https://airtribune.com/2018-quest-air-national-series/results

The forecast was for 11 mph west winds at the surface at 1 and 2 PM. Not too
strong, but from a direction that sometimes causes turbulence. Top of Lift to
5,000' with moderately good lift.

The west wind makes for interesting task choices as it pushes us toward the
Orland Class B airspace to the east of highway 27. The bottom of the airspace is
6,000' and it would be unlikely that we would get that high.

The task committee set a 35 kilometer exit circle around Leesburg airfield to
our north, giving us a few kilometers to the edge of the cylinder to the south
but tons of room east and west. With the 16 mph west wind at altitude there was
almost no chance that a pilot would be forced out of the start cylinder early.
The goal was the field north of Chalet Suzanne, on highway 27 64 kilometers to
the south.

I was pulled up in super smooth air, much smoother than most of the tows I get
here at Quest Air. Pinning off at 1,900' I found the air to be very pleasant
with no rowdiness at all and I climbed right away to 2,400'.

There was smoke coming from a fire to our west southwest and that seemed to
smooth out the turbulence. There were thin cu's just to the south of the smoke
line and they marked the lift.  Pushing west to get again under the cu's I
was down to 1,400' but there were plenty of thermal markers around and it wasn't
long before I was up to 4,200' and east of the Swiss Ski School.

Numerous pilots had gotten up and headed way west. I could not see them any
more. Obviously they were trying to get upwind to allow for a downwind glide out
of the start cylinder. Even though I was near cloud base I was not able to get
upwind to join them.

Climbing to 4,300' just east of highway 33 and south of Quest I took the first
start time with Philippe Michaud, a Canadian pilot. We would fly together for
much of the task. Soon, I didn't see any other pilots for a long time. Strange
to have a task with supposedly 76 pilots and I wondered where they all were.

Working south and dealing with the strong west wind, we worked lots of weak lift
for short periods. Continually drifting east we finally found 200 fpm over the
mines north of highway 474 which got us to 4,100'.

Heading over the Bronson mines/ranch territory south of 474, we were half way
between 33 and highway 27. They have threatened to fine us if we land on their
property and it is a long walk out behind locked gates. I was very careful to
stay up.

We worked weak lift. I know that Philippe is not as aware as I am of the
difficulties that we would face if we landed back in here. He headed west toward
the caretaker's house, where I have landed before, and and I saw him turning. I
chased after him. Turning in weak lift then moving south I found 400 fpm. We
climbed to 4,600'. No more worries about the Bronsons.

Heading to the southwest of Wallaby Ranch I was down to 1,900' pushing west
toward Old Grade Road. There were plenty of lines of east/west lift all along
the task and it was pretty easy to push upwind in them. Often you can see the
cu's marking the lift lines. I worked the cu's to 4,000' north of I4.

There was a small fire to the south of I4 and I was watching the formation on
and off of a haze dome to its east, downwind. Philippe had gone to it but I
didn't see him turning and then lost track of him. I headed for the haze dome, 

That move turned out to be a bust as there was no lift under the haze dome. Down
to 2,400' I headed upwind on a line of lift toward the smoke coming out of the
fire. I was getting 140:1 into a 16 mph breeze.

I spotted two white ibis circling by the fire and then further west. I followed
behind them. The lift was weak at the fire so I went to the cu that was forming
to the north. Yes, I was really back tracking but it was all blue to the south.

The cu's lift was only 100 fpm. I headed downwind after a double disappointment
and then found the lift downwind of the fire. It was almost 300 fpm to 4,900'.
Yes, the streets were there and working.

There were no cu's to the south and I was not happy with my prospects. Down to
1,900' south of Davenport I found 160 fpm to 2,900'. The lift stopped and I was
carefully watching my possible landing areas flying over lots and lots of groves
(blueberries?).

There were a few cu's ahead and I turned downwind to get under them, but didn't
find the lift. I was running out of landing options and checking out a field I
finally noticed that it was full of sprinkler heads. Thankfully there was
another empty field nearby. Ten kilometers short of goal.

Turned out it was part of a 250 acre blueberry farm (they were okay) and the
owner was vey friendly having worked previously at Cypress Gardens where they
did ski shows with delta wings.

Not all pilots found the launch conditions as benign as I did. Numerous pilots
chose not to fly. One pilot crashed on launch fracturing their wrist. The meet
director had the pilot taken to the emergency room  in Claremont by the
designated person.