In early May I was able to find the famous Hood River wave, under the kind mentoring of Kelly Cooper and Tim O’Donnell, who were up scouting the situation. Both are known to relish these kinds of days. Releasing at 3600′ near the Dog Bowl, I was able to climb and work my way south […]
Lennies & Thermals & Ridge, Let’s Fly! Read More »
“Three hours in the sky, and only 30 minutes to tell the tale.” When I arrived at the airport, Banyan and Brian were already busy preparing the 2-32. The wind was whipping from the NW—exactly the kind of conditions I’d hoped for when I signed up for the L-33, eager to chase some waves. Once
The Dog Bowl Prevailing winds blow northwest over Hood River. The east valley ridge obstructs the airmass making it rise like river water climbing over a boulder. When the terrain is shaped like a bowl, a larger volume of air converges generating a bigger upward push. Bowls also collect heat on sunny days, adding
Silver Badge Flight Not to torture anyone with more details, but I figured I might as well document yesterday’s flight, since it was as much a surprise to me and a good example of a dissipating inversion ending up behaving exactly as predicted (or at least guessed). “Never give in, never give in, never, never,
Silver Badge Duration Read More »