The flight.

http://flyingjochen.blogspot.com/

As was the case last Monday, there was a cold front approaching from the
northwest (see here
for the previous Monday's forecast). It looked like a good day to go north
although the winds were forecasted to be south southwest. It didn't look like it
would be a record day, but a good day to fly with friends. The convergence was
forecasted to be right on the east coast, which is off limits to us due to
airspace issues.

We all watch the soaring forecasts here at Quest Air, so at least nine pilots
were ready on this Monday morning to saddle up and head out on the northern
range. We were just waiting for the cu's to appear.

A little before noon the cu's began to appear nearby and a few overhead. I
launched first at 12:20 and Paul drug me through some horrendous sink which
makes the glider feel like it doesn't want to fly. Finally he hit some good
stuff and I pinned off high at 2,000' in lift that only averaged 60 fpm. I
needed to run away to find something better to the east over a small backyard
rubbish fire. The rough thermal smelled of smoke but it worked.

Jamie was pulled over to me and Jochen came over as we climbed out. The wind was
out of the south at 5 mph. I was thinking with such a light wind, maybe we
should do a triangle.

Jamie missed the thermal over Groveland and I headed northwest at 4,000' to get
on the west side of highway 33 in order to set up the run through the Villages
way to the north. Jamie came over low but found the lift where I was just hanging
out waiting for her to climb up. Jochen was to our east not having flown here
before and not aware of the protocol for going up highway 301.

I dove again off to the northwest to get away from the approaching Leesburg. I
had to come back to the east a bit to get under the wispies and climb out at 200
fpm just south of the Turnpike. Jamie had done well and joined me.  When we
topped out at 4,300' we headed north northwest to a cu that looked like it was
building west of the Baron airfield north of the Turnpike.

Indeed the cu was building and the thermal was 300 fpm, the best so far. Jochen
(a Belgian pilot) was off to our east trying to find us and waiting for us to
show up. He finally saw us and joined us. We climbed to 4,900'. It was nice and
cool and hot on the ground.

The Villages were laid out before us but I decided to head northwest to the
north end of Wildwood to get to highway 301 and under the best looking clouds.
Jochen went over the Villages but joined back up with Jamie and I as we climbed
out under good clouds.

The cu's were wisps but we could continue to find some lift as we drifted
further north, but Jamie was a bit below us. We were in no hurray so we hung
around in less than spectacular lift trying to stay together. As we approached
Summerfield Jamie came in low below us. As we climbed up we went back south to
her to keep her with us. Jochen could hear what we were saying on the radio, but
we couldn't hear him.

At 5,500' we headed out with Jamie high, but not as high as us. We found
250 fpm north of the Leeward Airpark but Jamie came in low below us and our lift
wasn't there for her. She got lower and lower as we drifted north east and
climbed. Jochen stayed behind and climbed up waiting for Jamie. I went a short
distance north and climbed back to 5,000' approaching the forested area.

Jamie almost landed and had her feet out of the harness when she found lift and
climbed back to 5,000'. Jochen and I were ahead of her to the north. I found
bits of lift getting back to 3,800' three times as I crossed the forested area
and went north of Silver Springs. Jochen stayed high and kept heading north
behind me.

After my last climb over the forested area I headed north northwest over
agricultural lands and found 1,000 fpm down until I down to 1,100'. There was a
little lift down there at 60 fpm and I worked it in an 11 mph southwest wind. As
I slowly, every so slowly, climbed out I was quickly running out of agricultural
land and heading for the Ocala National Forest. At 1,550' I had to leave the
light lift and head cross wind to find something else with a backstop of
agricultural land that would last long enough for me to get up and improve my
options.

Down to 800' next to a radio tower I found 150 fpm and stayed with it to 4,100'.
Jamie was landing. Mitch had come over my head as I twirled up and commented
that it looked like I would make it out of my hole. I was drifting over the
swamps and forests but plenty high. I could see Orange Lake to the northwest and
highway 301 near the lake. There were bale out fields in reach.

Starting that high the lift under the plentiful cu's was well, plentiful, if not
particular strong. The air was so moist it was hard to tell where the bottoms of
the cu's began and the open air ended. It was easy again to head north and find
lift.

Approaching Hawthorne I saw Mitch down low and struggling to get back up. I
found 300 fpm to his east and climbed to 5,700'. The lift had been irritatingly
bumpy since the start of the flight, until I had to climb out from 800'. The
thermals seemed to have smoothed out since then so I was enjoying the flight
much more than when it started.

Mitch climbed up so I went over to him and waited for him to get high. Dave on
an ATOS VR was also with him. We headed out toward the goal at Keystone
airfield. We were only twenty five kilometers away.

The three of us worked a couple of thermals together then Dave headed northwest
toward highway 301 (found big sink and landed away from the highway). Mitch and
I headed north toward the goal. Mitch didn't have it in his 6030 so he had to
follow me. There was a big lake between us and the goal. There were nice cu's
over the lake. We were plenty high. As I approached the south edge of the lake
the lift turned on to 460 fpm. Another lake thermal here in Florida.

We were already plenty high enough to make the goal, but the lift was nice so I
stayed for a few turns. Mitch stayed to cloud base. I headed out leaving him
behind and pulling in the bar to get to the goal. Mitch was too high to get down
at goal so he kept going and landed 106 miles out from Quest. Jochen was at the
goal and Campbell made it a little bit later. We were sorry that Jamie wasn't
there.