Flytec Meet: Day Three

I should have been a flying comedian.

The sky was blue and the wind was blowing most of the morning, but cummies approached Quest from our east just as the rigid class was launching. I launched with the first batch of flex wing pilots and things started out ok. I got a nice tow and I was being dropped off in lift. The tug pilot waved me off and I reached for the release. The tug pilot, seeing my motion rolled off to the side expecting me to be off tow. However I missed the release and the tug broke my weak link as it dove away. Bummer, but at least I was ok and climbing. I went to store away my bridle and discovered it would not fit in my pocket with the rope still attached to the release. I fumbled with it for a moment and spazzed across the sky until some other pilots joined my climb. I gave up on that project for a moment and then tried to zip up my harness. I pulled the zipper closed and it would automatically unzip. Zip up, zip down .... zip up, zip down. What the heck is going on? Meanwhile I am weaving across the sky. Ok, chill out and fly the glider. I get back into the action and work into a good position. It is time to head on course and I need to stow my line and close my zipper. After a few ups and downs with the zipper that included some dangling legs I finally managed to get the zipper closed. (Hint for new pilots, your glide angle is crap when you are dragging your legs out of the harness!) Next, I try to stow my tow bridle. No luck, it just doesn't fit. Crap. Oh well, just fly. Meanwhile I drift off course and miss the next climb. I search around, but finding nothing I move on. I am soon down to 600 feet and drifting downwing away from course line in a dumpy little 100 fpm climb. I have no choice, so I stay with it. I soon pass over Route 33 and drift towards the Green Swamp. There goes a fast time for the day. I keep drifting. Finally I connect with something just north of Deen Still road that gets me back up above 2500 feet. I am now a long way off of the course line. No worries, I'll just fly faster and catch up. Surprise, I do catch and pass about a dozen slower gliders. Um, maybe there is still hope for this aerial clown. Then I lose GPS coverage at the first turnpoint. I hope it is just a temporary thing, but I lose a lot of altitude as I circle the area trying to get a point recorded at the turnpoint. I finally got a brief reading and decided to move on. Another slow climb and the day started fading. I found a small climb that was heading into an area with no roads but decided I should put this goofy flight out of its misery. This squid only managed 45 miles.

James was in the area when I landed so I was soon on the road to pick up Ollie and Mark near goal. John was the only person on our team to make goal. Oh, I also missed supper since we got back late. At least the Red Elvises were awesome as expected.