The Lee Is Just Fine (On Tenerife)

My first blog on this site relates to pilots who met their demise flying in the dreaded lee.  As things turn out, I just spent a vacation on Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, where they pretty much always fly in the lee!  The trade winds blow most of the time hard out of the northeast.  The Tenerife pilots fly pleasant thermal conditions on the southwest side of the island.  It works mainly when the prevailing winds are strong, when they weaken the cloud base drops and conditions dwindle.  Trying to forecast conditions there was impossible for me, as my brain was wired backwards to the way the place works!

I mention this for a couple of reasons.  First, despite nearly twenty years of perusing weather reports trying to figure out where to fly and when, I was totally baffled on Tenerife.  Thank heavens I had found a wonderful local guide, Henry, who had the place wired.  Which is my second point, find somebody who knows the place you want to go fly--life is short and precious, local knowledge is golden nectar of the gods.  Third, sometimes things just ain't the way you think they are or should be, and it behooves one to quickly figure that out when that's the way it is.  Even though my tendency is to get terribly stuck in my ways, and "cosmic force habits" (a Willy term) are usually quite useful, when you are 180 degrees off in your thinking it becomes obvious pretty quickly if you are paying attention.  It is then time to change your thinking before you end up missing whatever boat you are trying to catch.

Henry was a grand guide, and his stock in trade comments "What's the worse that can happen? " and "I've got a cunning plan." will bounce around in my head for a bit.  His better half and associate
Simonetta keeps him grounded, and I think whispers the secret knowledge that helps him to find flying conditions that work.  She also makes really cool little paragliding elves from local materials, wonderful little reminders of a great visit.  Thanks to both of them Maggie and I had a great trip.  Just had to adjust my thinking now and again.