On Monday RAP was forecasting 15 mph out of the west southwest at
4,000' at four o'clock and pretty consistent all day with the wind turning more
westerly later in the day. This made for a task that would keep us fairly close
to highway 33 (the north south highway that runs by Quest Air). We could fight a
strong cross wind on a number of tasks and not be far from Quest if we were to
land out. There was no need to do a zig zag to the north as the south component
was the minor component and would be reduced during the day. We could come back
to Quest, always our preference.

I came up with a short task, given the call on the wind, north northeast to
Gators field, then to the intersection of the Turnpike and highway 33, and back
to Quest, only a 44 km task.

https://airtribune.com/2018-quest-air-cross-country/blog__day_15

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:davisstraub/26.2.2018/18:52

Despite the complaints that the task would be too short we stuck with it. All the
discussion and concern about the winds made it so although I was first to launch
it wasn't until almost 2 PM. We decided to launch from the northeast corner into
the 15 mph southwest wind. This kept us well away from the tree lines and the
accompanying turbulence.

Because we have moved the trike hangar further to the northeast there is plenty
of room for a nice launch to the southwest far to the east of the main north
south runway. Zenya pulled me up without a problem. There was no turbulence.
Throughout the flight there was little turbulence despite the wind.

I held on until 3,000' as we very slowly approached one of the very few cu's,
and all of them were tiny. I got off before we got there figuring with all this
height it would not be a problem getting to the cloud. That proved to be
correct. My rule in wind is stay on longer to get more chances to stay up.
Sometimes I actually follow that rule.

The upwind/southwest edge of the cu proved to be working, and I climbed to
5,000' drifting a little over 4 kilometers to the northeast. Larry was towed up
right behind me and John Simon was towed up under me and we found 400 fpm. Next
was JD Guillemette. Larry was finding lift to the west of Quest west of highway
33.

John and I headed west and all four of us got together northwest of Quest Air.
John and I climbed to 5,700' and headed out in the lead to the north northeast
toward Gators air field. The sky had filled up with cu's which were quite scarce
when I launched, so it looked good ahead. We found 400 fpm just two kilometers
short of the turnpoint and left with 5,400'.

John was higher and in the lead as we headed to the west northwest, always
trying to maximize our course into the westerly component of the wind. We were
also heading for better looking clouds to the west.

I was down to 1,500' searching over sunlit ground and under cu's when John found
200 fpm to my north and back a bit. That turned into 250 fpm to 4,100'. Larry
and JD joined us.

We all headed for the turnpoint at the Turnpike and highway 33 and three of us
got low shading further to the south of Turnpike. I was down to 1,400' as was
Larry and John was down to 1,200'. I found some weak lift and started circling
as did Larry and John.

JD who did not push nearly as far south into the wind found the good lift just
south of the Turnpike, north of all of us and after he called out we were all
able to climb up and then join up under him.

JD left when he got to 6,100' and headed south down 33 with John below him at
5,500' also heading south. Larry and I climbed to 5,400' and headed southwest to
a nice looking cu. I had a much better lifting line than he did trying to get
further south to the leading edge of the clouds. He found 350 fpm just a little
bit to my north so I joined him and we climbed from 2,500' to 5,500' drifting
back only 2.7 kilometers before I got to cloud base.

We headed out with Larry a few hundred feet below on our final glide to goal
from 18 kilometers out.  The wind was still 12 to 15 mph out of the west
southwest so the head wind component was fairly small. It was a 9 to 1 glide to
goal.

Larry got lower and lower as he lead out and I was wondering if he had enough
altitude to make it. He shaded off to the west east of Mascotte just before I
came upon a bunch of lift. There was no reason to turn in it as I had goal made
so I didn't. Larry took a few turns to my west and then headed straight for
goal.

John and JD were out in front of us and did not head off to the southwest as
Larry and I had but headed straight down highway 33. John got below 2,000'
before finding lift. JD was making it with no problem but stopped at 3,900' when
he was plenty high on final glide and left that thermal with 4,500'. He was by
far the first into goal.