Santa Cruz Flats - Day 2

Todays forecast was similar to yesterday. A bit hotter, with similar thermal potential and light winds.

Each morning starts with a pilots meeting. Results are given from the previous day, weather forecasts are discussed, and the days task, start times, and other info is given.

Today we had the pilots meeting inside to avoid the attack squadrons of mosquitoes

The task was the Francisco Grande, to Sunland, to Houser, to RedRock, to RC. Sort of a zig-zap course with the bulk being downwind, with one cross/upwind leg.

5k Start Cylinder, launch opens at 12, the start times are 1:15 and 1:45, and total distance is 112km

I got ready early and was in the first half of the launch line. Pilots were struggling and I heard a team member land while I was on tow. Once I released from tow I found myself directly over the hotel with no lift. 3 miles to the south east I could see a gaggle of pilots climbing. I knew I could not make it to them and back to the launch area if I didn't find lift. So I committed to either finding a climb out there, or landing.

My gamble payed off and I was rewarded with a solid climb to 6,500'. The gaggle was medium size with just enough traffic to keep it interesting. Probably about 12-15 gliders. We had 40 minutes to go until the first start clock, so we would drift with the thermal outside the start cylinder, and then punch upwind back inside the cylinder and repeat.

Gliders in the gaggle

We were not in a good position for the first start gate, so as the second start time approached, most of us made a dash upwind the get back inside the start cylinder and get the later start time. From there we headed out on glide to Sunland.

The glide was fun. I was with the lead group and able to optimize my lines by watching the pilots around me and seeing who was sinking more/less. Near Arizona City we got low and a little spread out. Some pilots headed for a nearby mountain. I chose to work the fields and found a solid climb which took me to 8,500'. At this point I was feeling very good, knowing I was in a great position, making good decisions, and out with the front group.

From Sunland we turned North East and headed to the second turnpoint, Houser. I was slightly behind the lead gaggle while on glide and got low near a cool mountain called Picacho Peak. I stayed patient and worked some light lift which eventually turned into 500 fpm up and got me back up to 8k. I had been drinking a lot of water and found this to be a great opportunity to release some ballast.

On Course. Looking North West, Launch is several miles beyond the small mountain range in the top center of the photo. The first turnpoint is off camera to the top left, second turnpoint is to the right.

Looking South East across Picacho peak and towards goal

I pressed on to the North across I10. This was a cross/upwind section of the course and though I made a decent glide through it, I did not find much lift. I saw one pilot ahead of me getting a good climb and made a dash for him. I searched but could not find the thermal so I pressed on to the turnpoint.

I arrived low, around 4,000' and switched to survival mode. Course line went over a small mountain range to the East, but I was not high enough to venture into the range. I needed enough margin to get back out into the headwind to a landable area if I couldn't get a climb. There was a nasty inversion at about 4,200' and it was hot below there. I worked ratty, broken lift for about 30 minutes, drifting back towards the mountains only to lose the thermal and have to punch back upwind. Eventually I lost the battle and put it down near the second turnpoint about 32 miles out.

It was a really rewarding flight and a good learning experience. One mistake got me low in a tough area.

Chris kicked some booty also and landed a few miles from Houser.

Tomorrow looks a little cooler (100... hurray!) but possibly windy. We'll see what the day brings.

Did I mention the mosquitoes are huge?