Is It Over Yet?

I took a quick flight early in the morning to gather data to hopefully help solve a tuning issue with my new glider.  I was surprised by the strength of the wind right above the tree line (18 mph / 29 k/h).  I got the data I needed and quickly grabbed breakfast before returning to the flight line.

We rightfully had high expectations for the day as beautiful cumulus clouds formed streets over our heads at 9:30.  Davis launched before most of us were even suited up.  Jochen followed a bit later, then Dave and I took off.

It was sweet flying even though cloud base was relatively low (3200 feet / 975 m).  The day was looking great and even managed to snag a strong climb down low near the prisons to the northwest.  Davis, who was far in front, recommended staying east of Interstate 75 since there were better clouds there.

I pushed east a bit to cross a street and ended up low and struggling with my back against a large swath of trees.  Dang.  I found a thermal along the downwind tree line but it was drifting too far back so I abandoned the climb and landed.

I landed at the "Fly By Ranch".  Part-way through my break-down Emily, an inquisitive young lady, and her dog "Shiner" stopped by for a chat.  She even helped me pack up before she brought her younger sister by before heading off for a birthday party.

Jochen, who landed fairly close to Quest Air, got a friendly ride back to the airfield in a police cruiser and started chasing with my car.  He picked me up and we started heading north towards Davis and John.  (James, the other driver picked up Mark P, Mark S, Dave, and Campbell.  All of them landed about 115 miles / 185 km out).  I started getting extremely nauseous and remained so for the next 7 hours as we drove around Florida.  Would the driving never end?    :-(   We picked up Davis near Hawthorne and waited for John to land.  As I expected, John landed as the sun set and we then headed home.

I spent the next two days on the ground recovering from a suspected viral infection that James and a few other local pilots came down with at roughly the same time.  It was hard watching Jochen leave for a 155 mile / 250 km flight yesterday as I laid in my tent.  The crew headed off again this morning on another adventure and landed south of Ocala.

I'm feeling better now and hope to be tearing up the skies again soon.

Flights: 2, Duration: 1:52, Distance: 33 miles

Tethered

I was tired and sore on Friday so I decided to work on my glider and stay tethered to the airfield, i.e., always within a safe glide back.  Jochen, Davis, and Mitch launched before me into a blue sky and were scatter looking for a climb when I released.  Mitch and I found an elusive climb to the west of the field.

Davis, Mitch, and I slowly climbed while Jochen pulled off a minor miracle with a very low save off the north end of the runway.  We all topped out at 3700 feet while everyone on the ground stayed put, uninspired by our performance.

The other 3 pilots had to make a decision about a task for the day.  A long trip to the north was unrealistic but Davis suggested a small triangle and they took off.

Meanwhile the tug starting pulling more victims skyward and I was soon flying with Dave and Mark on rigid wings.

I took pictures of my wing in various configurations for later review.

I played around south of Quest Air with another pilot before heading back for a sweet landing.

Davis and Jochen landed a few miles to the north while Mitch parked over a fire until the day became better and carefully made his way back home.

Flights: 1, Duration: 2:02

Squeeze Play

The task for Wednesday was Venice Beach, to the southwest of Quest Air.  I originally planned to stay on the ground and rest, but Jamie created an "excitement vortex" that sucked me in and before I knew it I was heading to the launch line.

Davis, Jochen, and Mitch launched before the wind switched direction and we had to stroll to the opposite side of the field.  Once again I was the last to launch behind Jamie, Lauren, and Jim S.  The first 3 pilots were miles and miles ahead and even the second wave was a climb or two ahead by the time I released.

I ran a line along the edge of the Green Swamp west of the Seminole Gliderport.  I shared a climb to the south of the gliderport with 3 slick looking sailplanes before gliding off towards Fantasy of Flight.  It was the first time I squeezed between the restricted airspace between Bartow and Lakeland.

Once I cleared the congested space I started pushing hard trying to close the distance between me and the first wave.  I pushed too hard and got pinned up against a swamp and settled into a recently plowed field.

