https://airtribune.com/2018-quest-air-cross-country/blog__day_11

https://airtribune.com/play/3076/2d

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:davisstraub/21.2.2018/18:05

Larry Bunner called for a zig zag task north up the state to the Leeward
airfield. The RAP forecast was for strong southeast winds (12 - 15 mph at
2,000') while the NAM forecast was for slightly less winds east southeast. The
task would give us a couple of cross wind legs against strong winds. The lift
looked good on both forecasts - 400-600 fpm. Top of Lift around 5,000'. So a
reasonably strong day to fight against the strong winds.

There were plenty of cu's from early in the morning, which is almost always true
when there is a south component to the winds. This would be the second high
temperature record day in a row for Orlando.

I launched to the southeast at 1 PM into a 5 - 10 mph east northeast wind which
brought about a bumpy tow. I pinned off in lift and climbed up at a broken 90
fpm in a 17 mph wind which took me to the west northwest toward the turnpoint at
Center Hill. I was quite willing just to hang in weak lift to let Larry catch up
with me. John and Rob took way too long to get launched so I wasn't going to be
able to fly with them it appeared.

Southeast of Center Hill I found 330 fpm to 4,300'. Larry was just to my east
about three kilometers at 1,800' working 100 fpm. John and Rob were behind him.
I was plenty high taking the turnpoint at Center Hill and heading toward Baron
airfield to the north northeast.

I started climbing a few kilometers along the course line at a little less than
200 fpm as I drifted back to the northwest in a 10 mph wind toward a large
forested area. I was able to get back to 3,600' which allowed me to just cross
another forested area and find 330 fpm over the large open areas south of the
Turnpike to 3,800'.

Larry, Rob, and John got to the turnpoint and headed stronger east than I had to
avoid getting near the forest. They were working broken lift near the course
line as I was pushed by a 15 mph to the northwest away from it. Rob soon landed
14 km from Baron.

Off course, and down wind of it I headed parallel to the course line toward the
next cloud street which like the others that we had encountered were forming
from the east southeast.  Down to 1,900' southeast of the Okahumpka service
plaza on the Turnpike I hooked into a thermal averaging 450 fpm in a 15 mph
wind. I took it to cloud base at 4,600' 5 km from Baron. John and Larry were 6
km behind me.

I was west southwest of Baron and needed to go upwind to get to it. The idea was
to stay under the best looking cu's that represented the cloud street to cut
down on the sink while pushing into the wind. I made Baron at 2,000' and went
for a cu to the southeast in the middle of a swamp.  There was a farm in
the middle of this swamp, so there was a place to land. I was down to 1,500'.

High tension power lines to my west. High voltage transformer station to my
northwest and more high tension lines. Another swamp to my west, downwind. Swamp
all around me. I worked zero or slightly negative lift to try to stay up. I then
found 15 fpm and stayed with that. John and Larry were catching up with me as I
struggled.

Crossing the power lines and getting over open range land to the southwest I was
down to 1,200'. I found broken lift that averaged a little over 200 fpm with the
15 mph wind. I was moving over open ground and with the lift I hung on. It
greatly improved as I drifted west to almost 700 fpm and I climbed to 4,600'.

John was to my north gliding at 3,000'. He knew that I was climbing but didn't
want to head south to get under me. Larry came in under as I headed out to the
northwest.

John, down to 1,300', found strong lift, maybe 500 fpm. I was right behind him
and much higher. I came in at 2,200' and we climbed up to 4,400' in an almost
400 fpm average thermal with a 14 mph wind. This was the first actually smooth
thermal of the day. Tight turns and lift throughout the complete turn. It was
starting to get very pleasant.

We headed north, John a little bit north northeast where he found a thermal just
upwind of the Savanna turnpoint. I got the turnpoint and then came in under
John. We climbed at 260 fpm to 4,400' in a 13 mph east southeast wind as John
got the turnpoint in the thermal.

The goal just south of the Leeward airfield (we are not allowed to land as this
private airfield), was on the other side of the town of Bellevue. We had to
cross over a populated area to get over to the open landing area. Plenty of
trees. I was keeping my eyes open.

John called out lift to my east and it was easy to spot him. We climbed to
4,000' at 250 fpm as Larry came in under us. John headed out first as he was a
few hundred feet over me. I waited until it was 9 to 1 to get to goal given that
there would continue to be a strong east wind although it measured only 8 mph in
this thermal.

I was able to get a bit over 10 to 1 over the 12 kilometers into goal although I
saw lots of 7 to 1 on the way in. Larry was right behind me. Made goal with
700'.

Don Spratt, who was driving for us, had a Union Jack wind sock out to show us
how to land. Much appreciated. The field had regularly spaced irrigation nozzles
on concrete cylinders, so one needed to land up the alley ways.

We demonstrated that even with a strong wind pilots could successfully fly
against it and make turnpoints, if the lift conditions and cu's were good.