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We stayed a second night in Americus, Georgia after the task was canceled and
Jamie felt it was a bit late to drive to Auburn. So we were back at Souther
field for a second task on Thursday.

The organization decided to launch us from the taxi way, the same way we do it
in Big Spring. It's paved, of course, so the pilots have to deal with the fact
that if you pile in, the pavement is less forgiving. The taxi way was mostly
into the wind, so that was a nice feature. The winds have been light and were
yesterday. In fact, the task yesterday was into the wind before it was canceled.

Given the westerly winds and the forecast for less chance of rain to the east on
Friday an Saturday the task committee decided to go to Vidalia with a turnpoint
at Dublin to keep us out of airspace (a class D air field with a top of air
space at 2,500'). This meant that we were committed to head to eastern Georgia
or even South Carolina and had no chance to make it to Lookout Mountain, always
our fantasy goal at the end of the Rally.

We had been committed to going west around the Atlanta airspace yesterday but
those plans were scuttled when the task was canceled. Looks like going east was
the better decision.

The task committee had us launching at noon with the first start time at one
o'clock. Two additional start times at 1:15 and 1:30. All the pilots were ready
around noon (unlike the previous day) at the east end of the taxiway. We were
towing across the main runway. Timothy Ettridge was on the local aircraft
frequency telling any incoming pilot about our activities.

I rolled out about 12:30 and was the fifth pilot to launch. The line filled up
quickly and all pilots were in the air before the first start time. The sky was
filled with cu's that started popping at noon.

At first the lift was only 200 to 300 fpm and it took a while to get near cloud
base at 5,500'. The NAM forecast had called for 6,500' at two o'clock and 8,500'
cloud base at five. Lift was predicted to average 500 to 600 fpm. The winds were
four to ten mph out of the west southwest.

It was easy to hang out near cloud base and wait for the gate to open. As I had
been in the air for an hour I was ready to go for the first clock. Also I wanted
to capture the leading bonus points by going early (as Jonny had done the
previous day).

Six minutes before one Dustin and Zippy headed fast away from everyone to the
north of the course line. I, for some strange reason, followed them, just like I
had followed Shapiro on the second day as he flew to Dustin. This was a disaster
as they didn't find any lift. I stopped in zero just at the edge of the start
cylinder as they continued going away from everyone else and getting lower.

Down to 4,200' and now on my own I started the task at the first start time.
Dustin and Zippy found nothing, came back to the pilots who would take the
second start time low and had to climb out to take the last start time at cloud
base.

I went on glide toward the forest ahead with some open areas in the middle.
There were plenty of cu's overhead as forecast, but I wasn't finding any lift. I
had to go over more forest and heading for a dark field under cu's I found weak
lift at 1,200' AGL. I had to hold on to keep from landing as I drifted slowly
toward the forest.

Losing the lift at 3,500' I had to go search over the forest before I found a
developing cu that produced weak lift, but enough to get me out over cultivated
fields. I was slow and low and alone, just where I didn't want to be.

There were widely space cu's ahead. I had been two kilometers north of the
course line and now running to cu's I was seven kilometers south of it. The lift
continued to be weak as I just held on from cu to cu hoping to find something
over 200 fpm.

I caught sight of a pilot high above me in a cu, and thought that I had been so
slow that this must be one of the later starting pilots. I continued to move
ahead in the weak lift. I could see a good cu over Unadilla, a town I remembered
was south of the course line. There were a couple of pilots high in the thermal
and when I got to it the lift was strong and smooth, up to 900 fpm. The day had
finally turned on for me at least.

After my initial struggle I began to race as I climbed over 6,000' and a little
later over 7,000' and gliding at 43-46 mph air speed, 48 to 50 mph over the
ground. It was cool up there but I wasn't high enough long enough to get that
cold. The cu's were spread out but there were enough of them to allow me to
connect the dots. I was catching and passing pilots. Zippy came in low below. He
would land fifty four kilometers out from goal.

I wasn't stopping for anything under 600 fpm and would leave lift if it got down
to 300 fpm. The lift was for the most part strong all the way to almost cloud
base. Half way into the task, Dustin was there with me after he spotted me
climbing.

After a few more thermals hanging with Dustin, we caught the lead gaggle (except
for Joe Bostik who started at the first clock and was alone twenty kilometers
out in front). Patrick Kruse and Tulio joined up with Dustin and I and the four
of use continued on slicing through most of the lead gaggle.

As we approached the turnpoint at Dublin after 120 kilometers Larry Bunner found
900 fpm before the rest of us and got a jump on us. We joined the thermal and
got plenty high before the turnpoint over the airport. We headed south east at
almost 7,000' with Dustin in the lead. Dustin, Tulio and then Patrick were
always just a little below me so I had a good view of the action.

With the day getting later and the cu's a few kilometers away we stopped for
weaker lift. Dustin went out a little further and found the next thermal to get
away from his three followers. We didn't really need Dustin, but it was nice to
fly with him for about fifty kilometers. Dustin is hard to lead as he leaves
early. Dustin was always gliding fast, in the mid to upper 40 mph.

We kept hitting the good lift and saw Paris below racing ahead. Paris gradually
almost caught up to us and at seventeen kilometers out from Vidalia airfield he
went on glide from below. We were climbing at 450 fpm to 7,000' and elected to
stay in it. We would have to cross the town to get to the airport and I didn't
want to go over the town low. I was on top of our little lead gaggle.

It was a well mannered glide into goal with not too much sink or lift. Paris had
to take a few extra turns for safety but made it just before me. I was in early
with Tulio and Patrick just behind. Dustin, Joe, Jochen, Larry, Curt and Paris
got in before us.

About forty pilots made it into goal later. Joe Bostik was the first in. Jonny
came in shortly after me also taking the last clock.

The cu's in the sky said that we could have flown for another hour. I was in the
air for five hours. It was 194 kilometer task.