2000 Region 10 Sunflower

Should be not only a contest but a Leonard family affair. My brother Steve is the competition director. Dad and my brother Dave are flying 15 meter.

When I arrive at the airport, the turn out is about twice what I expected. The sports class field I am going to fly against is about as big as I have seen at a regional contest. At one end of the spectrum is Dick Johnson with his Ventus and world championship caliber flying. At the other end is are the Air Force Academy cadets with 1-26’s that can barely work a thermal.

Practice Day:

Rain & Overcast in the morning but forecast high is still 100! 10-20mph gusting winds. Launched into sky with no cue’s. VERY hard to stay up. Got to 4000 agl briefly just once. Tried to go through the gate once and found my microphone didn’t work. Landed back in with 4 other gliders at the same time.

Flew about 1:45.

Monday

Rain in the morning again. Overcast lingered and lingered. We finally grid as the sun looks like it could just get to the field. All day, Steve is faced with tough decisions. He launches as the sniffer at about 2:30 and can just stay up. Steve gets to 2500agl and calls for a launch.

I get in the air and immediately get a moderate thermal. I call out my altitude as I climb through 3000 and 4000 agl. Steve calls me on the radio and says he is really not finding much in the way of lift We switch to 123.5 to discuss it a bit. I offer my opinion that I would like a 1.5 hour post but I suspect we would probably land out about 50% of the competitors. Steve decides he would like to wait for better weather and calls it off for the day. I head south toward Kingman determined to go fly awhile & have a bit of fun even if we scrub the contest day. Over Casleton I get a good steady climb that takes me up to 9600 msl!!! From there I went into the wind to Kingman. With 80 indicated I consistently made a ground speed of 70. I got to Kingman at about 4500 feet and headed back for Sunflower. I slowed up to 60 and the GPS showed 90 for ground speed. Hot dog. The miles quickly ticked by. I worked a moderate thermal over Pretty Prarie, briefly thought about going to Arlington and then headed for Sunflower. Mark Weibe obliged me by marking a nice thermal. I took a turnpoint picture and came back to it. We climbed to about 7600msl together. From there we headed SW together. In about 8 miles neither of us found a bit of lift. Mark turned and headed home. I pressed on another mile but clearly didn’t have enough to make Arlington and back. I scratched around for lift for a few minutes but finally gave up and followed Mark back to the field. Did a ‘finish’ at about 1300 feet and came back to land. I had a fun flight. Very tough day for Steve. The time window for the weather was very short. I had just one really good climb.

Tuesday

The forecast for Tuesday shows a good lapse rate to over 10,000 feet. I get the HP together with much excitement for a great day. Launch starts at 1:10, I am about the 10^th in line. My initial plan is to go south with standard/fifteen meter guys to have some thermal markers. We start with two tow planes instead of the customary four so I am aprehensive that my launch might be quite late. Another tow plane shows up and the launch goes smoothly. Off tow I get a weak thermal and have trouble centering it. I see the Air Force Grob climbing and dive over to him. At a bit under 1500 agl and 5 miles out I connect with his thermal and go up nicely.

I take an "ID" shortly before the gate opens and circle back to try again. The ID is done at only 4500 agl. I struggle a bit to get back up but take a start. This one is a good 300’ below gate altitude. I can’t stand to start with a handicap so I swing quickly back around. There is extensive cirrus to the north. Strong S/SW wind and cirrus to the south. Numerous queues are visible to the SE. I am apprehensive that Harper may be under the cirrus. As I climb back up the cue’s are filling in to the west. I get high and follow Dick Johnson through the gate calling my ID just before he gets his Mark. This start I hit the top at 100mph and head west. Dick runs off and leaves me so fast I don’t spot him after the gate. I make a bee line to the west. With cue’s that way it really looks like Pratt would be a good first turn. With the high clouds it proves difficult to get back up from the start. I go directly to a cloud that is too far away and it dissipates before I get there. I see 3 other gliders circling but none seem to be going up that well and I pass their thermals by. I push on west lower and lower until my nerves just can’t stand it and end up accepting a couple of minutes in several weak thermals trying to get over to the better clouds. I wasted several minutes from failing to make an early radical course change to get a good climb.

As I press west I keep thinking peak thermals are much better than what I am settling for. Still my nerve breaks when I get under 3500 agl and several times I take modest climbs. The strong wind makes the going very tough. Most of the clouds are very whispy and last only 2/3 minutes. Early on there is a strong haze layer at about 9000 feet. Above that layer you can see many more clouds than you can see below it. As I go west I top out several times at 9600msl and get a few that really peg the vario. The trip west has no really low saves or difficult decisions. Just push from cloud to cloud and try not to circle in any but the strongest lift.

When I finally get within a few miles of Pratt it is time to assess the situation. I have taken a bunch of time getting this far but still to turn back now will get me back early. There are still good clouds ahead so I head for Haviland. I move west in a zig-zag going up wind on the streets for a cloud or two then moving west. 8 miles from Haviland there are no more clouds and I am down to 6000 msl. It is really looking like it could get tough but I have the good fortune to get a strong climb under the last whisp at the edge of the cue’s to 9600 feet. I run in to get a picture and then finally turn down wind.

