http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/para/flightinfo.html?flightId=-1615386405

We're here in Austin, Texas having not gone to Zapata given the multiple
disasters there that the WRE (World Record Encampment) turned into when the tug
pilot didn't make the start date (21st of June) and then Alex (the first named
hurricane of the season) came through and soaked the place. After watching a
week of incredible flying weather (and no way to get into the air - could have
gone to Packsaddle, I suppose), and then a week of disrupted weather due in part
to the hurricane, Sunday looked like it would be possible. The forecast was for
a forty percent chance of rain to our east, but the sky looked pretty good above
the morning overrun when I got up at 7 AM.

Gregg Ludwig had written earlier in the week to invite us out to his club's
towing site at the airfield just south of Columbus, Texas. It's an hour and a
half east southeast of the east side of Austin where we are staying and half way
to Houston. Most of the club members are from the Houston area with Gregg ninety
miles away coming from "The Woodlands."

The club site consists of a small hangar that they own sitting on a rental pad
at $600/year at the small paved general aviation airfield. The Civil Air Patrol
has the hangar next to them. Inside the hangar is a Toucan trike with a
Northwing wing. The wing has a new sail.

When we got there a little before 10 AM much of the ground around the hangar was
soaked from the rains of the previous day. I had watched them on the
radar.
The forecast for Sunday showed rain to the west of Austin, but it looked good to
the east. The sunrise satellite photo showed high clouds over us in Austin, but
a nice big clear spot over Columbus to the coast and to the north to almost
Dallas.

The hangar is big enough to house club members' gliders, four carts, and lots of
accessories in addition to the trike with its wing on. It's right next to the
taxi way and it is a short distance to where the taxi way intersects the runway.
They launch from the runway at the intersection. There are tires around the
runway lights so the carts don't take them out.

The cu's were lined up right down the runway (and taxi way) as forecasted. The
winds weren't as strong as the forecasted 22 mph (average though the boundary layer at 2
PM), so it was pleasant on the ground.

The cloud streets were inviting but they seemed awfully low. It was early, so I
was hoping to wait before I took off. My goal was to head north and around the
west side of the Dallas/Forth Worth airspace. I had all the applicable waypoints
in the 6030 so that I could avoid the airspaces, which really didn't look like
much of a problem.

The winds were generally out of the south southeast which is the direction we
like here. It means that there was a high pressure out in the Gulf. It is the
direction that pushes us away from the water and up into the higher ground. It
is also the direction that gets us around Dallas/Fort Worth.

One local club member got pulled up at noon and I decided to go after him. Four
other pilots were still setting up behind me.

Gregg, who was thankfully tugging, not flying on this day, pulled me up into the
wind. The runway is aimed at 150 degrees. He pulled me up at 12:18 PM.

I held on until I was at cloud base at 3,500' AGL. The elevation of the airfield
is about 300'. Looking out to the south it is clear that we were on a vast flat
open low lying plane. Due to all the rain this year it bright green. Plenty of
landing places, but it would be hard to go in that direction (to the south)
given the winds. I was measuring eighteen mph.

After pulling the pin I headed north northwest to get under the cloud street
just to the east of the airfield. I found 65 fpm and climbed back to cloud base
and touched the misty bits. The cloud street stretched out before me straight to
the north northwest  and to the east of highway 71 which headed northwest
off toward Austin. Interstate 10 was below me going east/west.

There were plenty of trees ahead of me, but also plenty of good sized open
fields under the cloud street, so I didn't see any reason not to just follow the
street. The next thermal averaged 99.9 fpm and got me back to cloud base as did
the next one a short while later. I was just north of Columbus and 12 km into
the flight.

I had to go on a bit of glide to find the next thermal over the trees and down
to 2,300' AGL I found 101 fpm. Yup, the lift was weak, the winds were moderately
strong at sixteen to eighteen mph. I could only take the thermal back to 3,000'
AGL. Given that cloud base was so low, it is important to get as high as
possible in each thermal in order to improve your chances of finding the next
one. I always find it a bad sign if I can't get back to cloud base in these
conditions.

Down to 1,900' AGL twenty six kilometers into the flight I found the best lift
of the flight so far at 213 fpm. I saw bits of 300+ fpm on the twenty second
averager. But again I was not able to climb back up to cloud base. I was
watching the cu's above me and working them on the upwind side and mostly under
small wispies and not under the blackest clouds which don't seem to be working.

This turns out to be the last lift I found as I glided to the deck 40 km out
from where I pinned off. The farmer came out as I was hoisting the glider over
the fence and helped me out. He was happy to see me landing in his field. Said
come back any time. I hope to fly high over his field the next time.

With a low cloud base and weak lift it is real important to be as careful as
possible as if you miss one thermal you are on the ground quickly. As soon as I
got below 2,000' AGL I knew that my chances were slim. I searched around
watching the sky and the ground, but it was not to be.

Gregg reported later that the lift stayed weak (it rained hard yesterday) and
that the other pilots had limited success. Belinda saw Mick (the pilot who
launched after me) land back at the airfield before she went to chase me.

This site has great potential for long cross country flights to the north
northwest.

This friendly gal (about three inches across) was on the fence next to me as I
broke down:

http://www.cirrusimage.com/spider_argiope_aurantia.htm