Bargain fair is great, a cheap flight, and I had the entire row to myself. :) Three seats and plenty of sleep on the airplane, I was comfy lol. I Jumped off the plane, and took a quick bus ride to the train station. A funny looking white boy, with two bags and a pillow, straight to murder capital of the US, San Bernardino lol. I had a nice train ride, and a twenty minute walk to the bus transit station. I was throwing shaka's and smiles to all the homies. I took a thirty minute minute bus ride through the hood, to Cal State. I walked through the university and b-lined it to the mountain range, I had been studying. I could see soaring birds and strong winds, but no one was flying. I cut through the back of the campus across the brush, only to be welcomed by some police :) They gave me some grief, but how could you not love a Maui boy with a pillow looking for some Hang gliding. I was on the right path, and I was tired of caring my stuff. I hiked into the Cross Country Ranch, and made it to the empty Andy Jackson Landing Zone. All stoked up, I continued to search for some people for more information. I stuffed my stuff near the first building, and got invited to feed the horses, already sweet situation. Super blown away by the area, I made my way to the top of the camp site, and found Margret, whom gave me the rundown. It was cold as Kula and nowhere for my hammock, sweet.. She told me to go next door to the Paraglider's Stephen. He is and instructor, and it was a goal to get some lessons, so sweet! I went and said hello, not knowing I was meeting my best friend! We instantly kicked it off as hommies as it started raining, lol great. He said lets go to a biker bar with a fire stove, and out of the rain. We rambled down in his car to the screaming chicken, slippery chicken as I named it. :) It was early so the rowdiness was not there yet. I got the beers, then whooped him in a couple games of pool! I saw some titties, and a quick fight, I felt at home. Still raining, I was quite unsure about my sleeping situation, and pretty uneasy. We pulled up to Stephen's home at the top of the Cross Country Ranch, and he offered me a van to sleep in, Sweet! I opened the back, and there was a bed full of pillows and blankets! Super Sweet! I knew it was gonna be one blessed trip! Me and Stephen would have tons of awesome conversations, and fun the whole week! Like minds are always bros!
The next morning I would start the process! I woke up early, like I do, and would read my new favorite book, "The Upanishads"! I have been all Krishna'd out for weeks, and would cry every morning reading this book! They had a hot shower down below, and I wanted to stay in good hygiene. I had the intentions of helping any way I could at the camp, and that's what i did. I just bothered and helped whomever was up doing stuff! I met the locals and rode around in the gators. I am pretty blown away by the paradise above San Bernadino. I hooked up with Nofly Steve, who pretty much ran the camp grounds! Awesome dude, full of stoke and love for the camp and the flyers! I would hang out and bother Steve most mornings. Then I decided to walk to the nearest store for some supplies. Worried I would miss my first opportunity to fly, I rushed. I picked up some granola bars, peanut butter, raisins, and water. Walking back uphill, I tried to hitchhike from the college kids and hommies, with no luck. Then, I jay walked through a red light between two semi trucks and got busted by the police again. After coming up with no warrants and a good lecture I was freed, lol. I made it to the Landing Zone with minutes to spare!
One of the reasons I came to San Bernardino, was a youtube and facebook friend Jonathan Dietch. He is one of the local Cross Country pilots. He brought me his 190 falcon to to try out, and we booked it up to fly. I went up with a couple of JD's buddies and nofly steve as driver. We went straight to the upper launch named Crestline. I have been flying alot and my confidence making me comfortable. I, having the most basic of gliders got set up first. I was ampped to join the one soaring paraglider! Steve looked quite nervous for me, but I was feeling like a boss :). I got a quick hang check, and Steve wire walked me to the windy launch! The only words of wisdom I was given was "there's a house thermal to the right called billboards", ok a little nervous but still confident.
