HAPPY SEPTEMBER
First, congratulations to our chief tow pilot Steve De La Cruz for nabbing second place in the intermediate class at the annual International Aerobatic Club contest for chapter 26 at Delano. (Another of our Crystal pilots, A.J. Wilder came in 10th in the same competition.)It’s still technically summer for a few more weeks, and of course unofficial summer will last much longer here in the desert. Typically we have fine soaring every single day at Crystal until late October, and then on the better days well into November or beyond. Soon though, the frequency and strength of our thermals will begin their seasonal decline. Later dawns and lower sun angles lead inevitably to fewer hours of prime thermal activity and convective shut-down in late afternoon, not evening.So here’s the thing: While you’re soaring high and dry on these gorgeous autumn days, don’t assume too much in regard to that next invisible boomer waiting (maybe) somewhere ahead. At this point on the calendar you should have already indulged in many hours of high summer’s feeding frenzies. Now comes the time to shift gears and practice gleaning the very most from thermals you might have discarded a month ago. You’re apt to find that earning a climb in challenging conditions is more educational and rewarding (and therefore more real FUN) than riding ten-knot volcanoes to the stratosphere with no effort at all. Besides, it’s working weak stuff, not being cast aloft by boomers, that hones finesse and amplifies ability.And here at Crystal you’ve no reason to mourn this decline, by the way. From December through about the middle of February we enjoy a mix of wind-related effects, often fascinating hybrids of two or more atmospheric phenomena that can provide actually the more unique and interesting conditions of the whole year.