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Sundowner Archived Flight Log
Copied from old hard copy hand written log book

Pine South Side to Surfers Point, Ventura (Near Fairgrounds) (Ron Gruell, aka Mega Man)
Pine South Side to Saint Thomas College (SD)

Flight on Tuesday, March, 4th, 1986 (transcribed on 5/28/11)
Duration: 3 hours (SD)
Distance: 19 Miles (SD to Saint Thomas)
Distance: 25 Miles (Mega Man to Surfers Point
Glider: Comet II 165 (SD)
Glider: Comet 165 (Mega Man)

Log entry from Sundowner's perspective:

Race to launch after work in Tony's (aka Diablo) truck with Ron Gruell (aka Mega Man) and Steve Driving (oil field work friend of Tony / wire-line biz partner) .

No wind launch after Ron marked the thermal out past The Knob.  Climb to Cloudbase at 11K with light hail and headed west for scattered sun across Hwy 33.  Ron headed south as the river shaded in completely.

Down to about 8K and bail to the north for solid sun.  Holding on at the North Launch, up and down fro 6K to 75.  Tried to go uphill, but bailed for the Pine Mountain Inn from the Parking Lot (transcription note: The "Parking Lot" is the newer North Side Launch about 6K, the old North Side Launch was a fire break at 5500').  Reaching scattered sun with 5K and holding onto scraps behind the Inn for 30 minutes.  Struggling to 55 as the sun breaks through, and climbing solid to 6K for a boost to 10 plus.

Headed SE across the "Sand Pile" in an unsuccessful attempt to ride the edge of advancing shade.  Bail to Nordhoff Ridge from 85, arriving with 3+.  Strong cores breaking up at 45.  Eastbound trying for the Bluffs, maybe Santa Paula.  Three Stooges gives nothing and I squeak up from way down the west side of Twin Peaks.  Up over the bend with 5K, across the Rock Farm, and up to 45 from the east point of the Repeater Spine.  Nothing at Boyd's, so a smooth glide to Santa Paula Ridge, arriving too low, too late.  Dropped the nose at Saint Thomas College.  3:50 PM, a couple hours before sunset

Ron Gruell got to 8K at White Ledge for a glide to Surfers Point, Ventura.  Tony was still waiting on launch.  I called Ron and he ran retrieval.