MPEG Video of
Launching the South Launch (4MB) NEW
Seasons Greetings
Phil;
I
thought that you might be interested in hearing a great
Hat Creek flying story. I’ve found that there is nothing
like a hot summer flying adventure to warm up your
cockles over a wet miserable winter. Afterwards, I’d
like to share a couple of thoughts I’ve had along the
lines of what Mr. Engler wrote to you earlier this year.
It was during the smoky hot days of late September when
I had decided to get an early afternoon flight on a busy
flying weekend. The wind was blowing slightly from the
north. I launched off of Hat Creek rim around 5 pm with
Page Perrin and Jim Kennedy. The lift was heavy, but I
found the rim topped off at about 1000 feet over launch.
After milling around the rim for a while I caught a
well-defined thermal right over launch and stayed with
it, climbing all the time over the rim, to the back
ridge.
I’d flown the back rim several times but never very
daringly. I would always get spooked and make my way
for the front ridge not wanting to get stuck low on the
back ridge and have to land in the stump LZ. Anyway,
back to my story.
I flew up and down the back ridge and found the ridge
lift excellent with strong smooth thermals I caught a
giant of a thermal and drifted with it well behind the
lookout. It was there that I found myself at the highest
altitude I’ve ever attained at Hat Creek. I was soaring
well over 11.000 feet ASL. The urge to go cross-country
was strong and I felt like I could cruse in lift all the
way to Susanville. I realized though that I had two good
reasons not too. First off my footing was tenuous. I had
mistakenly packed my wife’s size 8 sneakers and in my
eagerness to fly I had cut out the tops to allow my
stocking clad toes to flop out over the front of her
shoes. Not a real smart decision but I have found that
at times great flights take great sacrifices. Second, I
had no driver.
The Sky was hazy and I could barely make out the regular
gaggle of gliders miles away and below me coursing their
way up and down the rim. From my vantage point it was
clear to see that I was higher than Mount Lassen. I
could barely see the ground through the haze. I was on
top of the world!! It was at this point that from out of
the blue a brilliantly white sailplane came out of
nowhere. We chased each other in and out of the lift for
what seemed like hours. I felt as though he was there to
bear witness to my great achievement and seemed to
applaud my prowess of the air.
As the thermals toped out he gave me dip with his wing
and headed off towards Susanville. It was hard not to
follow but the lift had turned to a slow even sink. I
turned my nose Northwest slowly penetrating the wind as
I descended toward the front ridge. I soared over the
launch still several thousand feet over everyone else. I
felt like Jonathan Livingston Seagull who after
courageously flying high over the far cliffs returned to
the breakfast flock as they fought and scrappled over
the dwindling ridge lift. Did any other pilot flying
know where I had been or how high up I had gotten? The
nameless white sailplane was the only one who could
testify to my great achievements, but he had disappeared
into the haze.
As I flew high over the back ridge I had a good look at
the stump LZ. From the air it looks like a great LZ but
having driven through it earlier in the year I’ve found
that it is really a rotten place to have to land. Big
shrubs have overtaken the ground and the area is
littered with chunks of wood and brush. A work party
needs to be planned with a couple of chainsaws. In a
short period of time a few good people could clear away
a sweet spot that would make the LZ useable for a long
time to come. As the stump LZ is now I know of very few
people who have ever landed there and I can’t think of
anyone who would want to.
I would sure appreciate your comments and suggestions
Phil. As far as a work party is concerned I offer myself
as chief organizer. I believe we need to do it after the
road dries up enough to get a few rigs in with out
tearing it up, maybe May or early June.
Thanks for all your work Phil.
Terry Fifield.
”Super Grip”
The concern expressed in this story
about the condition of the Buttonhook LZ (or stump LZ as
this writer calls it) was
resolved in 2004.
Hi Phil!
It was great seeing you again at another
great Labor Day Hat Creek Rim flying vacations. I think
this is my 18th Labor Day at the Rim - now that's a lot
of Rimming. I have enclosed the kids group shot. They
sure do keep growing don't they?
One of the reasons for this email is that
there was some discussion of what should be the
priorities for how to best spend the funds available for
maintenance and improvements at the Rim in the future,
and I wanted to put in my 2 cents. I also wanted to
relate the story of my flight on Saturday night. Let me
start with the flight.
As you know, I am an advanced pilot and I
like to get high and go far when I fly. That is why
after getting to 7000 feet on Saturday night, I wandered
back to the back rim to check out the lift. It was great
and I flew down to and past the lookout, all the while
losing very little altitude. I flew over the lookout and
beyond (towards Old Station) for about half an hour in
good lift. All the while I felt very secure in the
knowledge that the #3 LZ was there for me if the lift
quit. I was in contact with Colin and Melanie on the
radio so if I would have had to land there, retrieval
would have been no problem. Every now and then I would
look up at the front ridge towards the launch and marvel
at the number of gliders fighting for space. I was back
there all alone, and I was generally much higher than
the gliders on the front ridge. I went about a mile past
the lookout, and the reason that I went no further was
at that point the #3 LZ was looking pretty far away and
I really don't like to take risks when I fly.
Now for my 2 cents. As I see it, the #3
LZ more than doubles the flyable territory of the Rim. I
have never used it, and hope that I never will - but
then the same goes for my parachute, and I would not fly
at all without my parachute. I would be VERY
disappointed if the #3 LZ was not maintained in a safe,
landable condition. Let's keep the Rim a flying site
with challenges for all pilots, from those getting their
first soaring flight to those who want to explore
further while maintaining a margin of safety. I think
that more pilots will fly back to the back rim when
stories about flights like mine become more well known,
but it doesn't happen fast - you know what they say
about old pilots and bold pilots. My dream is to see
lots of pilots spreading out onto the back rim and
someday start exploring the possibility of identifying a
site for a #4 LZ even further down the ridge so that we
could open up even more of the Rim to safe flight.
Good lift,
Dean Engler