At last and at 4:30!!! I am heading back for home. With the wind at my back progress is fantastic. I got one more thermal to 10,600 about 2 SW of Pratt and then started cruising the cloud streets for home. With the GPS typically indicating over 100 for ground speed I flew from cloud to cloud. Just Past Pratt I took two more circles. From there on it was straight in at 70-90 mph with a finish at about 600 feet. GPS sure takes the uncertainty out of the final glide.

Flight time about 3:45. My flight is good for 5^th for the day.

Wednesday

The forecast is for nearly a repeat of Tuesday only more wind and no cirrus to be seen. The dew point is up a bit and the morning low higher. Looks like it will be tougher going. I remove the remains of the tail gap seals, reattach the right gear door and put a new battery in the audio.

The sports class is at the back and I am toward the back of the class so I watch the others go and nervously wait my turn. Finally my HP is hooked to the tow plane. Off tow I cast about for a bit but tie into a thermal in a perfect position to drift to the IP. I am right at the IP at 7000 feet when the 15 meter class task opens. The 15 meter guys all peel off and dive for the gate. 5Z blasts past me on the way down and I miss a great photo op. Oh well. I go through the gate myself 3 times. Once for ID, the second is low and slow so I come back for a third. The third is ok, 90-100mph and 4900 agl with a couple of others out just ahead of me. AF5 goes through the gate a good 2000 feet below me, I wonder what is up with that? This time I resolve to look for closer alternatives even if radical heading changes are involved to get a good solid initial climb. I chase a cue then a wing flash then just head west for Pratt.

The going is slow into the wind. The thermals aren’t as good as the day before but I succeed in being a bit more picky. By Arlington I have climbed to 9600 msl. From there on I press as hard as I can stand and usually get good climbs. One timed at 700fpm for 3 solid minutes. LY has the misfortune of seeing me time after time on the way to Pratt. Once I get an outstanding climb in a thermal LY passed up altogether and that keeps us together.

At Pratt LY is marking a thermal 4 miles from the turn. I don’t want to circle just short of the turn and suffer the drift so I dive in low. By the time I have shot my picture, all the good clouds in gliding distance as well as LY are out of sight. I am about 3500 feet above ground. With no promising clouds I take a long shot and move downwind of the huge feed lots on the airport perimeter. Sure enough, I get a thermal and get up enough to make it back to good clouds. The miles streak past as I go west with the wind at my back but I need another turn. I hoped to get high just before Arlington and go back to Turon but no such luck. I turn Arlington at about 7000 msl and still need another turn point or I will be under time. I am reluctant to go downwind to the clouds or pick a turnpoint that will put final glide into the wind.

Sunflower and Turon are in the blue. There are good clouds north of the course back to Turon so I take the long way around. The suspense before the last climb is exquisite. You know that if you are too late and it isn’t there the entire flight is down the drain. I end up running parallel to the desired course to Turon to clouds that the GPS show to be 8 miles due north of my destination. I am rewarded with a strong climb to 10,000 feet and then head in for a last picture and final glide. The final glide goes exactly according to plan. The GPS counts off the miles and the altimeter counts off the altitude until I cross the finish at 110mph and 500 feet. A quick 180 and a none to pretty landing and we are safely back.

Though I feel like I did a better job flying, my speed gives me 6^th place for the day and drops me to 6^th overall.

Day 4

Finally, the wind quit! Day 4 promises to be the best yet. High about the same, a little less favorable temperatures aloft but no wind to break up the lift. Just as it is my turn to launch, 5Z calls downwind. He looks to be about 300 feet high. 2X calls 800 feet. I watch with great apprehension as 5Z turns but see he has lots of speed and doesn’t have any problem making a pattern and landing.

Off tow I see several gliders below me. Very nice cue’s are forming to the west. For the last two days the cues have been so whispy that they provide almost no shade. These are big cloulds with well defined shape. Many are towering a couple thousand feet and show prospects of overdevelopment. Getting up and staying up is a struggle. Many gliders relight and Steve clearly has a difficult decision on the task. He elects to send the 15 meter guys as planned and changes standard to POST. Sports starts on time. I get up and take an ID after about 30 minutes and then really struggle to get back up. I get my start behind JD, YF passes me in the gate a bit below my altitude. Sam fly also passes me on the way to the clouds. I follow the pack to the SW toward the clouds.

At the clouds it is very busy. I watch the other markers and several of us converge on one thermal all at once and very close to the same altitude. I get enough of that really quick and head on course following Sam Fly. I follow him for several miles and manage to gain 2000 feet without a circle. Just about every cloud to Pratt is working, a textbook perfect cloud street. I slow the HP to 40 in strong lift and climb then dive at 80 in between gradually climbing straight ahead. At Pratt I look over the clouds and decide that they look better behind me than in front of me. I take a turnpoint picture and head east. On the trek east, I wait for the right opportunity for a turn point. I nearly head for Lyons but can just see that the clouds quit only a few more miles north. I decide to continue to run the street back east until I can get very high again. No luck at Turon or Arlington. I press on east getting gradually lower and not finding good lift. I take aim on Sunflower. It appears that the clouds at Sunflower are quite strong and that if I press on I will get to Sunflower at about 1000 agl. Risky but I press on. Just South of Sunflower I am rewarded with a strong climb back to 8000 feet.

