and returned back to San Marcos launch by 5:30 pm to decide it was too windy to fly and drove back to Tapalpa before dark. A good day of touristing and flying and NO RAIN. |
FlyBC Paragliding Past Site of the Day Reports
December 2006 Site of the Day archives - more ugly weather on the Coast. Severe winds damaged trees and property so not much flying happened. Some good flight reports from local PGers travelling world-wide.
November 2006 Site of the Day archives - the wettest November on record. We flew a few good flights but mostly we were rained out.
October 2006 Site of the Day archives - lots of good days with 3-4 hours airtime. The Women's Fly-In was on again in Chelan with about 18 Canucks, and a good day Saturday with 85 registered pilots.
September 2006 Site of the Day archives - still soarable in the Fraser Valley, little or no rain. Colleen is back flying! Some mayhem in the valley.
August 2006 Site of the Day archives - a great flying month everywhere, we had a super successful SIV clinic at Mara Lake with everyone SAT-ing and heli-ing.
July 2006 Site of the Day archives - road trip to Lumby, then on the 8th Colleen spun in below Gloria cancelling her summer plans (but she is recuperating well).
June 2006 Site of the Day archives - the Valley dried out, and we flew most days and every weekend.
May 2006 Site of the Day archives - more rain that ever imagined in the Fraser Valley. Very few soaring flights and even less XC.
April 2006 Site of the Day archives - the Easter Bunny was "run over" on Kilby Road, plus the train wreck on April 1.
March 2006 Site of the Day archives - a new pilot was born, Chloe. We also flew a few days between showers, some long flights up to 4 hours. A few Out & Return Flights to Deroche and Bear.
February 2006 Site of the Day archives - another wet month with some soarable days (2).
January 2006 Site of the Day archives - some flying on Elk and Woodside, smart pilots headed South for great Mexican or Chilean flying.
December 2005 Site of the Day archives - some flying on Elk and Woodside, smart pilots headed South.
November 2005 Site of the Day archives - rain, snow and not much flying.
October 2005 Site of the Day archives - Women's Fly In in Chelan yielded two soarable days before the snows hit.
September 2005 Site of the Day archives - dry most of the month. Some great 4 hour flights at Woodside getting to cloudbase most days. Three crash-landings in the same clearcut by pilots scratching too low, but no injuries.
August 2005 Site of the Day archives - road trips to the Interior gave us an opportunity to rag out some gliders at FlyBC SIV 2005 (Part II). Also a great road trip to Savona.
July 2005 Site of the Day archives - good flying all month, no rain but some windy days shut us down. The Willi started in Golden with a few good days, but one tragedy as Charles Warren perished in a crash near Harrogate.
June 2005 Site of the Day archives - too much rain, but good days to fly between showers.
May 2005 Site of the Day archives - our Instructor/Tandem seminar yielded some good flying. Our May 2005 SIV Clinic had a good turnout, with many wet wings/pilots! Many nice flights at Woodside and Bridal, with some long "out & returns" at Bridal.
April 2005 Site of the Day archives - some great soaring at Woodside and Bridal. Sad news from the US Hanggliding Nationals as Chris Muller crashes at goal.
March 2005 Site of the Day archives - we had to head out of town to Savona a few weekends due to wet weather on the Coast. Wetter than normal according to Environment Canada.
February 2005 Site of the Day archives - some good soaring despite early time of year. Flights as long as 3 hours at Woodside, some good flights at Whidbey Island for first timers, too!
January 2005 Site of the Day archives road trips to Mexico, not much flying locally due to strong north winds and rain. Record rain kept Eagle Ranch quite wet for kiting.
December 2004 Site of the Day archives a dry month with some good soaring including a fantastic day on Dec. 11 where we thermalled for 2+ hours!
November 2004 Site of the Day archives more record rain. We installed a fireplace in the barn to keep pilots warm between winter flights.
October 2004 Site of the Day archives more record rain, but sweet soaring between showers. Many new students signed up and making quick progress. We missed the Women's Fly In for the first time in 9 years, and there was some interesting flying on the Sunday!
September 2004 Site of the Day archives rainiest September on record for the first 3 weeks, made flying difficult. But Alan and others logged some pretty nice flights later in the month. Lots of student tandems for both Colleen and Jim.
August 2004 Site of the Day archives Great Maneuver/SIV/ACRO course at Mara. Jack got wet! Some great soaring at Woodside. Norm made it 68 km from Mara to King Eddie, Derek made it from Lumby to Enderby the opposite direction for 67 kms. We also did our BC roadtrip from Ashcroft to New Denver, and flew everyday.
July 2004 Site of the Day archives the Willi was on at Golden. We missed the mayhem due to work and school commitments but Norm did a great job representing the West Coast.
June 2004 Site of the Day archives Canadian Nationals came off with many great rounds. Pemberton-Whistler Championships were blown out most days so we headed to Cornwall.
May 2004 Site of the Day archives great flying at Woodside and Bridal. We held a very successful SIV Course at Mara Lake, and hope to run another one in August if they keep the forests open.
April 2004 Site of the Day archives good flying in the Valley. The Fraser Valley Cross Country PG Series was successssful.
March 2004 Site of the Day archives Nicole won in Brazil, otherwise the month sucked for flying time.
