Although I was soon in the air, I apparently wasn't prepared since I was turning on my camera, turning up the volume on my flight computer, and setting a waypoint back to Wallaby Ranch while on tow behind Paul.
I was late getting off for a thermal we plowed through around 1200 feet (365 m), but circled back for the climb. Except it wasn't there. I headed back for another tow and stumbled into a strong but tiny thermal at 400 feet (122 m) downwind of the launch line. I clawed my way out of the hole I dug for myself.
I drifted a couple miles to the northwest when I noticed Jason climbing over the field. Once again, I had trouble finding the climb as Jason "topped out". He wanted to know what "the plan" was for the afternoon but no one answered. He pushed upwind while I floated up to Jim, who was interested in flying to Sheets Airfield to the northwest, had a driver, and invited me along. He didn't have to ask twice!
We glided on course to the northwest and noticed Felipe high above us doing the same. I was fascinated with a fire off course line that was topped with a cloud and asked if Jim wanted to add a barbecue flavor to his glider. He was game so off we went to investigate.
The fire was big and filled the sky with smoke. Much to my surprise, Jim drove right into the smoke disappearing from sight below me. He must really like that smokey flavor.
Jason, who was a climb behind valiantly tried to catch us but landed just upwind of the fire. He had a fine landing, but landed next to a dirt road that didn't connect to the public road on the other side of the large field. I didn't envy his hike out, but at least he was able to "short-circuit" the hike by sliding under a fence.
After flying with an eagle in the fire we glided off to our goal. I found a strong climb in the haze over the center of the field and suggested we climb out, push upwind to Seminole-Lake Gliderport, and turn back if we can't make it. Jim was ok with the updated plan to keep going. Felipe, who took a path that didn't include fires, joined us over the airfield.
We pushed upwind stopping for a rowdy climb before diving for Seminole. I was preparing to land when I sniffed out a strong snaky thermal just to the west of the runway. Felipe came in low below me and snagged it. Jim was too far away, missed the climb, and landed at the glider port.
I got high and waited for Felipe before I kept going on towards the ranch. I initially had a very good glide to the east-southeast but decided to fly a direct line back so I could possibly skip a climb and keep over large LZs. I chose poorly and was soon struggling down low once again. Felipe, who was behind me, wanted no part of that and continued to the east and was spared the spanking.
My flight computer showed I had the ranch by 200 feet, but if the glide didn't work, I would be landing the in the infamous "spike field". (The "spike field" is a large grass field armed with tall abandoned sprinkler pipes once used to spray orange trees from above.) Instead of risking an exciting landing I flew south of Dean Still Road and landed in a huge pasture field among some docile cattle.
Felipe made it in and the recently rescued Jason picked me up shortly after I finished packing. It was fun pushing our goal one step further until we landed.
Flights: 1, Duration: 3:10, Distance: 47.7 miles
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