Hobbs Day 2 7-05-04

I think we have about 25 or so in both the Standard and 15 Meter Classes. Well,
we had 12 landouts coming out of Big Springs, I think 7 were at the Maybe
Ranch. Everyone is accounted for , thats good news. I saw 3 that made it around
in Standard, speed of about 58 mph. The Standards and 15 Meters were given the
same task at the last minute. With Big Springs and then Jal as turnpoints. It
was a 2.5 hr. TAT with Big Springs at 10 mile radius, and Jal at 20 miles.
Going towards Big Springs was good, but about 25 miles out fron the turn radius
the airmass changed and we saw ourselves gliding down to a much lower and
weaker cloud base. Like from 14 thou down to maybe 5 thou. Ya, yikes, and the
leg back to Jal was into the wind. Double yikes. It took time, so much time and
if you pushed alittle to hard you would miss a 2 knoter and the places to land
are a tripple yikes. ZL, Dave Leonard did a great job by going North after he
made his turn at Big Springs where he found the going alittle easier. Like a 3
knoter. Dave won the Day in 15 Meter with a speed of 72 mph over 217 miles.
What Dave doesn't know is the Alien has appeared in Hobbs, This guy is green
and sits in your cockpit over nite. Dave will wake him in the mornin, cause""
the Alien be with him"". Our CD is also the scorer and the sniffer. Hes working
around the clock and maybe I can get more scores to you shortly. The NSF Pawnee
ate a valve so we are down to 4 tow planes. Jo Ann Ditter is doing a great job
and tonite the ladies put out free ice cream for everyone. Folks, it was a
hard day with many of us low over unlandable terrain and it was hot, very hot
in the cockpits. You had to be patient and when we finally got back to the
other airmass, things Ka Boomed to 15 thou and the final glide home was done
with very few bumps. Several landed out at Enuice, and Lea County Airports
because of a wind shift that caught the final glide short because it changed
from a tailwind to a head wind. Yikes, yikes, yikes. Thermal tight, Soar high,
Fly safe, # 711 reporting.