RSSHEADLINES SKYSPORTS

Although I flew cross-country a lot during the Green Swamp Sports Klassic, I kept seeing the same locations (turn points) over and over.  I had hoped to do some sightseeing before the next competition, but the weather hasn't cooperated.  Although some knowledgeable pilots decided to pass, I was ready to go somewhere, even if I had to work for it.

The National Weather Service forecasted a moderate northeast wind that might become light north the further southwest we went.  I called a task from Wallaby Ranch, crosswind to the airfield at Lake Whales , then crossing downwind to Arcadia .  Jason offered his truck for retrieve and Paula offered to drive.  Aric, Jason, Fabiano, and I were ready to go.

Aric launched first in the group and was quickly established at cloudbase and left on course.  Meanwhile, I was dropped off in a solid, but weak climb, that very quickly left me downwind of course line and far from cloud base.  Fabiano flew over the join me, while Jason climbed over the ranch along course line.

Fabiano and I slowly climbed and drifted south.  We finally got high enough to make a tentative glide further south where we climbed enough to push back upwind and finally reach cloudbase and course line.






Fabiano left along the course while I pushed upwind to a better cloud.  That move payed off well, setting up a string of cloud base hops that allowed me to catch up with Aric just north of Lake Whales.  We both watched sailplanes circle Bok Tower as a turn point.







Fabiano and Jason where approaching our position as the group floundered decision-wise.  There were no clouds due south, so no one liked that option.

There were only one or maybe two clouds on the original course to the southwest.  Aric meekly suggested going back, Jason didn't care, and everyone was to indecisive to make a bold commitment.  I finally said, I'm going with the original plan; we already have a driver rolling below us, the conditions might improve in front of us, and I was eager to explore some new terrain!

The first glide southwest after Lake Whales was long and smooth.  I finally found a climb after turning hard downwind to the west.  Aric and I climbed out, while Jason landed below us and Fabiano drifted further west.



Aric and I connected a few more climbs before I headed out into the blue near Wauchula .  It looked like Aric and I would land somewhere south of Wauchula when I stumbled into a weak low climb and decided to stay with it.  A late day convergence line was kicking off and we climbed back to newly forming clouds and began moving again.  We needed to follow the roads south, and, as expected, we had long smooth glides to the ground after leaving the line of clouds curving to the west.

I picked a nice large open field across from a house and committed to land there even though I was at 2500 feet (700 m).  There was no wind, no bumps, nothing.  It was like landing at 7:00am on a still morning (although it was almost 7:30pm).

I waved to the family across the road and started breaking down as the sun set and the moon rose.  The crew picked me up after dark and we stopped for food in town before heading back to the ranch.





Its days like this that keeps me flying hang gliders.

Flights: 1, Duration: 4:50, Distance: 77 miles