http://ozreport.com/2007santacruzflats.php

http://naughtylawyertravels.blogspot.com/: Day 4, Many In, More Shots of Our Cool Place

http://jonnydurand.blogspot.com/

http://hang6.blogspot.com/

The task and the flight.

You'll find the results, task maps, and the track logs at the first URL above.

The forecast and Dustin called for strong west winds later in the day, up to 15-17 knots. Still the pilots voted to come back to the Francisco Grande. We gave them three tasks to choose from and the smaller task, 92.5 km, with a 39 km final leg into the strong wind was their choice.

The winds were supposed to be light until around 2 PM (and light on the ground anyway), so we were not concerned about the fact that there are no to little winds at launch as we launched into the north. Once we were in the air it was clear that winds were still light, but maybe they would get strong later in the day.

The lift was less than 200 fpm and we were only getting to less than 5,500' (4,000 AGL). We had plenty of time as the second start window wasn't open until 1:45 PM and I launched at 12:30.

When the lift petered out over launch Dustin and Scott headed northeast. Scott reported 300 fpm so I went over to them to find less than 200 fpm, but we worked it back up again to about 5,500'. Jonny and Chris headed further east, still inside the start circle and eventually Scott and I followed them, leaving almost everyone else circling in light lift getting much higher than us behind us.

Apparently Chris and Jonny saw a dust devil in town (Casa Grande) and headed that way. We followed and sure enough there was 300 fpm there to 6,000' just before the second start time. Now, the folks behind us could have come over us as were were circling up over town, but Dustin lead them north toward the airport to get over drier ground and better lift possibilities. This meant that as the start window opened they were all low, when they didn't find any lift south of the airport.

Jonny, Chris, Scott and I went back and got the start time, came back to our thermal and climbed up at 500 fpm to 9,000'. I had the better lift below them and climbed up to them. We headed east with everyone else groveling near Casa Grande.

A 500 fpm thermal just before the turnpoint at La Palma, got Chris, Scott and I back to 8,000', but Jonny had disappeared. We headed south toward Eds looking for dust devils, and after a 15 km glide I found Jonny at 1,500' AGL turning at 100 fpm. Scott and Chris were higher and joined us.

It took ten minutes before the field turned into 500 fpm, but Jonny and I took it to 9,000' before we headed out chasing Scott and Chris now three km ahead. Scott reported good lift at the turnpoint, and I noticed that the air was getting rough three km from the turnpoint at Eds.

I didn't like the air one bit and after getting the turnpoint headed out on the last leg, while the three of them found a solid core and climbed to 8,000'. I went out in front 8 km dropping from 5,000' AGL to 1,500' AGL over cultivated fields.

There were tractors in the fields, but I could easily see that they weren't stirring up any dust devils, in spite of the fact that they were really stirring up the dust. One especially dusty tractor was making so much dust and I could see it rising slightly. I headed in that direction to see if the air was going up and it was slightly, 0 fpm. I needed the lift so I hung on until I found 100 fpm nearby.

Scott, Chris and Jonny came high over me and Scott said that they didn't find any lift there so went on. A few minutes later Scott pointed out that they were over a dust devil three km northwest of me. I saw the dust devil and ran for it. They stopped for a few turns, topping up, and then went on final glide from 28 km out.

I approached the tight madly churning dust devil cautiously, sampling the lift at the edge of the dust and then as I got above 2,000' AGL moving into the core. I hung out in it for fifteen minutes until I was over 10,000' MSL. It was then final glide time to goal.

Jeff O'Brien and Dustin recovered from their low starts to come in four and fifth for the day. Thirteen pilots made it back to goal. It turned out to be a much easier task than forecasted (but it was great to have so many come back in). We would have called a much harder task, if we had known that winds would have been light.

We came back for a barbeque buffet in the courtyard outside the restaurant. They even got me a Margarita (perhaps a virgin version). I had not been drinking the apparently required drink for those who got into goal, but Belinda encouraged them on this day to get me one. We are wearing out the Margarita machine at the bar.

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