The competitions began today. The Single Surface Nationals, the
Sport Class Nationals. The Big Spring Rigid Wing Open, and the Big Spring
Pre-Worlds.


The flight and task on the
HOLC and on
Google Maps/Earth.


The forecast was for  700 - 800 fpm lift to 9,000' with the 10-15 mph wind
going from east south east near the ground to due east at cloud base. Also
plenty of cu's forecast with a ten percent chance of rain.


The winds turned out to be 10 - 15 mph out of 150 degrees instead. Fortunately
we changed the task on the staging line to go to the north northwest because we
saw too much development to the east south east, where our triangle task would
have taken us. With that much south wind there would have been a lot fewer happy
pilots.


The rigid wing pilots were off first. I pinned off at 1,000' AGL (3,500' MSL)
when Rhett found the lift, right under Jim Yocom and Campbell Bowen. We only
climbed out to a little over 3,000' AGL. The lift was good in that thermal, 220
fpm, but when I went looking for better, I didn't find it.


I went over three rigid wings below me to find some lift and there wasn't
anything there, then over tow under lots of clouds, nope, not there, then back
to the airport down to 1,000' AGL before I found something. Meanwhile my
erstwhile flying buddies had stayed in the weak stuff and stayed up, although
not that high. Still they weren't groveling like me and were able to get out on
the course past the five mile start circle in reasonable shape.


I was alone and groveled for the next hour, going from cloud to cloud looking
for the Easter eggs. It wasn't Easter and I had to take whatever was there just
to stay in the game.


Finally, I found strong lift as I got seventeen miles away from the airport and
climbed to 8,400' MSL. Now I could start the task an hour late.


There were plenty of cu's off the course line so it required flying not quite
straight to get under the better lift and avoid the blue areas. The sink was
quite strong between the thermals so you had to go from cloud to cloud to be
sure that you would get up. The goal was 76 miles to the north northwest and
with the unexpected southerly winds we didn't have a problem getting to goal. I
was quite slow given my initial groveling.


Not too long after I landed the first gaggle of flex wings came in lead by
Gerolf Heinrichs. I asked him why he took the first start time and he said that
he was with a group of good pilots so he figured that they would fly the fastest
together. As GAP 2000 is being used, there are not great leading bonus points,
so there was no encouragement there to take the first clock.


The pilots kept piling into goal and probably half the field, at least, made it
in to Brownfield.


The Sport and Single Surface class had open distance tasks. I had originally
sent them west, but given the strong south component called David Glover while I
was flying and had him change their task.


When I get the URL for the results I'll post it in the Oz Report.