http://skyout.blogspot.com/



http://www.jonnydurand.blogspot.com/



http://naughtylawyertravels.blogspot.com/



http://hang6.blogspot.com/



http://gottafly.blogspot.com/



http://lucasridley.blogspot.com



http://ozreport.com/tweets.php



Results here:



flex wing: http://soaringspot.com/flytec2009/



rigid: http://soaringspot.com/flytecr2009/



The weather forecast was blotchy. Plenty of lift in one place and no lift nearby
all for no good reason (like clouds overhead). A high cloud base in one location
and low nearby, again for no good reason. The winds were forecasted to be
northeast down low and southwest above 2,000'. This didn't make any sense. It
was forecasted to go west around 3 PM, and that seems reasonable.



Also the RUC/Dr. Jack forecast called for no cu's, which made for a difficult
task call. But then again the ground temperature forecasted by the RUC was much
lower than the local NWS forecast which was also lower than what we actually
experienced (so we indeed did get a few cu's).



We called a 140 km out and return task to the north northwest knowing that it
would be difficult. We had some options to shorten the distance, but none of the
pilots called for that.



We moved the launch to the eastern side of Quest Air and headed into the
predominant west wind (see the bad forecast above) looking for a start time of
1:45 PM. We had tried for an earlier start time (1:15 PM) hoping to get back
before any sea breeze (not forecasted) came up.



I was off at 12:30 right after James Stinnet and Campbell Bowen in their rigid
wings. And just then a small cu formed near Quest Air. It was a hopeful sign.



There was actually plenty of lift and it was not a problem to get over 5,500'.
We had a long wait until the task opened. I found myself outside the start
circle with Carl Wallbank, but we weren't getting great lift, so we headed back
inside and climbed back to 5,700' getting ready for the first start, but no one
wanted to go then. We had to go back and get the second start time.



By the second time I had to start lower than most down to 4,000', but I headed
to the northwest upwind of the course line toward small cu's that were forming
while most pilots followed along the course line.



This turned out to be a winning strategy as I found strong lift near Center Hill
and to the south of the prison complex south of the Turnpike. I was in contact
with Zippy, and the Jeff's and caught up with an to them just south of Wildwood.




There were scattered cu's and strong lift. We were able to get over 6,000' and
there were a few cu's ahead for a short ways, but after that it was blue.



After a strong climb I got out in front and down low found a thermal at 1,900'
just east of the truck weigh station on I75. I reported 400 fpm and soon had a
bunch of friends, but they were almost all above me. There was a 9 mph wind out
of the west and we drifted away from our path away the turnpoint.



Without cu's and a strong west wind it was a struggle to get to the turnpoint to
the northwest. It would have been great to be high going into the turnpoint at
the Shady airfield, but I didn't have that luxury. I found lift at 1,800' after
taking the turnpoint and climbed out, but only to 4,400'.



Running south east I found better lift and climbed to 5,300', but it was all
blue ahead as the west wind was clearing out the cu's and it was getting late in
the day (4:40 PM). I came in under Zippy and the Jeff's but only got to 3,400'.
Not finding the lift over the villages, I landed just south of them 39 km from
goal.



Zippy, the Jeff's, Jonny Durand and Glen Volk struggled on in the blue. O'Brien
said it was grueling. He picked up a thermal at 925 feet just south of the
Turnpike and west of highway 33 (which goes to Quest). For the next seventeen
minutes he climbed to 3,130' drifting down the Turnpike and getting downwind of
highway 33. He was able to take two more climbs and make it into goal first.



Jonny came in a few seconds behind him, but won the day as he started 15 minutes
later and caught us northwest of Wildwood on the way out. Zippy, who had been in
first place, landed just short of the goal, but Glen Volk who was in second
place made it in.



This finish allowed Glen overtake Zac by eight points to win the meet.

http://OzReport.com/1241963621