Forecast looked pretty good for today with a possibility of some wind from the west so I set up a 100 km triangle in my 5030, launched around 1:15 and hoped for the best. Got up to CB nicely right over Quest and headed SE towards my first waypoint SE of Wallaby. Lots of nice looking clouds but they weren't working today. I think I blundered into more areas of lift by accident than I found using my brains. Some of the thermals were smooth and strong with maximum lift to more than 750' per minute but most were gnarly and broken and hard to core.
The first leg went fairly well but I got low near Wallaby and nearly decked it there. Actually went over to the LZ to land but found a boomer kicking off the field and got a 700 foot save. By this time I realized that the winds were too strong and the lift too variable to continue on course and make the next turnpoint 23 miles away into a 10 mph head wind so I decided to abort and try to make it home from the first waypoint.
About 10 miles North and stinking low again I was wishing I had stayed at Wallaby where I could have sat in the shade and drank some of Malcom's beer while I waited on my retrieve but my luck held and I stumbled into some weak, nasty lift that eventually turned on and got me back to 5K. Still couldn't make Quest on glide from here due to the strong crossing head wind but things were looking better. Nursed it along and found one more good thermal that I used to put a few more feet in the bank and then had enough to make it home.
Davis flew with me today but out climbed me in the first two thermals (Damn, I hate it when that happens) and we got seperated. But then he chose a different route home from the first waypoint than I did and ended up landing out (Damn, I love it when that happens!) Weird, seems I always have my best flights when he doesn't and vice versa.
Lauren managed to get a sinus infection from this nasty cold we both have had lately and hasn't been able to fly the last few days. She has some antibiotics now and is feeling better so hopefully she'll be able to put another flight or two on the board before we leave here next week for Ridgely. We've rented a cottage near by and will be around for most of the summer and we're looking forward to seeing all you guys.
See ya soon,
Paul
50 miles in Florida
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