2011 USA Seniors Day 1

I’m writing this report after stuffing myself silly at the superb
Welcome dinner hosted by Andreea and Florin Alexandrescu in the ‘back
hangar’ (which, according to rumor, is also where many of the Bass Pro
Shop commercials are shot). You know Mike Fuller the owner is a real
fishing nut because one hanger wall has a poster showing a boat with a
great pair of Johnson outboards! The menu included some really superb
seafood gumbo soup, and some really delicious brownies for dessert.
CD John Good was heard complaining that some of us had eaten all the
brownies before he could get any, so I explained that we were simply
helping him maintain his svelte figure by sacrificing ourselves on the
altar of chocolate (he was not amused).

At the morning meeting Ray Galloway told us that if we liked the
practice day, we would love today. Blue skies again, with top of lift
around 3500 early, increasing to 4000-4500 later, better to the south
than north. CD John Good called a 2-turn TAT – Wines (45 miles SSE),
then Wauchulla (35 WSW from Wines) then home. The launch went off
without a hitch, with the entire fleet off in less than an hour –
wow!

Pre-start conditions were pretty much as predicted, with weak climbs
to just above 3000. By start time, some pilots reported climbs to
4000, and, mostly by mistake, I actually started out the top of the
4000’ cylinder. Conditions improved the farther south we went, with
some 5-6kt climbs to 5000’ in the Wines cylinder. Visibility was
good, so it was pretty easy to see marked thermals all the way down
the course line. The field spread out considerably on the second leg,
as pilots made different decisions about where to make the right turn
toward the second cylinder. The fast guys went almost to the back of
the first cylinder, and then aimed toward the south-eastern corner of
the second one, while the slower ships tended to turn earlier and head
more toward the center and northern edge of the second cylinder.
Unfortunately, the back half of the second cylinder got pretty soft,
so several of the fast guys saw their speeds wilting in front of their
eyes as they struggled to get up and make it home. Coming back north
toward home, conditions improved again, so the run home was relatively
easy.

The normal chaotic finish appeared to be much less of a goat rope
today, with pilots landing and exiting the runway in good order. I
did hear the rumor that Dave Nadler in YO gave an excellent
demonstration of the durability of the main gear on the Antares by
dropping it in from an altitude that made both wingtips touch the
ground simultaneously!

At the end of the day, Tom Kelley won the day with a raw speed of
57.86mph/ 51.06mph handicapped, Doug Jacobs (flying John Good’s Duo)
took second with a raw speed of 56.49mph / 50.51mph handicapped, and
Frank Paynter sneaked into third place with a raw speed of 55.86 /
49.23mph handicapped.

We are hoping for continued good weather for tomorrow, and there are
some unsubstantiated rumors that some white puffy things may put in an
appearance – cool!

TA