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Wills Wing pilots - Jeff O'Brien, Jeff Shapiro, Dustin, Zac Majors

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Today's task and flight

The weather got back to the reason why we come here to south Florida, the
absolutely softest soaring and cross country tasks. With a forecast for cloud
base between 500' and 6000', cu's, light northerly winds, and lift at 500-600
fpm, we were ready for a big (125 km) out and return task (tomorrow we can go to
the northwest, maybe to the beach). We also called a good 45 km task for the
sport class to the east and then south, the task that they couldn't do the day
before.

We launched the sport class guys first, but it was too early for a bunch of them
and they had to relaunch again after the open class. Their time starts when they
cross the start cylinder, so it doesn't matter so much when they launch. We try
to make it as easy as possible on them.

I was off early again as per usual and I did pin off from Bobby Bailey at
1,000'. It was weak down low but I managed to climb out to cloud base at almost
4,500' with the lift getting progressively better as I got higher. I spent the
next hour quietly at cloudbase waiting for everyone to get ready to go at the
last start clock.

Fifteen minutes before the last start clock the lift gave out and we all spread
out to find the next thermal. I went one direction toward some thermaling pilots
and others went the other direction to a cloud. That turned on and now I was
down at 3,000' with pilots 1,500' over my head as the time ticked down and the
lift was weak. Jesus, why did I spend all that time and get nothing in return?
Of course, it was completely pleasant up there and I didn't have to wait in
line.

I was low at the start so I couldn't go with the first high guys. Very
disappointing. I had to struggle to get back into the game, and it would be very
hard to catch the fastest guys.

The first turnpoint was off to the west northwest on highway 29. The fast guys
were out there quickly working a few thermals to make the 14 km. Being behind I
could see thermals and gaggles ahead and that let me catch up with pilots who
started higher. I hooked up with Larry Bunner and half a dozen other pilots and
we found strong lift after the first turnpoint which made for a fast glide into
the second turnpoint. Past the turnpoint, Larry and I got down to 2,000' being
out in front, but found some good lift with help from the pilots behind us and
climbed to over 5,500'.

I could hear Dustin, Shapiro, O'Brien, and Zippy seven or eight kilometers out
in front and went on a long fast glide to try to get close to Shapiro. Gliding
fourteen kilometers in eleven minutes I came to the spot where Shapiro had
reported the lift. I found it after a couple of minutes searching and it got up
to 800 fpm to almost 6,000'. Jeff was just up the road three kilometers so I had
moved quickly to get as close as possible.

It was then a glide to the far turnpoint to the west and I got within less than
four kilometers I saw Julia leading the pack and coming back quickly. Followed
by Jonny, O'Brien, and four or five others. There was some lift at the
turnpoint, but not strong enough to hang out in for long so it was a six
kilometer glide down to 2000' to get under the cu's and back in the lift. There
were a couple of pilots around to help including Konrado.

I scooted southeast over to the cu where Steve Larson was turning in his green
Exxtacy. That was 400+fpm and got me to over 5,000'. I knew it would be a long
glide to the next cu's so I wanted to get as high as possible.

I went on glide with Larry Bunner co-incidentally just off to the north. I
headed east northeast to get under some clouds and he headed east southeast for
something that I didn't see if anything.

I came in under the weak looking cu's, low but didn't find anything. Konrado
blew by heading east and I decided to join up with him as two is better than
one. We were down to 1,500'. He found the lift quite a ways away from the road,
so I was happy that he did and we slowly climbed out as we drifted toward the
next turnpoint.

I left with him just above me and we got the turnpoint and headed out over a
difficult retrieval area at less than 2,000'. He flew through some lift and
didn't stop. I stopped as I wanted to at least be able to be retrieved. The lift
was only 200 fpm, but it got me high enough that I knew that I could make the
next road. I saw Konrado get lower and lower and then I lost sight of him.

Derrick Turner came in under me and I figured well at least I would have someone
to fly with making it back in difficult conditions. I was hearing from the boys
that they were getting close to goal and we weren't that far back.

Derrick and I flew over to Konrado who had indeed gotten very low and was
working himself back up in a good thermal. We joined him and finally the good
lift came up to us and we climbed above him to 5,400' before heading toward the
last turnpoint. Three pilots came in way below us. Derrick and I spread out, him
to the right of the clouds me under the first set but him under the next set.
Konrado took a route further to the west to head for some other clouds that he
saw building.

Derrick and I loss lots of altitude not finding any lift, but taking the
turnpoint and then heading west down highway 78 with no or few cu's nearby to
give us any guidance to where the lift was and down to 2,200'. Konrado in the
meantime found convergence or something like that, flew south and then over to
the turnpoint with little lost of altitude and then continued on toward goal.

Derrick and I struggled in zero sink hoping for something to turn on. Then
Derrick decided to risk it and head south over the canal. I followed then found
some good lift to the northeast of where he was turning. This was over 200 fpm,
which at the time felt very strong. This got us high enough to make goal as we
were only thirteen kilometers out.

Jonny was the first pilot in by about five minutes. Dustin, O'Brien, Shapiro and
Zac came in a bit later. Zac got low on final five kilometers out and had to
thermal back up.