http://xc.dhv.de/xc/modules.php?name=leonardo&op=show_flight&flightID=1866 


The flying is so pleasant here at Quest Air. The forecast was for an east
northeast wind at maybe 10 mph (which you would think wouldn't be so great, but
it turned out to be perfect). The cu's were slow to form near us so we waited
until around 2 PM (EDT - 1 PM sun time) to get going. There were cu's in the
general area and they nicely populated the surrounding areas, especially to the
south, so we had decided on an out and return to Wallaby Ranch (they are still
open), the milk run. It's about a 40 mile flight.


I pinned off a little too early and had to go back for another tow. Lo and
behold I found good lift again early at less than 1000' AGL, but having just
pinned off too early I held on until it was ridiculous at 1,600', with the lift
continuing, so I pinned off an climbed out in a 10 mph north east wind, with
Paul Tjaden hanging out at cloud base waiting for me to get going.


Cloud base was 6,000' but I wasn't getting that high, just 4,000' and I kept
getting down to 1,500' as I drifted west in the thermals and headed south along
highway 33 toward Wallaby. It wasn't until I was south of highway 474 and down
to 1,200' that I caught a good one and got to cloud base. Things were different
there.


The air was so nice, the thermals so smooth, the cu's bottoms so dark looking.
Paul was off to my east and I was trying to get over that way and now that I was
high I just flew under the cu's and slowed down in the lift.


There was a dark cu's two miles north of Wallaby with its shadow surrounded by
sunlit ground. It looked perfect and it was. Paul was behind me as he hadn't
heard when I left to head south so I decided to take the turnpoint south of I4
to give him a chance to catch up. There was a blue area by Wallaby and south but
dark cu's over highway 27 when I got back to the east side of the Ranch. 600 fpm
up.


Now here I made a error that had consequences. Paul was getting up fast to
6,000' under that dark cloud that I left just north of Wallaby. It was now
northwest. I should have stayed in my 600 fpm and driven north on the upwind
side of the course line back to Quest Air, but I was feeling invincible (as
though I created the lift), and headed over to get under Paul. By now the ground
was shaded not sunlit and while Paul was climbing fast, I at 4,500' didn't find
the lift.


Now I had to run down wind to the west to find something to save me from 2,000'.
I had given up my position of power upwind and climbing because I felt I could
find lift any where. This happens so often.


I climbed out but again made a mistake, taking it only to 5,000' as it was
"only" 300 fpm. I should have held on for a few more minutes to 6,000'. There
were clouds ahead, so again I was invincible.


I headed north toward the clouds and even though Paul had gotten lift under them
just before me, I didn't find it. I had a choice to head northeast a bit
earlier, away to the right of the course line but it would have given me
additional chances at clouds. I went for the one cloud that was my only chance
if I went to it. Stupid.


The clouds to the north of 474 had dried up and there was no lift to the north.
Paul got high enough at 474 to get back to Quest just barely. I didn't make it.


Still a completely lovely day of Florida flying. Nice thermals, nice cu's. Great
fields to land in.