I’ve been feeling grumpy all day.  Not sure why.  Just moody.  I was so happy to see the wind forecasts were very favorable for this afternoon.  Sure enough, when I got out to New Jerusalem (where the earth meets the sky) there was only a hint of thermal activity and very little wind.  I laid out my wing, warmed up the motor on my trike, strapped in, and had one of the best launches I’ve had in a while.  Slowly advancing the throttle, flying the wing first, then squeezing in the throttle more and more until the wing lifted me into the sky.

I flew over to the Tuolumne River to see how high it was running.  It’s still well within it’s banks but still running much higher than normal.  It’s a reminder of it’s former glory before the dams and irrigation canals were built.

There was one house that was completely surrounded by the rising waters.  Their barn and equipment were under water.  Hopefully the waters will recede before the snow starts melting in the mountains.

I flew along the river until I started getting cold.  I turned back toward the airport and decided to do a few touch and goes.  All four touch and goes were really good so I decided to call it quits.  My hands were starting to cramp so I was just done.    I rolled to a stop in front of my truck.  I sat a listened to the birds and felt so much lighter than I did when I took off.  There’s just something about flying that frees me.

It’s been an exciting few days.  I got home from work yesterday to find my mother-in-law sitting on the floor.  She had “fallen and couldn’t get up”.  Poor thing had been there for an hour or more.  I felt so bad for her.  We had to call an ambulance to take her to the hospital because she couldn’t walk to the car.  Turns out she had broken her hip.  She got a partial hip replacement today.  Now she’s on the road to recovery.

Since we had been at the hospital most of the night, I decided to call in sick.  Cristy would need help and support while she was helping and supporting her mother.  Later in the day after things had calmed down I decided to head out to New Jerusalem (where the earth meets the sky) and see if I could finally get a good flight in before the next storm comes in.  The winds looked very favorable on the ground as I was preparing to launch but the atmosphere was still pretty thermally. I took off and immediately found out how thermally.  It was controllable but not comfortable.  I landed and kited a while then decided to stop and wait for calmer air.

Finally as the sun dipped behind the Diablo Range the already light winds stopped and all thermal action ceased.  I launched into the air again and found some nice silky atmosphere to play in.  However, the sun was going down and it was CHILLY.  I came back and made a great landing and sat and just enjoyed the airport noise as is my custom after a flight.  It was a wonderful end to a crazy two days.

What a beautiful Sunday today was.  It started with a wonderful church service, then grocery shopping with my wife.  After that we had lunch and took a nap.  After a quick check of the wind I packed up the powered paraglider and headed out to New Jerusalem Airport.

There was a gentle breeze just barely causing the windsock to move as I pulled up to the gate.  I pulled up and parked between the taxiway and the runway.  As I got out I enjoyed the warm autumn breeze and listened to the redwing blackbirds call to each other.   I retrieved my wing from it’s stuff sack and laid it out near the end of the runway.  A family pulled up on the other side of the fence and watched me setting up.  I walked back to the trailer and offloaded my trike.  I did an engine runup and then drove the trike over to my waiting wing.  Trike centered between the risers, clip on the risers, check to make sure the clips are locked shut.  Leg straps, shoulder harness, chest strap, anti-torque strap, radio clipped on and secure.  I called on 122.9 Mhz announcing “New Jerusalem traffic, powered paraglider departing runway 30.”

I gently squeeze the throttle and guide the wing up with my thumbs, as it starts to come overhead I pull on the brake lines to keep the wing behind me.  Wing looks stable so I squeeze in full throttle and my wing gently swings me into the air.  At 50 feet off the ground I begin a right 180 degree turn.  I fly over the family parked on the other side of the fence, I wave, they wave back.

I only climb to about 150 feet this evening.  The sun was just sinking behind the tops of the Diablo Range on the west side of the valley.  Over the Sierras I could see the super moon starting to rise.

I didn’t really want to fly anywhere in particular, just fly around, enjoy the feeling of being up in the air.  Sometimes I just want to be up, it’s my happy place.

I flew around the orchards for a while and then took a couple of turns around the airport.  Then it was time to land.  (I didn’t want to get home too late, after all, Sunday is Columbo night at our house.)

