Hobbs Pre-practice 7-2 # 711 reporting

Today more trailers rolled in. Some choose to rig and go fly. The blipmaps
showed it better than it was in the local area. I launched around 2 pm and
climb was slow. Almost got splashed with a full load of water but got back up.
At 10 thou headed SW towards some higher and better looking clouds. Their I
climbed to 14 thou and headed west. I headed towards a peak, maybe some of you
know that was passed by a great soaring pilot on his trip west and a story in
Soaring many years ago, " Showdown over Gila Bend ". He flew his ASW 12 a long
distance that day, today I was flying my ASW 27b. As I headed towards the
"peak", I passed them bat caves on my right side. Now you know where I was
heading. I climbed again over the peak to almost 18 thou, then looked west and
the sky was really working. Del City was a place once visited along time ago,
I turned and headed back towards Hobbs. After I landed I was asked where I had
gone to, they said it wasn't a turnpoint, I laughed. It maynot be a turnpoint
for our contest at Hobbs, but when WA soared over that peak many years ago on
his way to Gila Bend, it was a turning point in my life, because that day he
choose to land at his declared goal, instead of heading father west. From that
day I learned to set goals for myself, and complete them, so, yes, today did
bring back something I had received along time ago from someone whom I did not
know at the time. So soaring does have rewards, as we all know, that we get and
will never forget, Freedom and Goals, are just 2 of the many. Tomorrow is our
first practice day. Pilots meeting at 10 am. Blipmaps look really good. Have a
good 4th. Thermal tight, Soar high, Fly safe. # 711 reporting.

Hi Tom and Thanks for sharing todays story. I'm sure there is a
longer and better version that I look forward to hearing in person.
Perhaps around the fire pit in New Castle.

Fly Safe.