http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:davisstraub/10.3.2007/17:15


On Saturday, the cu's pop up abruptly while I'm out riding so when I get back 11:30 AM I
figure it's time to get going before it over develops (30% chance). Paul Tjaden
wants to do a bigger triangle so we decide to go to a spot north of the
intersection of the Florida Turnpike and highway 19, then to the west to Center
Hill and back south east to Quest, 50 KM. There are cu's over head and to the
west and north west and it looks like it's going to OD.


I pin off at 850' at the first sign of lift over the swamp on the east side of
Quest and am rewarded with a thermal that while it starts slow down low averages
134 fpm to 4,000'. Yes, a weak day under all those fuzzy, small, gray clouds.


Paul and I headed north northwest toward Groveland but it wasn't until I was
down to 1,500' AGL north of Mascote that I found the next bit of lift which
fortunately was marked by the swirls on the small lake below. The clouds to the
north and northeast in the direction of our first turnpoint were much sparser
than in this direction, so it looked like we might be heading for Center Hill as
our first turnpoint.


There are black looking clouds heading off toward Center Hill so I decide on
that route, but don't communicate well enough with Paul and he heads north
toward the Turnpike and highway 33. There is a small fire ahead and I see some
birds turning low a few miles before it so I join them. The lift continues to be
weak, but we're not getting very high, so anything is good.


Climbing to 4,400' I race out, get the turnpoint and glide right back to where I
got up on the way to Center Hill. There is a bit of lift just downwind of that
spot and this gets me back to cloud base. Paul has made his turnpoint and is now
heading for Center Hill not finding any lift. He'll get down to 650' before he
finds something after making the turnpoint at Center Hill that will get him up
and back to Quest.


As I head east toward the second turnpoint that area of the sky is still mostly
clear of cu's. I stop on the way to take 82 fpm up to 3,300', which is enough to
think seriously about venturing out into the blue to find something under the
isolated cu's. My chances are good enough from this altitude and I find 300 fpm
at 1,100' AGL just before the turnpoint under a nice cu.


Just south of the turnpoint there is a small black cloud and after I make the
turnpoint I head for it to find a solid 250 fpm and a south wind of 9 mph. I
climb out again to 4,500' and this is more than enough for a ten mile final
glide to Quest under blue skies.


Just another thoroughly pleasant day of flying in paradise. The worm has turned
here in central Florida and those who have been here all winter are really
loving the great conditions.