With the Quest Air Cross Country in full swing, the boys went for
the big one in light wind conditions, in this case clockwise around the Green
Swamp, Florida's aquifer. Larry Bunner and Mick Howard were clever enough to get
their track logs recorded on Airtribune. I don't know what Greg Dinauer's
problem was. Rob Clarkson didn't know how to Check In.

Greg and Mick were able to make it around. Larry went down just short on the
last leg. Rob turned back early when he didn't feel well. My glider isn't here
yet.

https://airtribune.com/2017-quest-air-cross-country/blog__day_1

https://airtribune.com/play/2170/2d

Greg writes:

A 49 km task was set for us to go north to Hwy 33 and the
Turnpike, back SE to Gator field and finally back to Quest. But the sky seemed
so much more, and Larry Bunner and I looked at each other and I knew what he was
thinking, but no, really? Around the green swamp?

So we set up a clockwise to 474-33 and SW to Famish field then the trek across
the southern tip of the green swamp to hwy 98 and 471. Once on the other side,
fly north up to 98 and I-75, then straight east across the northern part of the
Swamp-if you dared- to Quest. We gave ourselves between one and five kms around
some of the turn points so that we’d have options. After all no one has
attempted the task this early in the year, so we tried to make it easy as
possible to do. The Task length was 100 km

Larry was towed up first and wasted no time disappearing upwind, leaving us
behind. The days are short and we all knew it, so no waiting around. Greg was
next, Mick Howard and then Rob Clarkson. Rob aborted partway feeling sick. I
caught quick glimpses of Larry ahead but lost him mostly, then, like a tide, I’d
catch up with him again.

Mick, last of the three of us to launch, steadily maintained about 10-15 km
back. It was almost mathematical. Eventually, we made it west across the bottom
of the swamp and it was there that somehow I found myself ahead of Larry, being
shocked to seem him climbing a mile behind me.

At the last turn point it was 4:00 pm and the climbs were clearly lighter. They
were 5-600 fpm earlier down to 200 fpm. Larry’s radio was out the whole flight
and I heard from Mick, who was about 10-12 km back, that Larry was very low and
looked like he was going to land about 25 km short.

We lumbered on eastward in very light lift with the wind from the southwest and
forest below. I was only getting up to 4200’, not the 5200 we were getting an
hour earlier. I flew south up two different some streets off course just to stay
up wind more, calling out the climbs the best I could to Mick. Eventually at 11
km out and 3900’ I dove in with plenty of altitude. Mick was over the field as I
drove off to pick up Larry.