https://airtribune.com/2017-quest-air-cross-country/blog__day_23

The forecast in the morning:

2017 Quest Cross Country, Saturday, March 25th

National Weather Service forecast:

Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. East southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

RAP forecast

11 AM

300 - 600 fpm lift

3,000' - 6,000' top of lift

3,000' - 5,000' cloudbase

East southeast wind at 20 mph at 2,000'

East wind at 11 mph at 30'

2 PM

600 - 900 fpm lift

7,000' - 9,000' top of lift

5,000' - 6,000' cloudbase

East southeast wind at 11 mph at 2,000'

East southeast wind at 7 mph at 30'

5 PM

400 - 700 fpm lift

6,000' - 8,000' top of lift

6,000' - 7,000' cloudbase

East southeast wind at 13 mph at 2,000'

Op40 at 2 PM shows inversion at 6,300', cumulus clouds at 4,600', temperature
profiles close, but plenty of dry air above the inversion, 51 degrees at 4,600',
Southeast wind 7 - 11 mph, no cu-nimbs.

There is a bit more east in the wind than we would like for a stellar day, but
it turns more southeasterly the further north that you go and later in the day.
Looks like a good day to head up interstate 75 (you'll go west of it after
Wildwood), but you'll want to stay as much to the east as you can at first
making sure that you come over the intersection of the Turnpike and I75. Make an
8 km turnpoint around Dunnellon and just tag the east side to stay out of Ocala
airspace. Stay west of I75 (to stay away from Payne's Prairie) for as far to the
north as you like.

Task:

Launch when cumulus streets are lined up.

Open distance.

But the sky was covered with high clouds so a little later I wrote:

SkySight: https://skysight.io/secure/#

Has a great feature showing high cloud cover. Since we have that today it is a
good idea to check it out.

SkySight shows total high cloud coverage until 2 PM and then it comes back after
3 PM.

Mid level cloud coverage to our east and northeast all day.

Low level (cumulus) clouds are present.

But at 10:30 the high clouds started breaking up from the west and soon it was
clear. Later I wrote:

SkySight: https://skysight.io/secure/#

Showing 100% high cloud cover at 11:30:

The high cloud cover actually started breaking up from the west at 10:30.

Satellite at 11:15 AM:

You can see the cumulus development on the north eastern shore. Little to no
high cloud cover over us all day.

The winds were light at Quest Air and showed light on the surface at Leesburg
airfield, 11 AM through 2 PM. Given the light winds we were were experiencing we
changed the task to out and return to Dean Still and 33rd intersection with the
Sport Class only going as far at 474 and 33 (but still against a wind that had a
south component). We also wanted to get back in time for Neal Harris' wake, from
3 PM to 6 PM.

The cu's started showing up even before the high clouds started dissipating to
our west. The sky was chock full of them when I took off first at 21 after 1 PM.
After a wait Greg Dinauer was next then a bunch of pilots before Mick Howard and
John Simon. I waited around then headed south to get some lift after climbing to
4,400' at 320 fpm. I saw Greg at my altitude as he hung on longer to the tow
after I released early in good lift. He wasn't waiting for the others and my
radio was disconnected.

Further south I came in at 2,000' under Greg for 440 fpm and then 500 fpm for
one turn a little further south to 5,000' before I had to keep from going into
the cloud. The air was rock and roll and continued that way throughout the
flight.

A sixteen kilometer glide through a blue hole across highway 474 into areas
where you are not supposed to land had me down to 1,500' checking out a possible
landing area not too far away near highway 33 and easy retrieval as I headed
east upwind away from it looking under a cu for actual lift. I could feel that
it was there somewhere. 420 fpm got me back to 4,000' as I watched the pine
trees that I was over get smaller.

The wind was now 7 to 10 mph out of the east, so directly 90 degrees to the
course line. Mick Howard joined me and we headed to the next thermal. I hadn't
see Greg since the third thermal.

Mick and I climbed at 250 fpm 4 km from Dean Still and 33 to 4,600' then flew in
lift toward the traffic circle. I hit the upwind side of the 400 meter cylinder
while Mick went to the downwind side. I was now a bit ahead of him going back
upwind. Apparently John Simons was right behind us.

Five kilometers north of the turnpoint I started working light lift when I
spotted John just south of me. I didn't know if he had made the turnpoint yet or
not. I assumed that he hadn't as he drifted south in the thermal going up and I
headed north to find the next one. John got high and I had to work it again from
1,500' at the same spot as before.

I first passed over it at 2,400' heading for a cu to the north and felt a little
bit of lift. When I found nothing but big sink in that direction I turned around
and searched for it again. It was in the same place as when I was heading south
at 230 fpm to 3,400'. I had lost Mick who went west downwind under the good
looking cu's but got down to 700'.

There were nice looking cu's ahead so I pushed 4 km north. I could see Greg high
above me. 240 fpm got me back to 4,500' over the glider port. We had seen plenty
of sailplanes in the sky already and their competition also had a practice day
today, mixed with the regular crowd.

From that altitude it is almost always possible to make it into goal at Sheets
field with about 11 to 1. The wind was 10 mph out of the east southeast so that
was a bit of a help. I took three turns 9 kilometers out and then made it back
with 900' AGL.

John and Greg were there. Mick made it back a little later. I called a bad task
for the sport class having them go to 474 and 33 against the east with with a
south component. Got to do better during the Green Swamp Sport Klassic, which
actually starts on Sunday.

Twenty four pilots and six mentors.