There are pilots galore here at Forbes, some taking the cross
country clinic, some getting their aerotow endorsement, and the majority here to
free fly and get ready for the upcoming competition starting the 2nd of January,
Sunday. Americans are starting to show up, and there are lots of international
pilots here, Swiss, Italian, German, etc.

After messing around for a couple of days, pilots started hankering for a task.
With Jonny, Curt and the students heading north for a 109 km triangular task,
other pilots decided that looked like a pretty good task for them also. Attila
started early on a 350 km FAI triangle task.

For some reason most pilots didn't get going when there was no one else in line,
then they all lined up and it took a while to get the students first into the
air as we trained a new tow pilot, and pulled another pilot out of an adjoining
field. The students were long gone on their task before many of the rest of us
got going.

Unlike the first two days, it was blue day, with a line of cu's about fifty km
to the northwest. But the lift was still smooth and strong, and we got up to
8,000'. The winds were strong up above, at fourteen to sixteen mph out of the
south, which made for a very slow return leg.

I headed out with a couple of other pilots and there was plenty of carnage below
as we were drifting to the north high after a strong climb over the airfield. We
basically glided until we found 500 fpm (on average) climb rates. With the
strong tail wind and strong lift and high top of the lift it was easy to get to
the Bogan Gate and then the Trundle turnpoints. I found a sweet thermal just
before the Trundle turnpoint and climbed in it drifting into the turnpoint.

After turning around and heading back, everything slowed way down. I was getting
an L/D of six. But the lift was still strong. It just took forever to get
anywhere, flying at forty five mph and going thirty three mph over the ground. A
couple of pilots joined up with me and we spread out to search for lift as we
waddled to the south.

It was getting late, as we had launched after 3 PM. Past Bogan Gate, we went
down the ridge line only to find weak lift along the way. We were no longer able
to get high and lift averaged less than 200 fpm. The lift was broken and not as
smooth.

I was able to get within ten kilometers of the airfield. I didn't hear how the
other pilots did.

The Moyes Litespeed RS 3.5 is flying well and I'm exercising the VG line
vigorously. There is no way to fly it with the VG off, unless I'm thermaling.
I've got to have it at least half on, and it doesn't really feel comfortable
until it is at full VG or at least close to that. The bar pressure goes way
down, and the bar position is much more comfortable.

I have opened up the Covert's shoulder straps quite far. The right shoulder says
that that is fine. The left shoulder feels that it isn't enough yet. I'll work
more on that tomorrow.