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

The task and the flight.

With the forecast for southwest winds and the difficulties we had on the previous day getting away from the start circle upwind, the pilots voted for a task that started with a down wind leg and then a cross wind final leg. It's only 64.5 km, but that turned out to be too long for most pilots. A number still didn't get away from the hotel.

Jeff, Scott and I got off early to get out of the 100 degree heat, and hung around in weak lift. Jeff got quite high having found something early on, then hung with it. I was still 1,000' below him at fifteen minutes before the first start window at 4,000' AGL. The lift was broken and rough from 2,500' AGL to 3,500' AGL.

I pushed up wind after losing the lift and got down with Chris and Jonny at 1,600' AGL. Soon Jeff came over and joined us as we started to climb slowly out. It was still a while before the second start window.

Dustin, Chris and Jeff headed out to the edge of the start circle and I followed when the lift gave up at 3,200' AGL with seven minutes to go. Jonny stayed back and found some broken stuff to stay up in. This was a smart move on his part to stay longer in lift and let us find the next one, luckily just past the edge of the start cylinder.

Dustin found 300+ fpm at the edge and we all four worked it up to 2,500' AGL. Chris was lowest and I just above him. Jonny came over and Chris and I had to go back to get the start circle. We followed Jeff, Jonny, and Dustin out to the northeast.

Chris and I were low and I finally turned to go over a new housing development and the bare asphalt. It was going up slowly and at 900' AGL I needed to hang on. Chris found some lift a little further on and was able to climb out at 200 fpm, while I took 150 fpm to 2,500' AGL.

The lift low was smooth, but as soon at you got to 2,500' AGL it got rough for the next 1000'. There was a small range ahead that stopped many of the pilots. I was high enough with another climb to get way over it and to the fields beyond. Just before cultivated fields and down to 800' AGL, I found 150 fpm that got me back to 3,500' AGL. Scott came and joined me low and I climbed away from him in the broken and rough lift.

There were low hills and rough country between me and the turnpoint at Magma, but I was high enough to get through that territory to find the best lift so far right at the turnpoint. Now that is skillful flying for you.

The wind was out of the southwest at twelve mph and the goal was twenty one km to the south. I could see where Dave Cameron had landed just before the turnpoint. I got high in the good lift, 5,400' AGL (it was much smoother above 3,500' AGL) and headed south by heading south southwest.

I was falling at almost 500 fpm, but I saw a dust devil eight km ahead. It was racing out of the west, but I could intercept it. Down to 1,500' AGL, I started turning just on the edge of the dust devil and road it back to 4,500' AGL.

Now only twelve km away with a nine mph west southwest cross wind, and a little bit to the east of the goal, I had to be careful to preserve enough altitude and get lined up so that I didn't have to come into the wind in the last few kilometers. A few turns in light lift half way there and that was enough to keep it on track. And as I got to less than 1000' AGL the cross wind died down. Suddenly I was going across the ground a lot more quickly.

Jeff was first today, followed by Jonny a minute later, then Chris just squeaked it in, and I was the last one to goal a few minutes later. A great ending for a wonderful competition.

We all had a great time here. Russell Brown and Jim Rooney brought the Dragonflies from Quest and flew them. Steve Kroop donated the use of his Flytec Dragonfly. Linda Salamone's sister (who lives here) was the trike pilot and did a great job. Dustin organized the whole thing and probably lost money.

There is a plan afoot to do this again next year, but most likely limiting it to 50 pilots. The principals will be working on a plan. There is a tentative plan to do a Flytec meet in Florida in April 2008 and coordinate it with this meet here. Working out a way to get everyone and their equipment from there to here (or perhaps the other way around).

The resort has been a great place to stay. Jonny especially loved it here. We all really enjoyed the facilities. Think about coming to this meet next year.

http://naughtylawyertravels.blogspot.com/

http://jonnydurand.blogspot.com/

http://hang6.blogspot.com/

http://canadiannationalteam.ca/blog

http://scottgravelle.blogspot.com

http://www.mullerwindsports.com/subpages1/subpage/endless.html

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