The Quest Air Open Part 2 ended on Saturday with the death of Jeff
Bohl. Everything stopped and people's feelings fell to the bottom. There was
nothing we could do to make up for what happened and no one did very well
dealing with their feelings.

On Sunday, the winds blew strong so no one flew. No one really wanted to fly.

On Monday, Tullio Gervasoni was still here and with light winds and nice cu's we
flew around the Green Swamp. We were sorry that the Brits weren't around, but
over at Jamie's on the east coast, so that they could have gone with us. We
couldn't convince John Simon and Matt Christensen to fly with us.

On Tuesday with east winds John Simon and Matt Christensen flew north to Baron
and back while Wallaby pilots flew to Quest and back. The winds picked up later
in the afternoon with a first instance this year of an eastern sea breeze. The
landings were interesting given the strong winds and accompanying turbulence.

On Wednesday through Friday there were east winds but not as strong as on
Tuesday. The skies were filled with great looking cu's and if I had any one to
fly with I would have been up in the air. Especially on Friday when there was a
north component. It would have been a great day to fly to the west coast at
Venice. I just don't appreciate flying alone. One of the reasons I love
competition.

The forecast for Saturday and Sunday was for light winds. I wasn't quite ready
to go early on Saturday as Michael Williams hadn't shown up early, but he did
finally get his glider set up. But he decided not to fly and wait for Sunday.
Saturday was another brilliant day where a flight around the Green Swamp would
have been easily possible. Lots of cu's, light winds, no over development.

Sunday I set the glider up before 8 AM. Michael's was already setup and Soraya
was getting setup also. She is buying a house in Groveland on Anderson street.
Launch time was set for 12:30. The XCSkies forecast was not great for 5 PM
showing spots of no lift, but other spots of good lift.

I was first to launch at 12:20 (I was anxious to get going) going toward the
south in no wind conditions. Three quarters of the way down the runway I got the
rope. My bridle lay over my base tube and the barrel release was below the base
tube. I pulled on it and the rope came off immediately. I have done this before
when there is no tension other than from the weight of the rope itself and the
barrel release works immediately. No need for a push/pull type barrel release.

I turned around 180 degrees and landed going to the north with a smooth and easy
landing. I was quickly back at the launch without any help.

Turns out Jim Prahl, the tug pilot, encountered a stinging or biting insect up
his shorts and he accidently hit the release.

He quickly got me back into the air and I felt a bit of lift at the southeast
corner of the field and then a bit more just to the northeast of launch. I
pinned off at 1,100' to see if I could get up in the light lift and no wind
conditions.

It was slow getting up at a bit less than 100 fpm and I worked it up to 3,000'
when it turned on and I quickly climbed to over 4,000'.

Jim had hauled Soraya way to the northwest as I drifted slowly back to the
southeast. There were plenty of cu's to the west so I headed at cloud base
toward the Green Swamp. There were clouds to the south that went east west
across the Green Swamp and clouds to the northwest that went east west across
the northern edge of the Green Swamp. There was a significant blue hole to the
west and north from the western edge of Osborn field.

Soraya was high and turning out in the blue hole so I headed toward her, but
that turned out to be a false indicator. I turned south to head for the nearest
cu's as did Soraya. Heading to the southwest and continually losing I came over
the last field before the Green Swamp and on the eastern edge found a thermal at
400'. Soraya was about to land.

I took it up 1,000' but then it went away and I didn't find it again. I landed
in that same field.

After we landed I looked to the west and noticed that there was a set of cu-nimbs
on the western side of the Green Swamp and we could see the lightning. Michael
had seen it also and stayed around Quest.

Turned out being on the ground was a good thing.