100 miles

Finally. Like most pilots, I’ve wanted a hundred mile flight since I started flying cross country. I was confident after getting close several times’ last year that this would be the year I break through the hundred mile barrier. In Australia hundred mile flights are a lot more common. In Forbes they often call 100+ mile tasks. With all the rain this year conditions were softer than normal and I was unable to make goal on the longer days. Coming home my hopes were for a big flight in May on the prairies. Most hundred mile flights in Canada are in Alberta in May. With two weeks off in late May to fly, we lose half the days to weather. I did log exactly a hundred miles after olc optimization but was not a true hundred miles straight line distance. After spring was over I thought I had lost my chance as the best flying during the summer is in Golden and hundred mile flights in Golden are very rare.

With lighter winds today and getting down to Invermere fast yesterday, I was hoping to try Invermere return. It’s only been done a couple times and the plan was to get going early and attempt the round trip. I launched at 2:30 and slowly worked my way back over launch. I stayed patient to let the day build. Once the lift stopped I headed to the spine in front of Mt 7 and climbed over the peak. I looked down range and saw Pagliaro and Kapristo totally shaded in. A hand full of paragliders were low in front trying to work there way back up. I decided to get as high as I could and just skip over it if I needed to. Once I started getting into the wisps, I headed south. As I passed over Kapristo I didn’t hit any usable lift and just kept on going as planned. Once over the next peak I hit a strong thermal and climbed fast back up to cloud base. I wasn’t worried about racing but fitting my flight into the day. I wanted to make it back by 8:00 as you can’t be sure to stay up any later than that. I took the time to work most of my climbs to get near cloud base. I ran the back range on the way down and made it to Invermere with relative ease in a little less than three hours. I turned around and headed back into a 5km head wind. The lift was still strong and making head way into the wind was no problem. I got high at the Edgewater cliff’s because I was going to fly the front range on the way back. I mountains on the front range get higher as you head north which makes flying the back unnerving heading north. I flew all the way to Brisco before I found any lift low on the cliffs. I got over the cliffs while still moving north but the range is very low here. I finally get a good climb at Spillimacheen and hit cloud base. I run to get over the high peaks and continue running north. The lift is getting much smoother but still strong and getting high. I get to cloud base at Harrogate and know I only need one or two more thermals to make it home. I’m getting good glides in buoyant air but I’m aware that I’m going into the wind and need some extra height. It’s still early enough I’m sure I have enough time left in the day. I’m getting confident that I’m going to make it back. I pass up a punchy thermal to wait for something smoother and a faster climb. This turn’s into a fatal mistake. I fly into a huge shaded area and the lower I get the worse my glide gets. I concede I’m not going to make it and start looking for field’s I can make on final glide. Once I reach the field I’m not very happy with my choice but it’s too late now. I dived into the small field that had a steep slope towards the highway. I angled slightly up hill and had a strong flare and put in a good landing. After 4:55hrs I landed after flying 182km. Finally my first hundred mile flight. My truck showed up before I could start breaking down. As a reward for setting a new personal best I got to drive back to Invermere to pick up Rob Green who landed at the airport. It was a great day and even thou I made a mistake that kept me from reaching my goal I was glad to have that hundred mile monkey off my back.