https://airtribune.com/2018-quest-air-cross-country/blog__day_1

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:davisstraub/22.1.2018/18:38

I don't know why John Simon's flight doesn't show up.

With a forecast for 10-15 mph south southeast winds, a high of 79 degrees, 400 -
500 fpm thermals to 3 to 4 thousand feet, I called a 109 km task to the north
northwest to Williston (the field just on the east side of the airfield). Launch
was set for 1:30 PM with sunset at 5:58 PM.

Jim Prahl hauled me up through the first 300 feet of turbulence and then
smoothly to 2,800' 3 km to the south southeast not finding any lift. I got off
late figuring that I was high enough to have a good chance to find the lift even
in the 14 mph wind. Soon I found the lift to the east averaging 260 fpm.

Mitch Shipley launched next and soon joined me in the lift, and we climbed up to
cloud base at 3,900' and waited for John Simon to climb up to us after he towed
third. Finally Mitch said let's go and we headed northwest assuming John would
catch us sooner or later.

With the strong tailwind we just blasted up the course line. I hit good chunks
of 800 fpm to 4,400' before we slowed down up west of the prisons south of
Wildwood. Mitch got out in the lead but soon was struggling above Interstate 75
to the northwest of Wildwood. John Simon came in over us as we drifted north in
200 fpm to 3,800'.

We all got back together on the east side of Marion Oaks over the freeway and
worked less than 100 fpm to 3,100'. A shelf of thick higher clouds had come over
from the west and the ground was almost completely shaded.

John decided to head west 7 km to stay clear of the Ocala airspace and to get
under a forming cu. After he reported 200 fpm Mitch chased after him. I decided
to head west-northwest to get around the airspace to the south. The wind had
turned more south than south-southeast by this point. We were about 70 km out
from Quest Air and had been flying for not quite two hours.

Mitch missed the lift under John and landed next to one of our goal fields from
previous Quest Air competitions. John got high (4,500') and flew over the Ocala
airspace (which only goes up to 1,500' MSL). I nicked the south-west edge of it.

I had glided 10 km to the west-northwest and was looking at landing areas at
1,200' when I found some light lift and a few very friendly avian thermal
markers. 16 fpm turned into an average of 150 fpm and I was more than happy to
stay with it with John a few kilometers behind me. The ground continued to be
shaded as the sun got lower behind a mixture of clouds to the west.

The wind was now pushing me to the north-northeast at 11 mph, slightly away from
the Williston airfield to the north-northwest. John was high with goal at 18 to
1, but it was no longer down wind. I could only get to 2,800' before heading
toward the cu's to the north with nothing showing lift to the north-northwest.

I climbed to 3,800' west-northwest of Ocala at 170 fpm under a cloud street and
over dark ground. John was just ahead of me to the west trying to get closer to
the goal but out in the clear sky with no markers to tell him where there might
be any lift. It was not long before he was on the ground 3 km short of goal.

Farmers were burning a field to the north and east of John so I went for it. We
had all been in communication throughout the flight, which made it even more
pleasant and John had decided to not try for the rising smoke. I went there but
unfortunately I didn't find any lift.

I was now past the goal field to the north. I had hoped to get up over the fire
then race to the west to get to goal. That plan wasn't working out so I headed
northwest to get near the town of Williston for retrieval, given that the two
pilots that I was flying with were on the ground. It was after 4:30 pm and the
sun was low.

I found a massive horse farm, and flew way to its northwest corner so as not to
bother any horses. The field was perfect and as with John there was no wind when
landing.

January in Florida. It was an extremely pleasant day of flying with friends.
Quest Air attracts cross country pilots and while we will happily do closed
circuit tasks on light wind days, when it is blowing strong we head down wind.
Mitch has a trailer here at Quest as of today. John and Heather and Belinda and
I also live here. We are all happy to wake up in the morning and find ourselves
at the Quest Air Soaring Center.