First day of the Avenal contest this uear, the call was 25 mile turn
area task around just one turn (Buena Vista). I struggled for over an
hour and finally made it to about 25 miles north of the turn. Found
myself on a low ridge covered with oil wells. Flew down the ridge and
didn't find a thing. Looking grim when, right in front of me, a
gigantic gas burner suddenly ignited. It looked like the burner on your
kitchen stove, except this one must have been 20 foot across. I
emmediately dove for it and hung a hard left when I got the surge.
Giggling and cranking, I rode that sucker to 8000 AGL. Feeling good
about my secret thermal, I decided to go deep into the turn-area, so I
flew 20 south, made the turn and centered up for another pass on my
secret thermal. I could see it clearly, glowing in the distance. Like a
sailer returning after a long cruise, I headed for my beacon on the
hill. Things were working so well, I put the nose down and came smokin'
in. About a mile out, my secret thermal, my beacon, my gas
burner,-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------****
OFF

I landed at Belridge, so much for sure things.

Best wishes for 2005, see you at Avenal, Parowan and Montague.
:) JJ