https://airtribune.com/2017-quest-air-cross-country/blog__day_14

Ken Kinzie <<ken>> writes:

On Wednesday David Lopez and I went north up the highway 301 from
Quest Air. The forecast was for no cu's, but there were plenty of them and they
were quite high.

After launching around 1pm in southerly wind, conditions were very good with 500
fpm climbs topping out at 5000' then 6000'. Although short in duration there
were plenty of nice looking clouds to mark the lines.

Unfortunately it was not to last as cirrus clouds began to shade the sun after
an hour. The wind also veered to the southwest creating a crosswind component
pushing toward the lakes and Ocala National Forest ahead and east of our course
line.

With diminished lift and clouds thinning out we both eventually landed around
the 60 kilometer mark at Belleview just short of Ocala. David was the quickest,
landing first with his T2C and I with my U2 later at a different location but
close by.

We did not seen each other at all since takeoff with no communication as I
forgot to lock my radio frequency and bumped it off channel.

That was the end of the three day reign with south southeast
winds. The forecast did call for winds turning south southwest later in the
afternoon especially to the north. I didn't pick up on a forecast of cirrus.

It looks like we will have a three day patch of southerly winds starting again
on Monday. A front passes through later today. Here is the forecast for today:

A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near
82. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north northwest in the afternoon.

NAM soaring forecast:

1PM

500-600 fpm lift

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

4,000' - 5,000' cloudbase

West wind 11 mph at 2,000'

West wind 11 mph at 30'

No lift north of Ocala. Front on the northern border at 5:27 AM.

4PM

300-400 fpm lift

4,000' - 5,000' top of lift

4,000' - 5,000' cloudbase

West northwest wind 14 mph at 2,000'

No lift north of the Turnpike