http://ozreport.com/2007ecc.php

The forecast was for westerly winds, around 10 knots. We were supposed to set temperature records at over 95 degrees with very high humidity. It looked like it would be better to be in the air than on the ground.

We called a 89 km dogleg task to the southeast, back to a goal, Bunti, that we had used a few days before. At least some folks would be familiar with it. We threw in a turn point to add a little more difficulty to the task.

The RUC forecast said that it was likely that there wouldn't be much if any cumulus development. This, as you know, is a non starter for competition pilots.

The wind technician went up and fell down. Adam, who towed him up, reported one small bump at 200 fpm. We had already delayed the task thirty minutes, so I decided to take off and Pete Lehmann was right behind me. There were no cu's nearby and the haze was thick from so much moisture in the air.

Zack towed me up and while at first there wasn't any lift, the sink was light so I had time to search around. I found zero sink, then 40 fpm and then a few minutes later it had turned to 100 fpm. By then the tug pilots had pulled enough pilots into the air that I had a crowd with me in the thermal. 100 fpm was feeling pretty good as we climbed out to 3,500'.

With Kraig Coomber on top, this was altitude enough to send us toward the edge of the start circle with thirteen minutes to go before the first start time. There were wispy cu's out beyond the edge of the start circle.

Our venture out didn't work. I, and I assume others, didn't find any lift. I scooted back toward the flight park, just in case I needed another tow. Fortunately I spotted a red tail hawk at about 700' actually turning circles, so I joined him at 900'. The lift was less than 100 fpm but at least it kept my options open. The rest of my leading gaggle came back to join me a few kilometers from Highland.

We worked the weak stuff until we saw other pilots getting up nearby and joined them. It was still light and slow, but terribly enjoyable as we found a good core and got a few hundred foot jump on all the other pilots. This put Kraig and I in a good position as everyone headed out on course, now twelve minutes after the last start time.

There were cu's ahead, but too far away to just glide to. But we found lift quite soon, still inside the start circle and climbed to 3,800'. We were feeling pretty good about the day given the the air was like pea soup and the lift was weak and low. The winds were light also, not the ten knots out of the west, but six mph right down the course line.

I figured that I could make it to the first cloud and ran out in front with Kraig high just behind me. We found good lift under the cu and this put us out alone and in front of everyone. We climbed up and spread out to work together to find the lift.

The sink was light and the lift was reasonable under the cu's as we jumped from one to the next. I was averaging 300 fpm and could climb up and catch Kraig. We took turns leading and always spread out to double our chances.

Fifteen kilometers out from the turnpoint (a closed paved runway near the highway), we had a ten kilometer run with no lift. I took a line to the right and found more sink than Kraig, so came in over the weak lift at 900'. It was 130 fpm back to 4,000' with the wind at more than 90 degrees to the course line now. Kraig was smart and stayed in the thermal until he got to 5,200'. But then he went on glide and didn't hit anything else landing 18 kilometers from goal.

As I climbed up below him, Larry Bunner and another pilot came in below me. We hadn't seen any other pilots (in the haze) since the second thermal. When I left Larry and the other pilot were still way low and slowly climbing.

Like Kraig, I went on glide and the prospects looked dim. Kraig went to the east of the course line along the highway. I went right on the course hoping to find lift under the wispy clouds ahead, but wasn't finding anything. I went for a dry field and saw a hawk circling next to a radio tower. I joined him and we very slowly climbed up from, well, 900' once again.

With the wind blowing from the west south west I drifted over cleared areas trying to find something strong enough to get me up. I had lots of birds for company, but they were just hanging onto whatever weak lift that they could find. I drifted back to the east over the highway toward some better looking clouds hoping for lift but not finding it.

Losing the birds I finally landed in a big soy bean field. About ten minutes later Sunny came and joined me. Perhaps he was that other pilot with Larry. I saw Larry circling about a kilometer away when I was with all the birds, and he landed three kilometers way 20 kilometers from goal.

Paul Kelley who has been patient won the day by going slow and staying high, his strategy every day. He landed about ten kilometers from goal. Since we have only made goal on one day, and Paul won that day getting out early, just behind me, racing has not played any part in the scoring.

I've been happy to be out in front every day (that happens when you launch early) and racing (with caution) to get to goal first. I feel that the race is to be won by racing (when conditions allow for this), and it is a bit of a fluke that I have called tasks that are just a little too difficult so that no one gets credit for racing.

Linda Salamone is in second. Again, not a fast pilot, but one who sticks with it and gets as far as possible.

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