Highlights for Saturday January 21st, from Buzz and Boyang

Saturday was a day for rapidly changing conditions and the tail end of a
strong frontal system pushing through the Bay Area. Forecast were for
high winds with possible wave and then there was plenty of instability
with lots of moisture and some rain. The beginning of the day was very
wet with low cloud bases then drying with strong winds. My first flight
was working underneath the clouds with Rachel where we were able to
explore the strongest lift under the darkest areas. Then it was chasing
wisp in later flights to climbing up the upwind side of the clouds at
the end of the day with Boyang in wave to 7k, well above the cloud bases.

The winds were very fickle starting nearly down 30, later swinging to
23. Surface winds were mostly westerly and the upper winds were from
the north. Looking at the wind generators and comparing that with what
the clouds were saying showed there was a 90 degree shear well below the
clouds bases around 4k. This was critical to understand to work the wave.

All and all a pretty good day with a mixed bag of flying conditions,
thermal, convergence, and wave. Several visiting pilots from Montreal
were happy there was good flying conditions.

I was a bit late getting to the banquet, my excuse was being stuck. Not
in traffic but in wave!!!

See the attached pictures to help tell the story. Boyang was in the
front seat getting his first wave experience!! He climbed from 4.5k to
7k flying the upwind side of the clouds as if they were a mountain with
ridge lift

Thanks to Jerry and everyone else for making the day work so well.

Buzz

- Boyang wrote:

<Here's my take on the wave.

I arrived at the airport around noon. It was raining quite heavily in
the fields around Byron, and I was prepared to spend the day picking
Buzz's brains in the clubhouse. However, the rain dried to a drizzle
near the airport, and I saw glider operations in full swing.

The clouds looked promising, and good soaring days are often preceded by
rainy days. We had plenty of rain this past week, so...why aren't the
cross country regulars flying today?

Flying FB, I took off on runway 23 with Buzz in the backseat and asked
for a tow towards the reservoir. A string of clouds stretched from Mount
Diablo to the mountains west of Byron, and we begin investigating west
of the reservoir. At first, we were below the cloud base. By flying
figure eights in front (North) of the clouds, we picked up altitude, and
soon, we were above the cloud base. Clouds were forming, moving, and
disappearing at a steady rate, and that wisp a few figure eights ago
could have changed to nothing or something big. New clouds generally
provided the best lift, but unfortunately, we didn't get high enough to
fly to Mount Diablo.

Also, I saw a glory while looking down at the clouds. It's a beauty.>
Boyang