https://airtribune.com/2017-quest-air-cross-country/blog__day_12

Larry Bunner thought that we should go early so I took off first at 12:12 PM.
Larry had a bit of help to extend so even though he wanted to get getting right
away he was the fourth one to launch after Greg Dinauer and Rob Clarkson.

There was strong lift on tow and I was over 2000' just south of the runway. I
held on a bit more given the strong south southeast wind to 2,350'. I know that
strong winds can limit your options and I wanted to get let off further upwind
of the field.

I didn't find the lift to the southeast and headed back getting quickly down
below 1,800' before getting some light lift west of the field and drifting
quickly away from it. The wind was 15 mph.

Greg called out 500 fpm over the field after pinning off at 1,200'. I was
finally able to to get under him as he made cloud base and headed north. I
climbed up to 3,800' and cloud base and headed downwind to the northwest.

Greg didn't find any more lift and landed. Rob decided it was too windy and
landed back at Quest.

After my initial bout of light lift I was cautious heading north northwest
toward the next cloud. I was definitely checking on each cloud and going to the
nearest one assuming that there wouldn't be lift until I got under the next
cloud. That held true throughout the flight.

The next thermal averaged over 300 fpm, but that didn't make me think that I
could just glide to wherever and be assured that I would find strong lift. With
a 19 to 20 mph south wind I knew it would be difficult to stay in the thermals.

The next thermal averaged a little over 100 fpm as I drifted southeast of the
prisons south of the Florida Turnpike. I jumped to the west to get over a new
housing development north of the prisons and down to below 1,800' worked dark
cu's to climb to 4,200' at a little over 200 fpm.

I heard from Larry that he was back at Grass Roots airfield maybe 15 kilometers
behind with Greg on the ground and Rob at Quest, so it was just the two of us
and Belinda chasing.

Looking at the clouds ahead and thinking about the Ocala airspace I headed
northwest again past the I75 and Turnpike intersection. I finally made it to
some good looking clouds south of Marion Oaks but down to 1,250' I was getting
broken lift down low. The thermals had been pleasant if often weak and quickly
drifting. I stuck with this thermal given how low I was even at a little more
than 150 fpm.

Larry got to over 4,000' at the Okahumpka service plaza on the Turnpike and was
headed my way. As I got up and got over the southeast corner of Marion Oaks he
was down to 2,000' just south of the area where I had been so low. I was looking
hard to lift.

I climbed to 4,100' over Marion Oaks when Larry said that he was landing. Not
wanting to drag him in the truck to the north I headed to a field about 12 km to
the north and landed, so that we could get back in time to get ready for another
good day on Tuesday.

John Simon and Sara Weaver launched just before I landed at about 2:15 PM. Sara
went 24 km on her third cross country flight and second with John. John landed
near where I did.