HGFA Skysailor Magazine

8 SKY SAILOR November | December 2018 goal? As it happened, goal occupied about half my vision field – the Plainview airport is that big! Aviation infrastructure is in quite good shape in the US. This particular ‘country’ airfield would be perfectly adequate as an international airport in most countries! Zac won the day very deservedly. Bruce came second, I was third and just happy to make it, after all, I had made about one week’s worth of mistakes, yet it’s better to be in goal than not to be there. On the way home, we stopped in Lubbock at a Big Texan-style steakhouse. Nothing is small here! Finally, I was happy to get back to the hotel since my cold was getting the better of me by then. Airconditioning in the airliner, plus in the hotel, plus jet lag is not the best combo, I imagine. Come the second day, we decided to give up on the ‘epic’ task idea and instead have a more technical zig-zag shape with crosswind legs but an easier retrieve. It suited me fine, and people generally thought it was a good idea, but I guess some would rather drive longer than land out. The Swifts decided they’d hate to break down their quasi-sailplanes, so opted for a returning short task. In my modest opinion, a task length of about three times would have been more realistic for them, but they said they just wanted to have a little fun… Sport class task was set shorter than Open. The wind was still strong. I took the first clock out of necessity rather than choice. I had a start which falls into the shameful category: low, late and, worst off all, I could have stayed for a better one. Anyway, halfway through the last leg I’d done pretty much everything wrong, when one of those aforementioned Texan dusties saved my backside. Things were looking up from there on. First TP was in the canyons, but it wasn’t too bad, it just looked that way. I caught up with Rudy shortly after the TP and suspected he had taken the first clock too. We pushed on after a strong climb. He stopped in something I deemed too weak, so there I was alone again. Nobody wants to fly with me. My wife tells me I am anti-social. She’s probably right... I picked up a thermal after seeing the vegetation move in a field in a swirling fashion. I did the second TP and the crosswind got stronger. I went way upwind to a field with two dust devils. Such a typical situation: You’d think there surely has to be a good climb and then there’s nothing much at all! Then my typical mind game started me thinking With great volunteers we were able to keep the launch lines long Sport class pilot Zach Hazen gets assisted on the launch line by volunteer Raul Larenas on Day 4 of the competition The Retrieval Goddess driving crew spreads their wings in celebration of a successful event at the end of the week