We stay away from the over development, day five, task five, August
8th, 2013

SPOT Tracker for the meet
here.

The results and SPOTS and teams will be up here:
http://ozreport.com/2013USNationals.php

The task:

My flight almost to goal
here.

The main point about today was that the CAPE forecast at XCSkies (NAM and RAP)
was very definite about there being a high chance of over development to the
east of Big Spring and no chance to the west. The next major point was that the
wind would be strong out of the southwest, hoping to push you right into the cu-nimbs.
I discussed this with Larry Bunner, who is doing the weather, before the Task
Committee meeting and we agreed that it was pretty clear we could not go to the
east. And, you know, the forecast was smack dab on.

So the Task Committee sent us north (cross wind all the way for ninety
kilometers) and then into the wind for 30 kilometers to goal at Brownfield
airfield from Tahoka. A task to divide up the contestants.

As we began the launch there was a shelf of high clouds coming in with the wind
from the southwest. Pilots who got off early got great lift and got high right
away. I got off later and had to climb under the thick clouds over the shaded
ground, but was able to get up to over 8,000'. James Stinnett was with me.

The Task Committee set start times at the time you crossed the ten kilometer
start cylinder line after 2:15 and before 3:15. They were thinking that the
winds would be strong.

I couldn't get to cloud base and neither could James although we could see a
number of pilots high above us so we headed off at 2:32. The going was tough
with the weak lift, a strong cross wind and I could not get high at first. I
left James circling in weak lift and went looking for better. It was the same.

We were in the blue and there was a cu-nimb behind us to our east, but there
were cu's ahead. It took awhile but carefully I made my way past Ackerly where I
could get under some nice clouds and the lift improved greatly. I was flying
alone and would for most of the flight. It took an hour to go twenty eight
kilometers to the east of Ackerly.

With 200 to 300 fpm climbs past Ackery I was able to get over 9,000' and make it
past La Mesa. There the lift improved under wispies and also under substantial
clouds to 400 to 500 fpm and I was able to cross tiger country chasing a wispy
that got me back to 9,000' and high enough to make it back on the flats.

At the northern end of the canyons I found the really good stuff at over 500 fpm
to 11,300'. The wind was 90 degrees to the course line and 19 mph, so I
appreciated the fact that I was finally working strong lift and getting high. I
knew that I was going way too slowly as I listened to Jonny give his positions
on my frequency.

There was a substantial cu over the town of O'Donnell south of Tahoka and I
climbed to 11,700' there in 470 fpm lift. I was now not far from the 12
kilometer radius turnpoint at Tahoka, and there were wispy cu's out ahead on the
course line.

I took the turnpoint and headed west northwest into a 12 mph breeze that was now
a head wind. I finally found some other pilots including Matt Barker who was
near my altitude. We have a little less than thirty kilometers to go to get to
goal, but the westerly wind was not helping. There were wispies out in front and
we worked them together trying to get both of us to goal.

We found 250 - 300 fpm climbs to 10,000' so it looked pretty good. At 6:02 PM
the wispies stopped and we stopped finding much if any lift. We were still 18
kilometers to goal with a 9.1 L/D required to get there.

We didn't make it landing four kilometers short next to the east west highway.

Plenty of pilots made it into goal and a good number landed short as we did. We
saw a pilot come in much later. It was likely Olav.