Belinda picked me up and we finished the drive to Venice where we picked up Davis, Jochen, and Mitch.  Although they didn't reach the actual beach, we were close enough to drive the rest of the way there for a drink and dinner.  Curt Warren, who had just arrived from Australia, joined us.

Flights: 1, Duration: 2:40, Distance: 50 miles

On Fire

You might think with a title of "On Fire" I would be writing about a great demonstration of pilot skill, but you would be wrong.  We were hungry for open distance flying on Tuesday and rearing to go.  We had drivers, an agreed-on shared radio frequency, and a rough course line to the north northeast that Davis provided that would route us around controlled airspace.

I was the third to launch and was dropped in an established, but dying, line of clouds to the east.  I struggled there too long before heading to a new line of clouds forming directly over the field.  I arrived low, but had high hopes when Dave, who launched after me, was turning with a bird directly over launch.  I couldn't find the thermal and landed in thermal turbulence followed soon after by Dave.  I now had to wait for a several other pilots to launch (Jamie, Jim S, Jim R) before giving it another go.  This time I pinned off around 1000 feet (300 m) in a strong surge that wasn't there when I turned around.  Dang.  Landed again.  I was the last pilot left on the field when I launched for the 3rd time.  (This time I stayed on for a full tow!)

I quickly climbed to base and then shared a climb with Jim S briefly before he headed northwest while I headed directly north.  The day was turning on and shifted into "racing mode".  I flew close to the lakes at Leesburg and was joined by several bald eagles.

I really starting making good time near "The Villages".

The good flying continued.

I passed over Dave at 7000 feet as he struggled below near the Ocala National Forest.  I caught John as the western sea breeze started undercutting the convergence line to the north.  I tried to race ahead towards the airport at Keystone, but ended low and drifting off course line to the east when Dave and John joined me.  We played around in a couple weak thermals before Dave and John took off towards the northeast.  I didn't want to drift into controlled airspace or float over a large military base in the area so I pushed upwind to play in a fire burning on the edge of a large prairie.

I played in the rising columns of smoke as the clouds dissipated overhead.

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough altitude to push on and chose to land in an ideal-looking field southeast of Melrose that faced into the wind.

I had a sweet landing and began breaking down once I let Sharon know where I was.

While I was waiting on Sharon and Dave, who landed a few miles away, I met John whose father used to fly out of the field.

We had a great discussion about many things, including how they strung a cable across the field years ago to discourage airplanes from landing to the fire burning to the south.  He described how fires can smolder for long periods in the peat below the surface.  I was shocked to learn that those smoldering fires can erode cavities large enough to "swallow" unlucky firefighters.  He left to join his family for dinner as I slid my glider under his nice new fence.  Awhile later his brother showed up on an ATV and we chatted more even after Sharon and Dave arrived.

We eventually said our farewells and drove off to pick up John who I thought was surely already on the ground as I snapped a picture of the sun lighting up a cu-nim.

John deftly drifted between controlled airspaces until the sun was nearly down.  We drove along rough wash-board dirt roads until "voila" there he was standing beside his glider in the dark.

We got back late after driving along Route 19 through the Ocala National Forest, hoping to avoid all the many deer we saw standing along the road.

(John, I apologize for not posting pictures of the eagles I flew with.  My camera automatically shut off and I didn't notice it wasn't running when I flew with the eagles.)

Flights: 3, Duration: 3:49, Distance: 83 miles

Uninspiring

I continued my recent uninspiring performance on Monday when I launched first, immediately climbed to cloud base, waited for Dave, Jochen, Lauren to slowly climb up to me, and then glided the southeast and then west to ground at Seminole Gliderport a whopping 9 miles (16 km) from Quest Air.  At least I had a no-step landing in front of the office while Dave and Jochen climbed away overhead.

I broke down on the shady lawn and Sharon gave me a lift back.

Sunrise

Flights: 1, Duration: 1:15, Distance: 12 miles