I don't have a track log as for the first time I have had a
problem with my Flytec 6030 and the positions didn't appear to be recorded
(although the altitudes did but the time markers were wrong). I will send it in
in the morning to Steve Kroop http://flytec.com for repairs (board replacement, I assume).

The NAM, GFS and RUC forecasts looked moderately good for an attempt at the East
Coast record (283 miles) with east southeast wind turning to south east or maybe
even south southeast as one went further north.

It looked like a good day to go up Interstate 75 into Georgia. I had the glider
already set up so I was ready to go early in the morning. There were plenty of
good looking cu's at 9 AM, but the wind was awfully east and strong which wasn't
that encouraging.

I went out onto the runway and measured only 5 or 6 mph, so I figured that the
blowing trees were just some illusion. Paul Tjaden towed me up at 10:30 AM as it
looked like the cu's would stick this time. I let him pull me to cloud base at
about 3,100'. The tow was super smooth and we didn't find any lift to speak of.

There wasn't any lift at the first cloud so I headed downwind to Groveland as
there were cu's every where and they were also streeting up. I found light lift
and stayed with it to cloud base. The wind was 17 to 18 mph out of the
southeast. Ah, I remember this, this is just like Zapata, circle and circle and
circle in the light lift and let the wind send you down the course line.

The cu's at 10:30 AM.

And that is how it went as I did little to no actual gliding, but circling and
searching and feeling out the air under cu's to find any lift at all. I often
thermalled in much less than 100 fpm, but the point was to stay up or get high
enough to get over the next barrier (forest, suburb, whatever). I did jump a few
streets to get further north, but found lift as soon as I got to the next
street. The wind was too east at first.

The wind turned to south southeast fairly quickly and I would head north if I
could to get to the next cloud as opposed to northwest or north northwest. Then
I would drift further west in the thermal.

It took about an hour to get up to the Turnpike and Wildwood where Interstate 75
intersects the Turnpike.

The cu's at 11:30 AM.

There were plenty of cu's ahead and I could see bits of cloud streets. I did get
down below 2,000' a few times and have to search about and work weak lift, but I
was staying up and working to get high enough to get over the approaching forest
and houses.

I worked west of the Ocala airport over open fields as I didn't want to have any
distractions (like thinking about a place to land) so that I could just work the
light lift in comfort and do my best to enjoy the pleasant air. But the air
wasn't all that pleasant even though the lift was weak I kept getting tossed
about.

The cu's at 12:30 PM. The streets are visible.

I was headed toward Williston up highway 27 west of Interstate 75. We had just
had a task to Williston from Quest in the Flytec Race and Rally and as I've
flown in this area many times I was very familiar with it.

For the first time, as I approached Williston, I wasn't able to climb back to
cloud base. I headed over a forest to get under a dark cloud but I was losing
height quickly.

The cu's as 1:30 PM.

Down to 1,000', at the north end of the forest over a tall radio tower and
looking at the fields just beyond for a landing stop I lucked into a thermal, in
fact the best thermal of the day and took it back to cloud base, over 4,000'.
Previously the thermals were weak and/or broken. This was the first thermal that
actually provided 200+ fpm throughout each turn. As I climbed up it increased in
strength.

As I headed north from Williston toward Archer I was continually checking the
streets and cu's. I had been flying the cu's during the whole flight and they
were working for me. I was willing to follow the streets wherever they lead.

Belinda mentioned on the radio that it was quiet, hot and muggy in Williston. At
Quest the air had been dry and it was cooler. I could see all the moisture in
the air especially to the west toward the Gulf. The visibility was much reduced
and I could barely see Gainesville to the east. The wind had decreased from 16
mph down to six to eight mph in the air and less on the ground. This was
forecasted, and I attributed it to convergence from the west coast.

Also the sunny ground was disappearing. Previously I had lots of sun on the
ground and I would choose sunny spots on the windward side of clouds as likely
sources of lift, or I would go right under the darkest part of the cloud over
the shaded ground and find lift. Now the sky was turning grey, mottled from cu's
that seem to have spread out and have less form.

I could still see cloud streets, but now there was just grey between them and
the streets were less well defined.

The cu's at 2:30 PM.

As I headed north from Archer I saw that all the ground was shaded ahead. I was
at cloud base and headed for the next cu in the street, but all the clouds were
now mushed together. I was in that white blob area that you see in the satellite
photo above.

I got down a ways from cloud base and all I could see was shaded ground and grey
sky above. The cloud streets were almost indistinguishable from the flotsam and
jetsam of left over clouds. I came in low over Newberry, didn't find anything
then headed north for the big fields hoping for a last minute reprieve which
didn't come. I landed 91 miles out from Quest Air next to highway 27 at about
2:40 PM.

Half an hour after I landed, the sky began to open up again, at least near me.

The cu's and 3:30 PM.

And, of course as we headed south, it was all open with lovely cu's every where.

The cu's at 4:30 PM.

The cu's lasted up into Georgia for four hours after I landed.

This is a fun way to fly, flying in really light lift and just feeling out the
air and working for each thermal. It's great to start early and go as far as
possible. Sometimes it all comes together and sometimes there is a blob in the
way.