https://airtribune.com/2017-quest-air-open-and-reopen/blog__day_6

The forecast with convergence looked good for a task to the north:

2017 Quest Air Open and Re-Open, Saturday April 22nd

National Weather Service forecast:

Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. South southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Hourly forecast shows surface winds south southeast 7 - 8 mph.

NAM forecast:

2 PM

800 - 1000 fpm lift

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

5,000' - 6,000' cloudbase

9 mph south wind at top of lift

8 mph south wind at 30'

5 PM

400 - 500 fpm lift

8,000' - 9,000' top of lift

6,000' - 7,000' cloudbase

8 mph south at top of lift (Convergence smack dab over us and right up 301

to Keystone and beyond)

RAP, a similar forecast

Both models show poor lift just to our south at 5 PM.

Op40 at 2 PM shows cloudbase at 6,700' at 49 degrees, with an south wind of

5 - 6 mph.

Finally with a wind out of the south combined with good looking cu's we are
ready for another big distance day. The task is straight north to the large
airfield at Keystone, 147 kilometers away over open territory. The sport class
gets a shorter version at 63 km to Leeward airfield.

Climbing at 350 fpm after pinning off I get quickly to cloudbase at 5,200' and
then work the top of the lift for twenty minutes to stay high and inside the 5km
start cylinder with a 8 mph south southeast wind. There are about half a dozen
of us hanging out waiting for the 1:30 start clock. The cu that we are under is
diffuse and wide so that there is light lift in many places allowing for pilots
to stay away from each other.

We all head north when the window opens and work a few 200 fpm thermals. At
about 14 km into the course Mick Howard, Larry Bunner and I are at about the
same altitude in a thermal together topping out at about 4,100'. Larry and I
head off west north west and Mick, at first following us little behind then
takes a slightly more northerly track hoping for less sink.

When we find lift at less than 200 fpm, Mick 2 km to our north and unseen finds
500 fpm. We leave our thermal at less than 4,500'. He leaves at the same time at
5,700'. This makes all the difference in the ensuing flights. Mick is 3,000'
over us in the next thermal at the Okahumpka service plaza on the Florida
turnpike.

We get to the southwest side of Wildwood. I'm down to 1,700', Larry is 3000'
under Mick who is at 5,000' just to my north. I have to dig out from an area
with few landing spots. I climb out to about Larry's height, but Mick is on his
way north. Larry has to come back 1000' under me as I climb to over 4,000'. Mick
is 9 kilometers head of us.

I'm on the radio with Mick and sometimes Larry so I know that Mick is out in
front. Northwest of Leeward John Simon comes over from the east and joins me. We
are now climbing to over 6,000'. Mick is 5 kilometers ahead and we are all high
and finding good lift. Larry is just behind.

I fly with John for the 40 kilometers as we now quickly fly up the west side of
the Ocala National Forest under a cloud street that goes almost all the way to
goal. I join up with Larry again at Hawthorne as Mick is 17 kilometers ahead and
11 kilometers from goal. John is a few kilometers ahead of us.

19.5 km from goal I find 700 fpm and radio Larry to come back under me. I take
it to cloud base at 7,300', 1000' higher than I've been all day. Goal is 9:1 and
I pull the bar in. Larry will leave at 11:1.

John left the end of the cloud street at 5,800' and got down to 1,700' so that
he could not fly over the large lake between us and goal. He had to dig his way
out.

I race into goal as John just putts along and suddenly he sees me but it is too
late and I cross the line just in front of him. Larry is just behind.

James Stinnett made it to the airfield before us but seems to have forgotten
that he needed to go to the 400 meter cylinder in the center of the huge airport
field.