32.881678,-111.854982,Francisco Grande, Casa Grande, Arizona,
USA

Friday, September 23rd, the
sixth day of the Santa
Cruz Flats Race started off quite weak, but then it turned on, especially in
the mountains, but just as soon turned completely off.

You can never be sure just what you are going to experience in the air. You may
find weak conditions for a while, then much better, then something totally
different, and some times it is not at all clear why. Being flexible and ready
to change your approach quickly as conditions change is easy to say, but hard to
do.

Now this is a day in which I should have prepared with a flight plan. What did I
need to accomplish on this day? Since I was not in the top spot I needed to
think about what I could do to out fly the rest of the pilots. I shouldn't just
stayed with them. Yes, I know that this contradicts what I've said earlier, sort
of. But to gain on them substantially (if at all) I needed to get way out in
front and alone. But I wasn't thinking about this in advance.

The lift was weak at first and this meant that we all hung around a half hour
two long before creeping out on the course line. This cut down the length of
soarable time that we would have to complete the course. Not just my problem,
but everyone's.

The lift was weak on the course also. Even when Dustin and I split off to go
over two dust devils we got nothing but came back toward the gaggle to find
better lift than what we had left (but now lower).

I left the largest part of the gaggle with Larry around me heading for Ricker
who had started fifteen minutes earlier. We missed the better lift that the
gaggle found behind us. Larry found a better line and was soon above me as we
got to the turnpoint at Estrella.

Now I was feeling bad as I was being left behind. I even left good lift to go to
Larry and not find his 700 fpm. I was probably already in it. I had felt good
earlier before I left all my friends who were now doing so much better.

I recovered to get back on track but now way behind. The mountains were there
next to me and I climbed up in the fantastic smooth, powerful, lift but not to
altitudes required to make it in to goal when there proved to be no lift away
from the mountains on the way back to goal. I was just not willing to get that
cold.