Flyfunston

Hi all, Its my first post on this board.

I was just wondering how the flying has been lately. I've been away at college, but I'm coming back for this weekend. I was wondering what the odds were of it being flyable.

The heat wave and light winds from the wrong direction have meant poor flying at Funston in the last few days. Before that the flying was pretty good. The cool air is coming back, so it could turn back on at Funston by this weekend.

real fat awesome air the last hree days, I'ts as good as it gets. Tom

It would be great if pilots (that want to) would write a short piece about your day at Funston. A daily digest of the state of flying at our great site! Looking forward to your stories!!

Let me be first…

6 August 2007 … a very awesome day. I arrived about 2:30 and saw gliders up very high in a mellow shear. There was a high overcast maybe 3K then a lower level of clouds at 1400 feet or so. Later in the day the high overcast broke up. It was slightly bumpy up to 300 MSL and very smooth and buoyant above. You could get as high as the lower cloud layer. I launched, got up nice and high, went to Westlake twice in smooth bubbly lift flying at min-sink taking pictures from my helmet mounted video camera and then found out I had no video (dang) so….

I launched again with a gaggle of gliders: Robin, Eric, Diev, Timmy, Chuck, Chris, Kurt and Larry. Not long after launch we were in a flock at West Lake above the south bowl, then the flock went south. I went south of McDonalds before turning back. The rest of the gaggle went “way far south” of the Pacifica pier. I noticed the lift up high had a northerly component so it took a little while to get back. I flew back, landed, then about a half hour later everybody else arrived. It was one of those days, my video camera worked on this flight so and after some editing, I’ll upload it to youtube.com.

Thanks, looking forward to hearing your stories!

Tom Jensen

Another great day. The fog was at 1000 feet at Westlake with winds wsw at 15 under 1000 and W at 16 above the fog. The fog was broken up and building just a bit off shore. Flying around the front of them and working my way up was the coolest. Topped out at 1350. That was about 50 ft. over the tops of the fog.
Flew for over 2 hours.
U

Hi there, I arrived about three pm, soarable, southy, nice air, ceiling dropped a little, I landed, the fog scared some pilots off, then it lifted the rest of the day, only four gliders> I had a great time flying alternating go arounds with Eric.

Air: sweet and smooth, the north end had more lift and turb, you could get high, then stay up longer when crossing over to the south end. Cycle drop off was interesting, made me turn on my vario.
Tom Jensen

A week ago on Thursday and Friday it was awesome, perhaps it will be the same this week??

Today.. a little strong and slightly bumpy at Funston. you could get very high, after a short trip to Westlake, the lift turned butter smooth and a little northy, During the peak cycles the altitude got better and the view was breathtaking. Everyone has a nice day. should be the same tomorrow I hope. please let's hear your stories.
Thanks
Tom

Sat the 8th was a northy day, predicted to get even more north but that never happened. I was up there around 1:00 and set up, did my post pre-flight and was up for a few mins to check the air. A bit bumpy and trashy northy so I landed (came over the bush and landed over by the club house) and sat around for mybe 40 min. Then it seemed to get a bit nicer, there was a sheer out there for sure. I launched again and shot up to 400 by the time I was at the north end...didn't take long to shoot down to west lake where it was on but still a bit north. Played around and wished I had my camera so I could take a few shots of Chris in the setting sunlight (as he took a couple of me).....up to around 1100 then did the treck north slow so as to keep as much alt as I could.....might have left around 950 and got back to launch around 500 over....I knew to take it slow as some were going to the beach so it must have been ever worse down low on the way back north. It was so nice to be back up in the air I didn't want to come down until the sun was almost setting (and a gap in my gloves was making my wrist cold)....another nice landing over by the club house in a nice north wind. I'm so glad it worked yesterday as it was my only day to get out in a while. Gotta love the fort. (As I was driving up I was remembering what Dan always told me..."the fort does it's own thing, don't always trust the weather forcast".....In the air I kept waiting for it to turn more northy but it never did, thank goodness.
D

Today many pilots were able to get BIG air at the Fort! High overcast (no bubble) was light and south early THEN about 2 PM it turned into the predicted n/w.. a big day. Landing area was a challenge at times. I was happy with a nice flight. Saw Brians new glider, flew with Adam. Looks like a taste of summer season kicking in?

Let's hear your stories ..