Now there is significant over development 20 miles west and about 10 miles east. The clouds have towered probably 5000 feet and it is not clear if they are at their end or the start of something bigger. I am also very nervous about the prospect of their killing the other clouds when they hit the down part of their cycle. I am still under time and need to strike out for another turn. Some broken up whisps and one over big cue line the way to Kingman. The other turns are either too close or have significant over development in between. I head for Kingman. The big cue just south of town doesn’t disappoint me. It gives a strong climb to 9000 feet. I dive into Kingman and get my picture and elect to head east. There are uniform cue’s to the south an no over development. There is about a 10 mile gap then it looks good on east and south of Highway 54. I strike out across the gap. A mistake, I should have gone back to the big cue. It would have only been a couple of miles off course. As I glide across the gap it widens, the clouds I head for die. The altimeter unwinds, I still need another climb. About 4 miles from the turn I decide that the clouds along the edge of the diminishing storm clouds will likely be dead. I swing south toward the whisps. Another mistake, I waste about 6 miles and yet the whisps don’t work. Now I am really in for it. I get the picture and make a bee line North West for the next best looking cloud. Could be that the over development to the Northeast has killed everything I can reach. The cloud I take aim for disappears, the altimeter unwinds, it seems I am about to really blow it. At 1800 agl I get the climb I need, a great 500fph thermal. I ride it up to 6000 msl and then turn for home.

The miles tick off and the altimeter unwinds. 75-80 mph I am right on glide slope for a 20/1 run back home. I cross the finish line at about 500 feet and 120mph, pull up and put the gear down. Y is below me making a 360. I slow down and circle around as well and then follow him in.

My flight drops me again in the standings. The winners are a good 20% faster. I definitely made mistakes but the big ones only calculate out to about 5% The old HP just doesn’t go very good at high speed and it was a high speed day. My disgust with it is at an all time high. It is very frustrating to feel like my flying is getting better each day of the contest but watch my score steadily drop.

Day 5

The climb is moderate compared to what I found before the gate so I only stay for a few turns and then move on. The clouds seem better to the NW and north so I head in the general direction of Lyons. I thermal with OL and get to about 10000 feet then head north. By the time I get to Lyons it appears that the clouds get even better to the north so I continue on toward Holyrood. As I go north cloud after cloud fails to produce any good climb. A few turns here and there suffice to carry me north to within 5 miles of Holyrood. By this time I am getting low enough to be nervous. I fly north of a power plant under a good cue and find nothing workable. I cut west to the next nearest cloud and am now down around 2500 agl. I head for a good cloud just east of Holyrood and get up to about 3000 agl and about 3 miles from Holyrood, now I am beyond the turn to the NE and would have to blow about 6 miles in the blue to pick up the turn. Or I could just give up the few miles to the turn and go on NE to the next one. I elect to continue along the street. At the next turn point I get a good climb up to 8000 msl. I get a picture and head south where the cue look best.

I press south under the best clouds. Mile after mile I don’t find a bit of lift. Even the best clouds just have more sink. At Lyons I get a modest climb and get high again. I press on to Sterling where I see OL again at Sterling, again cloud after cloud no lift. I press on south under the most promising stuff and get lower and lower. Half way from Sterling to Arlington I am under 2000 agl and getting more than a little worried that I won’t be making it back. I get a save in weak lift back to about 3500 agl and press for Arlington again. I spot a dust devil about 2 miles away and seem to have it made. It vanishes just as I get there and I find only turbulence. Now I am down to about 2000 agl again. I spot a second dust devil a mile SW and go for it. Again it vanishes as I approach. Another weak climb gets me to 2500 feet and dies. I press SE ignoring the clouds now and going to the darkest fields. The cockpit is hot and I nervously eye various alternatives for landing. It appears that I might miss the awards banquet. At 1200 feet I finally connect a thermal. The lift is rough and very narrow. The turbulence makes it very difficult. As I try to center the lift I hear several other pilots on the radio going through the finish gate. My speed is blown, now I just hope to get home. After many circles I finally get into the lift and go up. As the altimeter winds back up, hope returns. After a few minutes I reach 5500 feet, enough to get back to Sunflower. A few more and I reach 9000 msl. The GPS shows that during the climb I have drifted over 3 miles to the north. With 10 miles to Arlington, I now have enough to make it to the turn and glide back.

I nervously count off the feet and miles into Arlington. At first it looks like I will get there with only 6000 feet but in the last couple of miles I get a bit of lift. At 7000 feet I take my turn point picture. I swing the HP back to the east and set the GPS for Sunflower. Now I accelerate to about 110 mph and head home. The miles and feet tick away for a text book final glide back. I cross the finish at about 500 feet and 120 mph.

Some days even when you don’t fly very well or go very fast you still have a big grin just making it home.