On tow, I heard my vario scream. I peeked at it, and it reported that we rocketed skyward at 1300 feet per minute. It also reported that we had only 1400 feet of altitude. I resisted the urge to pin off, because it is often hard to get up from below an inversion, and Jamie had told me that he thought one existed at 2000 feet.
I grimaced and hung on, expecting to fall out of the edge of the thermal, but we -- Jim Rooney (my tug pilot), me, and Griffin -- didn't. My vario howled and my next peek at it revealed our lift had risen to 1900 feet per minute and we had 2000 feet altitude.
I figured since we were going up faster than the space shuttle, I could stay in the thermal if I released. Once Griffin and I had lost the plane, we continued upward at 800 fpm. I felt surprised it was so smooth. Pete Lehmann reminded me to relax and make sure I wasn't fighting the glider when I complained about how rough the lift was a couple of weeks ago. I remembered his advice in the air, so maybe that's why it was easier -- or maybe it was just smoother.
The clouds were mere promises, wisps and haze domes, small cotton balls at their largest. None of them could digest a pilot, but they provided some guidance during their brief lives. I quickly soared to 5200 feet. Each circle I followed Mike Barber's advice, to figure out where I was going to fly to search for my next thermal, to look around, to see what cloud was developing and which was dying. I didn't have very many circles to figure it out, though, since Griffin had the bit in her teeth and happily blasted higher.
I finally saw a sailplane and glider, and as the lift weakened near the super-wisp I had flown under, I rushed off to join them. Mike also said not to count on lift if you come in under someone, but it worked fine in this case. The wind quickly blew us East, and I had ventured North to chase the others. I didn't love the landing fields and nervously watched my glide.
One of the most fun things about this flight was that after awhile, it was just Kev in the tandem with a thermalling student (Francisco, who was freezing, someone should have told him if you fly with Kev you better dress like you are climbing Everest) -- and me and Griffin. I think it was fun for him because?Kevin could try to out climb me in the tandem... a suitable handicap. ?It was really fun for me.
Had to laugh later. Kev asked if he had scared me out of some thermals and I admitted a couple of times I had circled wide to give him the core. He told me he had wanted to demonstrate avoidance maneuvers with Francisco, but it didn't work because I would run away. I am a very bad Guinea pig.
Finally, even though I had 5000 plus feet of altitude, I decided to bolt for home. I only made 11 mph ground speed with the VG pulled as tight as Joan River's face. Mike's words haunted me again -- if you fly out into the blue, you will deck it; you are planning to land. But Clermont looked like a bad LZ. I felt like a wussie as Kev headed off a different way while I aimed for Quest.
The only thing I saw for potential lift in my direction was the smallest bit of haze, almost an illusion. I flew towards it, and though I tried to choose the best line, my sink was often 700 fpm down. I poked around under the shiny bit of sky, but found nothing -- until a beautiful white bird with blade wings, striped with black, showed me the heart of the thermal. From 1000 feet I again got to ride the rocket to the sky, just one more time. Kev -- who I thought had disappeared-- showed up from the south, and joined me on this last ride. We landed minutes apart.
The only thing that would have made the flight better was if Paul had been there -- but he is still grounded with the death-cold. Don't feel too sorry for him, though. In a couple of days he is driving north to pick up the fastest, slickest glider I have ever seen; his new, best toy ever. I will let him report on it.
Charlie (from NY, often flies at Highland) flew up from Wallaby in his Fusion, which is fantastic given the wind direction. It took him 3 hours (for 23 miles) and he shivered uncontrollably for an hour after landing. I was still jealous.
Good times.
Lauren (BTW, Mark gave me my own address for the forum, but I have not figured out how to use it yet... I will do so today, sorry)
Thursday, Quest is best
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