Tuesday we paid too much attention to the winds forecast and thinking that it
would be too strong we didn't launch and head for Venice Beach as we should
have, but the forecast for Wednesday was for light easterly winds and eight of
us were up for a task.
I came up with a bow tie task from Quest Air south to the intersection of Dean
Still and 33, east to Wallaby Ranch, back north west to Quest, further northwest
to Center Hill, north east to Turnpike and 33 and south back to Quest. Pilots
could do half the task if the day called for that.
The thin cu's didn't show up until after I launched first a little after 1 PM
but I spotted one dissipating over Quest Air and caught it at 650 ft AGL. The
lift was good and that got me to 4,500'. There was plenty of lift in the
neighborhood, but I hadn't dressed as well as I should have and it was cold at
5,000'.
Headed south toward the area with cu's which was near our first turnpoint and
there was plenty of lift to stay high, which I wasn't all that excited about as
my upper body was cold. I kept on gliding passing through lift until I got down
far enough to warm up at 2,000' a mile south of east west highway 474.
Unfortunately I was now stuck below 3,500', warm but unable to get high, jumping
from cu to cu to find better lift. After half an hour Francoise came by on his
Aeros Phantom a bit higher than me but somehow he was quickly just below me. The
thermals still sucked even with both of us in one, so I decided rather than to
continue on, to head back as it was also now blue to the north between Seminole
and Quest Air.
The rest of the pilots short circuited the task, just going to Wallaby and back.
I was already back quickly as even in the blue there was plenty of lift as soon
as I got near Seminole. The day improved and it was easy for everyone to get
back home.
More good flying days ahead and maybe we'll actually get everyone on board for
the complete task.