"Walk, jog, run run run", and I am off! The landing zone is not visible from this launch, and it is about 1500ft above the mountain in front called, Marshall Peak. I took a little sink to the left, then booked it hard right to the area known as billboards. After loosing a few hundred feet, I hit my first bump. I cranked a hard turn, and dove straight at the cliff side. Rocks and trees were closer to my face than I had ever experienced, but I was gaining some altitude. I cranked and banked it like a mad man! After a few minutes of exhilarating thermaling next to the hill, I was getting up. Then a hawk approached me, and he started thermalling right next to me! I bee lined it at him, and joined him all the way above the wall. My glider being a falcon, which is commonly known as a beginner glider was rocking! I have not flown a falcon since the first week of training, so I had to be conscious of my performance and drift. I made it above the cliff with my hawk buddy, and I started drifting back. My dad always told me not to leave lift, but after a couple hundred over and a little back, I kicked out to check penetration. Sink, sink, sink, geez I barley made it out above the trees. Ehhh, what is it gonna be like heading to Marshall? Wind penetration is definitely my biggest concern. I hooked another another thermal, and got a few hundred over the hill. Now, is the time to buzz launch, and show the locals I could handle. :) I shadowed the glider on launch, and I felt pretty good! I headed downwind looking for another spot to thermal, but I found nothing. Now, way lower than launch quick, I turn back and check my headwinds back to Billboards. I am now way lower than last time, and I am fighting my headwind on my low performance glider... Mind begins to race a little, but I hit some lift close to the same place! Sweet, an actual house thermal that really exist! First time for that lol. By this time Dave, Jonathan's friend who has launched on his U2, (what i fly at home) has come and joined me in the mix. Nervously, I work with him close to the wall and get up. I watch him go a little out in front, and catch a boomer. Ohh, I don't have to dive bomb the the wall super close to get up. Lol O well, I had built a comfort level and I was kinda getting amped from flying so close :). JD had launched at this time and joined us. Dave got a big one and bailed to the next mountain upwind (prob not wanting to fly with this greenhorn so close), JD hung around just long enough to get up and then bailed downwind on his high performance T2 to start his XC flight. I was happy to be soaring, and I just stayed around Billboard, which I finally saw, after 20 mins of hardcore windy thermaling. I stayed at Crestline for over an hour, just happy to be up and soaring. Finally some more people launched and burned out. I was able to watch there flight path across, to the side of Marshall, with no problem. I gained as much altitude as I could and followed. I lost a lot of altitude heading across the gap, but I was still higher than the guy who crossed first :). I hooked a banger thermal as soon as I hit the side of Marshall called Regionals. I could see the landing zone, and a few other thermaling pilots. I was fully confident, and felt super safe! I climbed and drifted to the Marshal Launch, where I saw a paraglider throwing down some sick acrobatics! He thermaled right back up easily and headed toward me. He then spun backwards lol. It was my buddy Stephen who gave me a bed to sleep in! I waved the he went into another round of hardcore acro! He later ditched his glider and based jumped to the Lz. What a freaking boss right!. I was in heaven with thermals everywhere! "All you can eat", was Stephens famous accurate quote! I stayed up for a while trying to drift and work thermals behind the Marshall launch. I had the feeling that I could make it back to Crestline. After my third attempt, I had it! Back to where I started and back to billboards! So epic! I did that three times during this first flight! I flew for over 3.5 hours till I was beat! Alright next phase the landing! Flying the falcon I knew I couldn't mess up my landing :) JD had already landed from his 30 mile triangle or something, and he was waiting in the landing zone with his Gopro to congratulate me in my first flight! I dove in hard, straight at him, and pulled the trigger on my flare. Ahh a little early, but I stuffed it and took a few steps. The glider landed softley. I had never landed on flat ground or short grass, so I would have to figure that out a little in my next few flights :). I was incredibly stoked, Jonathan was super stoked for me! Stephen was down there packing his base chute super stoked! It was beyond epic! JD offered me his falcon for the week, so I guess I passed! Me and Stephen went out and did some celebrating and chatted about epic flying and epic lifestyles like friends do!
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