While in Palm Springs for the aviation expo, since I flew myself there, I took my RC plane and did a few nice flights above Palm Springs. I was hoping to get enough thermals to fly without power, but sadly they were insufficient for my glider's weight: I was able to sustain altitude at times, but not to regain it (then again, Palm Springs is also on the leeward side of a tall mountain, so that probably creates some downdrafts).
Here is a portion of one of my flights:
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And some screenshots from this beautiful scenery to fly over. I did a quick flight across the convention center to get the planes parked i the street, and then mostly stuck by the hills:
![](/blogimg/00/thumb1024_100_20151016_PalmSprings1_front.jpg)
City shots:
![](/blogimg/02/thumb1024_302_20151017_PalmSprings3_front.jpg)
![wind turbines in the background wind turbines in the background](/blogimg/05/thumb1024_305_20151017_PalmSprings3_front.jpg)
wind turbines in the background
![](/blogimg/56/thumb1024_156_20151016_PalmSprings1_rear.jpg)
![](/blogimg/50/thumb1024_150_20151016_PalmSprings1_rear.jpg)
![sadly, the Marilyn Monroe statue had been removed and lots of new construction sadly, the Marilyn Monroe statue had been removed and lots of new construction](/blogimg/50/thumb1024_350_20151017_PalmSprings3_rear.jpg)
sadly, the Marilyn Monroe statue had been removed and lots of new construction
Nice mountain shots:
![](/blogimg/59/thumb1024_159_20151016_PalmSprings1_rear.jpg)
![](/blogimg/06/thumb1024_106_20151016_PalmSprings1_front.jpg)
![](/blogimg/17/thumb1024_117_20151016_PalmSprings1_front.jpg)
![](/blogimg/27/thumb1024_127_20151016_PalmSprings1_front.jpg)
![](/blogimg/70/thumb1024_170_20151016_PalmSprings1_rear.jpg)
![](/blogimg/79/thumb1024_179_20151016_PalmSprings1_rear.jpg)
Plenty of places were being terraformed for new houses:
![](/blogimg/28/thumb1024_128_20151016_PalmSprings1_front.jpg)
![](/blogimg/85/thumb1024_185_20151016_PalmSprings1_rear.jpg)
![houses being built houses being built](/blogimg/75/thumb1024_175_20151016_PalmSprings1_rear.jpg)
houses being built
![another block ready to be built another block ready to be built](/blogimg/63/thumb1024_363_20151017_PalmSprings3_rear.jpg)
another block ready to be built
I was hoping to get to that platform, but access to it was closed, it almost looks like a place to put an expensive home, and you can see parts of the Cactus to Clouds trail, sea level to Mt San Jacinto peak at 10,833ft.
![](/blogimg/54/thumb1024_354_20151017_PalmSprings3_rear.jpg)
![](/blogimg/15/thumb1024_115_20151016_PalmSprings1_front.jpg)
![](/blogimg/56/thumb1024_356_20151017_PalmSprings3_rear.jpg)
![](/blogimg/65/thumb1024_165_20151016_PalmSprings1_rear.jpg)
![Cactus to Clouds trail Cactus to Clouds trail](/blogimg/07/thumb1024_307_20151017_PalmSprings3_front.jpg)
Cactus to Clouds trail
![more trails on the opposite side of town more trails on the opposite side of town](/blogimg/51/thumb1024_251_20151017_PalmSprings2_rear.jpg)
more trails on the opposite side of town
On our last day, we took the tram up the mountain, and I picked a place on that access road with ground that was flat enough for a landing (I had looked for it via google earth beforehand), and did another flight from there. Sadly, the sun was getting low, and the wind was super strong, so I spent a fair amount of time fighting the wind. I suppose there is a reason why all those wind turbine are there :)
![](/blogimg/01/thumb1024_401_20151018_PalmSprings4_front.jpg)
![](/blogimg/10/thumb1024_410_20151018_PalmSprings4_front.jpg)
![](/blogimg/54/thumb1024_454_20151018_PalmSprings4_rear.jpg)
![another block, ready to be built another block, ready to be built](/blogimg/57/thumb1024_457_20151018_PalmSprings4_rear.jpg)
another block, ready to be built
![](/blogimg/59/thumb1024_459_20151018_PalmSprings4_rear.jpg)
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