8/31 UL, RJ200, 69' wingspan, more air than anyone else
As our Skywest flight from Tulsa came down over Hobble Creek Canyon at 6:15 today, the pilot announced winds at SL Airport were out of the North at 10. Great, I thought, missed another bitchin' UL day. But no, not really...we crossed the shore of UL just south of the UL state park and clear as day, from 10,000 feet, I saw the corduroy wave lines lit by the low angled light. Then I saw a tiny power boat just north of the jetties. Now, where was Carl? Oh, there he is, white sail I think that's his 11.0, fully wound up and flying about 1/2 mile off shore on a SW reach. Faster than the power boat, no wake from this altitude. Nice jibe, Carl!! The guy next to me was looking down at the muddy, streaky water and said, "Looks pretty ugly down there, all brown." "Not really", I replied, "I've spent a lot of time on that lake and it's really beautiful. Wish I was down there right now with a buddy I just saw." He looked out at the lake again, 8,000 feet below, then back at me like I was one batten short of a full sail. Carl had disappeared beneath the wing. I could see him still.