Yesterday my friend Tag and I took a trip up the coast to scope out flying sites for our RC Slope Soaring passion. We ended up at a favorite spot called Pololu Overlook. It's literally at the end of the road at the top of the island. The flying site, as you can see, is stunning. It's enough to simply sit and watch the waves, but when you add a couple beautiful gliders and a good friend it becomes magical.
To launch the glider you stand in a meadow, not a cliff to be seen except on the opposite canyon. You throw the glider as hard and far as you can and pray like crazy that it reaches the tree that marks the lift line, before it runs out of momentum and falls somewhere in the jungle.
We flew and chatted for over three hours and would have stayed longer except that an HFD helicopter arrived for a rescue in the riptides below us.
On another subject: I uploaded a new song: "Steve's Blues," on the
Tioli Art and Music Page. This a chord progression that
Steve's guitar teacher showed him back in 87. "Don't ever play the blues," his teacher said, "but if you have to, play it like this..."
The launch area
Pololu Overlook, behind and to the right of the launch area.
Tag and his new girlfriend, Adriana.
Yes, a real snow cat!
The launch.
Prayer and...
...body english
Adjustments.
Alula, a very small foam glider. Very bird-like.
On the fast fly-bys the Adriana screams just like a Tie-Fighter from Star Wars (maybe not that loudly, though).
Looking for a couple swimmers lost in a riptide.
Our launch site.
We beat a quick retreat.
