http://soaringspot.com/2011rk/

http://skyout.blogspot.com/

http://flyingjochen.blogspot.com/

The RUC and the NAM forecast were calling for six to eight knots of east wind
but the local NWS forecast was calling for fourteen to sixteen gusting to
eighteen, so we came up with a light wind task and a strong wind task.
Fortunately the winds were light on launch so we went with the light wind task,
an out and basically return to the Lake Placid airfield. A 119 kilometer task
that would take us to the north northwest then back to the south southwest to
highway 80. Retrieval was much easier than the first three days.

There were cu's scattered about the Florida Ridge and with the light winds the
thermals were well developed. Pilots were getting up right away. I pinned off
early as there was too much motion on tow so I figured the air was active.

I climbed to 4,200' just above Paris just west of the Ridge. Jochen was out to
the north northeast having launched earlier. Paris headed off to the north
northwest and I headed north in a vain attempt to stay upwind of the course line
and get under a good looking cloud. That didn't work out and I was discussing
with myself why I didn't just follow Paris as he was below me.

I flew back southwest to get under the cloud that Paris had flown to where there
were a number of pilots climbing. I joined in the fun climbing to 4,300' before
heading north to the next good looking cloud in the ten kilometer start
cylinder. That got Tulio and I to 4,200' and I followed him to the northeast to
the next climb just inside the start circle.

This particular thermal and cu were very popular, with Jonny, Dustin, Paris,
Tulio and I in it along with a dozen other pilots. We topped out at 4,400' just
as the second clock was ticking over. It was time to go and most of us did.
Dustin did but then went back when all the pilots that he was trying to cover
stayed back. We were just south of the intersection of highway 29 and 27.

With about a dozen pilots going we raced to the next cu. A number of the pilots
stopped for poor lift but I kept going until I found 300+ fpm in very rough air.
I got an l/d of 22:1 on the first glide and 26:1 on the next one. The air must
have been buoyant.

I could see Jamie Stinnett, Tulio Gervasoni, and Paris Williams and a few other
pilots far below me heading out in front of me as I left the other pilots behind
in the weak lift that they chose. Just past the intersection They started
turning with me above them but in much lighter lift than the 900 fpm bubble that
they were in below. We all joined up

Now flying together and working together we headed north into the blue. The
forecast had called for a likely blue day so it was great to see the cumulus
clouds down by the Ridge but now there were gone. Still we were able to find
lift, as one point 400+ fpm to over 6,000' out over the green pasture lands west
of highway 27 and south of our turnpoint at the airfield.

Derreck Turner joined us and started doing a lot of the pulling, but everyone
was aggressive and willing to go at a moment's notice. No leader was ever left
alone without a buddy to help out. Derreck had to come back for lift a couple of
times as did Paris. It took a little over an hour to do the forty five
kilometers.

The lead gaggle, small as it was, about half a dozen pilots were well ahead of
all the other pilots that started at the second clock. After the turnpoint we
headed back into the blue knowing that we could find lift there but hoping for
cu's. There were a set of cu's off to the west southwest and we all decided to
head for them.

It was an eight kilometer glide which put us down to 2,200' over territory that
just had a few dirt roads. We were a long way from an easy retrieval if we went
down. I was on the radio to Jochen who I had last seen low going into the
turnpoint with Julia as we headed southwest telling him where we had gone for
lift. Later he would come in there even lower.

Paris Tulio and I found the lift and James and Franco and Derreck joined up from
below. The lead gaggle was leading and tearing up the sky.

Paris and Tulio got just a little higher faster than Derreck and I and so we got
dropped as we two climbed to cloudbase at 6,200' at 350 fpm. I left and Derreck
left a few turns later but was soon out in front and lower. I followed him
straight south just to have someone to play with. We were racing to the next
cu's over the huge plantation to the south.

We caught up with Paris and Tulio but they were a couple of kilometers to our
west. Over the plantation under a good black cu Derreck and I climbed up. I was
continually just above Derreck. Down below we could see Curt Warren very low
over the plantation hunting for lift searching all over for it. It looked quite
scary from our view point as there were few landing options. He finally found
strong lift.

 We climbed to 6,700' and Derreck wanted to continue heading south so I
went with him. It was now either Paris or Derreck and I in the lead. The other
pilots in the gaggle were just following below us at this point.

We worked weak lift to 5,200' and Curt came in under us but not too far under.
Derreck kept pushing south even though our goal with now off to the south south
west. Twenty kilometers out with positive numbers on the flight computer and
with Curt and Derreck and another pilot below and behind me I decided to head
more directly toward goal, going out on my own for the first time in the flight.
The sky was now full of cu's and there were plenty of lift opportunities between
me and the goal.

Big mistake. I had been using Derreck as my rabbit and sniffer dog letting him
find the lift area and then going into the area to find even the better core,
which he appreciated as he would then join me. Now I had to get to goal on my
own. Derreck was enjoying the north/south line and wanted to stay on it.

I went from 5,200' down to 1,000' with James Stinnett following me. Fortunately 
there was a little lift down there and with James' help I found a core, but
didn't get into the good stuff until a bit later. All in all spent twenty
minutes in rescue mode.

I then circling up in 500+ to 5,000' twelve kilometers out, which was overkill
to say the least.

I had had an opportunity to be among the top three or four into goal but blew it
and arrived later. After a spectacular run with Paris, Tulio  and Derreck
and other leading gaggle pilots, I had bumbled at the last minute when all I had
to do was continue what I had been doing, flying with other pilots who wanted to
go fast.

Jonny Durand took the fourth clock after getting low for the third one. He
apparently quickly almost caught Jeff Shapiro who took the third clock. Dustin
took the fourth clock but lost nineteen minutes on Jonny. Everyone that Dustin
was flying with, including Andre Wolf, landed out in the difficult to retrieve
area.

Paris dropped Tulio when Tulio missed a thermal and it took him a while to make
it into goal. Paris and Curt were the first ones into goal.