https://airtribune.com/2017-quest-air-cross-country/blog__day_8

https://airtribune.com/play/2189/2d

This was the NAM forecast:

1PM

400-500 fpm lift

5,000' - 6,000' top of lift

4,000' - 5,000' cloud base

Southwest wind 8 mph at 2,000'

Southwest wind 7 mph at 30'

4PM

300-400 fpm lift

6,000' - 7,000' top of lift

5,000' - 6,000' cloud base

West southwest wind 13 mph at 2,000'

With the southwest winds I chose a 64 km task to the north northwest to the
Leeward private airfield. Tomorrow it is forecasted to rain and blow hard, so
there was no need to return back to Quest as we would need to break down our
gliders anyway.

The sky is full of cu's and they are all working, even if the climb rate is 100
to 200 fpm. I launched first at 1:20 and then Mick Howard comes in under me and
we climb out to 3,500' before heading northwest.

I have a strategy. Push upwind. Head northwest into a southwest wind. Go to the
cloud that is to the northwest. Do not go north. I have to recover from 1,000'
AGL just over Mascotte, but after that the strategy works. There is always some
lift even if weak under the next cu.

I get up to 7 km west of the course line and find a climb rate that gets as high
at 700 fpm. Mick comes in under me near the prisons after leading the way
further to the east while Michael Williams and Larry Bunner are five to ten
kilometers behind and struggling as we were.

Northeast of Wildwood I break my rule and head for a better looking cloud
downwind to the northeast and while there is a little bit of lift there it is
not enough. I again scoot to the northwest and down to 1,600' find the climb
that averages 200 fpm.

The highest I get is cloud base at 4,200'. So not quite as good a day as
forecast, but certainly good enough for our short task. Not a bad Valentine's
Day. Belinda picks Mike and I up and Sue gets Larry and Mick, Mike landed back
at the Okahumpka service plaza while the rest of us made it to goal.