Session 8

WHEN     : Sunday 4th June 2000
WHAT     : Rather sad attempt at thermalling!
WHO      : 2 solo flights. HOW LONG : 47 minutes in 2 flights

  After being out of town for a while, flying the Cessna 140 to Illinois and back, then the club Bonanza to Oklahoma and back, I could finally go soaring again! I was a little worried that I might have forgotten a lot - not really the stick-and-rudder part, but the procedures part. However, using the checklist in the glider made sure I didn't miss anything.

  Soaring conditions were not exactly spectacular to say the least. It seems like the whole of SE Texas has been under the grip of an enormous low pressure system for two months, with the associated clouds, rain, low ceilings and strong winds. Clouds and winds weren't a problem - the bases were up at 3,000' AGL, but the lack of sunshine didn't make for good thermals. However...there was a little bit!

  My first flight lasted 30 minutes. I found a bit of zero sink after coming down 1,000 feet or so without finding anything. I was trying to head underneath a cumulus cloud to see if there was any lift - the other cumulus clouds only seemed to have zero sink at the best under them. Then I spotted three hawks start to circle. I followed them.

  I'm convinced the hawks just soar for fun - they seemed way too high to spot any prey on the ground. Nevertheless, they are good at thermalling, and they marked a nice 6 knot up thermal! I managed to claw back up to 2,500 AGL. I saw the hawks leave the thermal, and looking down at the vario, I knew why. The lift had pretty much petered out. I tried to follow them, but they soon disappeared. All I found after that was a bit of zero sink followed by some 6 down sink! I soon found myself headed back to the IP to land. Still, I did manage to stay up for half an hour...

  I didn't find any lift at all on the next flight, so I had to resign myself to doing a little airwork before re-entering the pattern. I can't wait to stay up over an hour like I did in the 2-33 one time.