The timing for Wallaby's Wills Wing Fly-In was perfect. Flying has been excellent for the last two days and promises to continue for at least two more. Bruce E.,Pete L., JR, John Middleton and all the others who came down are being rewarded with great flying weather. Yesterday, we just flew from Wallaby back to Quest. Could have been much more but my flying muscles are not hard yet due to the sporadic weather we have had lately. Bruce is loving his VX and is looking for the right winds to have a BIG downwind flight while I am happy just to do triangles and more local flights.
There is one problem. Due to being out of shape, I find myself wanting to land while the thermals are still kicking off the field and THAT can get interesting. Yesterday, I practiced my high speed glide for the last three or four miles coming into Quest which got me down to about 700' but there was a monster over the field so I rode that back up waiting for it to clear the field. I then started back down and watched the two windsocks point at each other and move completely around the compass several times even though prevailing winds were 6 to 8 SE. As I reached final approach altitude, the two socks about 300 yards apart were still pointing at each other and the main sock at midfield moved from SE to W. I quickly scooted E to start a downwind but by the time I turned onto my DW leg, the sock was back to SE. I just had enough altitude to move to the west and clear the Club House roof and trees and then turn SE onto final. Even though the sock ahead looked right, I could tell by my very fast ground speed that I had a tailing wind where I was. Too late to change again, I prepared to do my best immatation of Forest Gump but as I approached the main wind sock, the wind switched back to my face, ground speed slowed and I flared to a nice no stepper.
I'm going to have to either get fit fast, start launching later, or find wheels to fit my carbon base tube. Getting too old for this stuff!
Paul
Florida is Finally On!!!
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