February 2004 Site of the Day archives some local flights extended to an hour with vigourous scratching above the trees. Good paramotor month.
January 2004 Site of the Day archives Mexican road trip yielded 20 hours of flight and a wet Canadian January kept most local pilots on the ground.
December 2003 Site of the Day archives we flew a few times but it got really cold at the end of the month as we prepared for a gala New Year's Party for 40 of our close personal friends and neighbours.
November 2003 Site of the Day archives windy and wet with the odd good soaring day, not many pilots out these days.
October 2003 Site of the Day archives Women's Fly In was great fun, some good soaring days mid-month, most of the students are signed off.
September 2003 Site of the Day archives good conditions until the last days of the month when it got stable. Most days were flyable at Woodside or Bridal.
August 2003 Site of the Day archives Forest closures made the end of the month a non-flying period unless you headed to Blanchard. FlyBC SIV 2003 was a great success with 9 stunt pilots and no deployments or crashes.
July 2003 Site of the Day archives we flew most days early at Woodside until it got windy, then over to Bridal. Good Golden flying reports from the "Willi".
June 2003 Site of the Day archives we flew most weekdays at Bridal, Woodside worked most weekends. Bridal Air Races had one great day with only two tree landings!
May 2003 Site of the Day archives not a great weather month on the coast, especially on the weekends but a few pilots managed to get some great airtime at Bridal. The Nationals were held in Lumby and it didn't rain!
April 2003 Site of the Day archives rain for 28 of 30 April days, but we managed to get a few flights in between showers. Even the golfers were complaining!
March 2003 Site of the Day archives some high spring flights in early March, but not a great weather month. Still no HPAC Insurance!
February 2003 Site of the Day archives some nice long spring flights in late February. HPAC Insurance expired on Feb 14, so many pilots stayed home instead of getting USHGA coverage.
January 2003 Site of the Day archives lots of rain all month in BC so we bailed and headed to Tapalpa Mexico for three weeks. Norm and Lucille had a great XC flight the first day we arrived.
December 2002 Site of the Day archives lots of rain all month.
November 2002 Site of the Day archives not a great flying month, lots of rain in the beginning and then super stable and inverted for the balance of the month. Even the Savona Road Trip wasn't that great. Looking forward to Mexico!
October 2002 Site of the Day archives Still soarable some days, great fun at the Women's Fly In 2002 in Chelan. Allan logged 15 hours and only flew a few days. Most of the students are ready for signoff soon to get ready for Mexico trips!
September 2002 Site of the Day archives Still soarable most everyday! Some scary incidents at Woodside. Fun flying at Ashcroft.
August 2002 Site of the Day archives More spring-like days with super lapse rates, great fun up-country at Revelstoke and Mara, with some good XCs for all.
July 2002 Site of the Day archives Some spring-like days with super lapse rates, but still rather wet at times.
June 2002 Site of the Day archives another rainy and windy month with great lapse rates, some great flights at Bridal with some getting above Cheam Peak. The Club Cup was nearly rained out but they got one valid task in on Sunday June 30.
May 2002 Site of the Day archives an extremely rainy month with the more spring mayhem, another reserve deployment at Lil Nick and a pilot crashed at the top of Deroche Mountain, uninjured but with a ripped glider and long hike down the mountain. Colleen placed 5th place at the Canadian PG Nationals in rainy Lumby!
April 2002 Site of the Day archives a rainy month with the usual spring mayhem, one reserve deployment at Woodside and a pilot hit a parked car at Bridal LZ, fracturing his leg.
March 2002 Site of the Day archives a few great days days with lots of snow and rain mixed in.
February 2002 Site of the Day archives two epic days already (4.5 hours and 2.5 hours!).
January 2002 Site of the Day archives Mexico vacation shots, some local flying but it was wet on the coast.
December 2001 Site of the Day archives pretty stable locally, wettest December on record, some good days sprinkled thru the month.
November 2001 Site of the Day archives pretty stable locally, had some good days at Woodside +2 hours, lots of rain later in the month.
October 2001 Site of the Day archives pretty stable locally, but great flying at Chelan at the Women's Fly In.
September 2001 Site of the Day archives starting to get pretty stable, more sled rides forecast for October.
Aug 2001 Site of the Day archives Mara, Bridal, till some great flights locally
July 2001 Site of the Day archives Road Trip Month, Golden, Mara, points east!
June 2001 Site of the Day archives Great Month, 3 hours of airtime for some pilots every time they flew Bridal Lower! Some getting up to 6 hours in a single flight!
May 2001 Site of the Day archives Unstable Month, 2-3 hours of airtime for some pilots every time they flew Bridal Lower!
April 2001 Site of the Day archives Rainy Month, not as much airtime for some pilots
March 2001 Site of the Day archives Spring has Sprung!
February 2001 Site of the Day archives Spring is in the Air!
January 2001 Site of the Day archives - Mexico Flying Trip
December 2000 Site of the Day archives
November 2000 Site of the Day archives (great month for airtime!)
October 2000 Site of the Day archives
September 2000 Site of the Day archives
July - August 2000 Site of the Day archives
June 2000 Site of the Day archives
March - May 2000 Site of the Day archives
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