Double Airtime!

Landon has been patiently waiting to get some tandem airtime this year. His last flight with me was September 20th, 2007. Conditions today looked favorable for his 5th tandem flight! During the 25 minute drive to launch our excitement and anticipation continued to build, and as we arrived under sunny skies on launch the hot, 90 degree wind was blowing straight in at 15-18 mph. Cody arrived 10 minutes later, and we quickly but carefully set up and prepared to launch.

I briefed Landon on the launch sequence of "walk, jog, run" and reviewed his hand positioning and how to prone out once airborne. We did not linger on launch, and at 3:40 pm we made a seamless transition from earth to sky. We were greeted by the 900 fpm jolt of the resident elevator just south of launch as we rocketed skyward. We soon discovered that the bar-ripping thermals were fragmented and difficult to work for more than one or two turns. Cody soon launched and the three of us spent the next 45 minutes scratching and arm wrestling some nasty thermals surrounded by sharp-edged sink just to stay at or below launch level. Twice Landon and I were within about 75 feet of the bailout landing zone getting ready to go upright when a bubble came through and took us back up. Finally we found a cohesive thermal by following a red-tailed hawk in some tight 360's allowing us to drift back to the upper mountain, where the thermals began to widen and mellow, allowing me to relax my grip just a bit. It was nice to allow my stomach to settle after all of the ups, downs, and 360's - although Landon did not complain at all and was right at home in the air.

Soon we topped out about 1,000' over the upper mountain, where Cody joined us in some magical airplay'n in the afternoon glass-off! The noticeably cooler air was a relief from the valley heat. We played 3-D follow the leader with Cody, lined up in some close flying formations, and then watched Cody go beyond vertical in some sweet climbovers. As the air continued to smooth out, I let Landon "drive" for a while, getting some practice with airspeed recognition and gentle turns. Here's some video footage from our flight - if you click on this YouTube link you can then click "Watch in High Quality" for better resolution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCpl103gwBI

The surreal moments soon turned into hours so we finally headed over the back and descended into the warmer valley air for a safe reunion with the earth. What an incredible way to spend the afternoon with Landon, Cody, and a few feathered friends!

Airtime: 2 Hours & 10 minutes x 2!