Saturday, June 7, 2008

ECC day 7

It was a steamy day with temps hitting 100 and really high humidity again. I was melting on the ground and finally got into the air with cooler temperatures at a couple grand and loving it. It was a struggle to stay up with the gaggle with really light lift again today. I could never quite get up to Linda, Campbell and Jamie Sheldon and when they went on glide down the course line even though I was only at 1600' I went with them. They stopped to climb just west of the town of Greensboro and when I got there I was only at 600'. There were a few turkey vultures turning over a corn field so I joined them and worked back up to 900' and stayed there for the next 15 minutes. I watched as Linda and crew climbed out above the town and continued on course but I did not have enough altitude to cross over the town and no landable areas. I eventually lost the thermal I had as it drifted over the town and was soon on the ground with 4 other sport class pilots already on the ground.
We broke down in the extreme heat and went back for the pool, party and awards ceremonies. Mark ended up in 17th, Linda in 19th(1st in women's), Daniel and Bob DNF today and ended up in 5th and 6th respectively in the rigid class.
In the sport class the longest flight was 7 miles and most of us fell into the field next to "Squid Cemetery" we knick named due to five of us sport pilots decking it together 1.5 miles from launch. I got 5th for the day, twenty points and finished third for the meet.
What a gas, I got a short flight but almost climbed out, was flying with the buzzards and had one fifteen feet below me checking me out, and other than the heat enjoyed every single second of it.
I will post some pics soon and link a couple videos of the non flying activities soon.


Flights- 1
34 min.
1.5 miles XC

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