I slowly circled back to the other end of the airport where I took off.  The family was now out on the runway flying a model airplane.  Not a good idea guys, this is an active airport.  No matter, I decide to land between the taxi way and runway where I am parked.  When I am sure I will hit my landing spot I shut my engine off.  There is small child with them.  I don’t want my engine running anywhere near them.  They are about 100 feet from me when I set down.  As my trike rolls to a stop I pull my brake lines all the way down and my wing gently rustles to the ground behind me.  I sit and listen to the the evening for a moment.  The sounds of the family talking, the birds,  the buzzing of a late bee trying to make it back to the hive before it gets dark.  A wonderful end to a wonderful weekend.

Red sky at morning…

The west coast of the USA is about to get a one-two punch from a set of storms that are bearing down on us from the Pacific Ocean.  We can really use the rain here in California where we have been in a 7 year drought.  The winds were calm this morning so I decided to get in a quick flight before the storms this weekend.

I pulled into New Jerusalem Airport just before 0700 this morning.  The air was completely calm with just a hint of frost on my breath.  The airport windsock hung on it’s pole like a discarded rag.  When I put my windsock up on top of my van it was in full agreement.  Not even a hint of wind.  I was grateful because this morning’s early Autumn air had a chill to it.  I pulled my wing out of the van and dropped it on the ground.  It landed with the sound of a laundry bag thumping down.  There was just a hint of “dairy air” in my nose as I set up.  Not an entirely pleasant smell.

I rolled my trike down off the trailer and primed the engine.  It took a couple of tries to finally start it but once running it purred.  After a full throttle run-up I shut the engine down and walked out to the runway to set up my wing.  I glanced back over my shoulder at my windsock.  It was just starting to show a southerly breeze, I was setting up to take off to the north.  There would be a slight tailwind.  Noted.  I spread the wing out and untangled the lines.  Satisfied that all was in order I walked back over to bring my trike over.   I donned my helmet, jacket, and gloves and drove the trike over to the wing.  Backed the trike in, connected the risers, one last look at the wing… alles goed.

I strapped myself in… legs first, then arm straps, chest strap, anti-torque strap, reserve parachute, throttle strapped to my left hand.  Good to go.  Strobe on.  I call on the radio “New Jerusalem Traffic, powered paraglider, departing runway three zero, 2 minutes”  Left brake handle in my left index and middle fingers, right brake handle in my right hand, press start on the throttle, the engine buzzes to life.  “A” lines hooked under both my thumbs, one last look around, deep breath, squeeze the throttle half-way.  The engine strains against the billowing wing  behind me as it slowly climbs above me.  I drop the “A”s and pull on the brakes to keep the wing from racing ahead of me.  It settles just above and behind me.  Alles goed.  I squeeze the throttle all the way and start letting up on the brake lines.  The front wheel starts getting light and then I feel the wing pull me up into the air by my suspenders.

The air is smooth and cool and crisp… and still smells slightly of cow.  As I climb the air freshens, no more cow smell.  The sky is grey to the north telegraphing the coming storm.  The sun shines bright red in the southeast.  Not high enough to warm me yet but high enough to hearten me.  The air is still dead calm, my trike glides easily through the air.  I head out over the San Joaquin river.  There are wisps of fog here and there on the river and in the farm fields on either side.  There is a man standing next to his truck parked along side the river, he is fishing.   We’re both having a good morning.  I pass over tractors slowly crawling along the fields.  Farm trucks meander down the roads, early morning commuters scurry around them on their way into the Bay Area.  I don’t share their sense of hurry suspended up here in the sky.

I take my hands off the brake lines and stow them.  I let the torque of the engine take me in a slow lazy circle back to the airport.  As I descend I feel the air getting cooler.  I drop through 500 feet, 400 feet, 300… 200 feet, my airspeed of 25 mph never changes.  I fly downwind, base, final.  I pull the brake lines about 5 feet off the ground and lightly touch down.  Still rolling I lightly squeeze the throttle to keep my speed up and keep my wing flying overhead.  I steer towards where I parked and as I roll to a stop.  I pull the brakes all the way down and my wing slowly crumples to the ground.

I sit for a moment and just listen to the metal in my motor make “tinking” sounds.  I unclip my reserve parachute, anti-torque strap, chest strap, leg straps, chin strap on my helmet.  I slowly shed the harness over my shoulders and stand up.  I toss my helmet into the seat.  Unclip the wing’s risers, and slowly coil the lines.  I stuff the wing back into it’s back and toss it in the van.  Load the trike back up on the trailer.

Sailors take warning.

I pause before driving away.  Alles goed.  Everything is still calm.

And now we await the storm.