This was a Chupacabra Day
After a very productive rest day, the pilots seemed to be rejuvenated at the parking area this morning. Going around the group and talking to the pilots, most everyone did the fun things we talked about in the last report. The Canadians went to Old Baldy to go hiking. For those that want to know how much water you need to have for a landout, they had a gallon of water for one person, and it was gone in 30 minutes. Have that in your memory banks if you plan to fly here. Always plan for the worst and celebrate the landout next to the beer store that has air conditioning. Weather for today looks good. Clouds are expected and the day should be good until 7pm. Lift is expected to be 6-7 knots up to 9,000ft.
Ther is a wide variety of food choices in Uvalde. So far, the best breakfast place we have found is the Local Fix at 2001 E Main Street which is very close to the turn off going to the field. You have many breakfast selections to choose from, but the coffee is not like Starbucks, so be forewarned. Broadway 830, at 100 E Main Street, is a first-class pizza place that does serve more than pizza. Service is excellent and the food is first quality. The best Tex Mex we have found is a family-owned restaurant called The Vazquez 1935. The food, service, and specifically the owner, are all the very best. Their margarita on the rocks (called the Chica) is the best I’ve had in a long while. It is topped off with a single large square ice cube. A perfect drink after a long hot day. Warning, only have one because they are very powerful!!!!! If you want a steak, Jack’s Steak House in Uvalde is just ok but Hermann Sons Steak House in Hondo Texas is worth the 45 minute drive. We recommend the steak and enchilada dinner. The Town House is another Tex Mex restaurant at 2105 E Main Street in Uvalde that serves a large variety of good food.
On the grid the skies did not look like the forecast. A thick haze enveloped the entire southern portion of the task area. We also had fewer cu than expected and the heating on the ground was delayed. That meant we expected the day to start latter and end earlier.
For the 18-meter class, their Assigned Area Task was 371 miles nominal that went from Start B, Arrow, Freer, La Fonda Ranch, Leona and Finish. The first three quarters to the turnpoint was blue. Then the cu started to give the pilots hope. Speeds were slow and we did have a landout on this leg. The speed to do minimum distance was 80 mph and the first leg speeds were around 55mph. The second leg had good clouds but there was a 25-mile glide with no lift under an thin overcast. They had the same issue with the bombing range, but their task made them go around the entire range. Third leg was gangbusters which was great since some pilots did not get to the beginning of the 153 mile leg at 4:34pm. The fourth leg had cu and was an easy leg. The final glide home was only 34 miles and was very straightforward, at least the headwind was only 18-20 knots. In the end, Peter Deane finished in third and Nelson Howe in second. Winning the day with a speed of 84.3 over 341 miles was Andy Blackburn. Nice job Andy, a great flight on a difficult day.
For the 20-meter class, our Assigned Area Task was 313 miles nominal that went from Start D, Charlotte, Seven Seas Ranch, La Fonda, Finish. Our first leg was a real slow, low uncomfortable glide. The climbs were weak, and the wind was right in our face. After an hour, we only went 43 miles. Things started to pick up approaching the first turnpoint and a nice 7 knot climb got us off the back foot. There were some clouds now and you could line up some good lines into the second turnpoint. One wrinkle we had on this leg was a bombing range the Navy uses for young Naval Aviators from Kingsville Texas. You could not go too far to the east of the direct line without flying into the restricted area. Unfortunately, some of the bigger cu were right in the range. The third leg had wispy clouds and some nicer, well-developed cu that made the leg easier. The final glide was the topping of the day. After a nice climb to right below cloudbase, we put the pedal to the medal and flew back indicating 110 knots for much of the leg. We slowed down when we started to eat into our reserve, but that did not last long. In the end Adam Woolley and Pulkkinen finished in third place with Team 98 in second. Winning the day with a speed of 68.9 handicapped speed over 294 miles was Barry Jaeger and Dick Andrews. Great job guys!
For the Open Class, their Assigned Area Task was 390 nominal that went from Start F, Chupacabra, La Fonda Ranch, Rocksprings (in the hill country) to Finish. As a side note, Chupacabra looks like a coyote with a goat head with big teeth and translates to Goat Sucker. Hope the Open Class guys stay high over this turnpoint. The Open Class guys went into the hill country where the best clouds were. They all made it back safely, but I have no information on how it went.
After flying we all had a tight turnaround to go to the Disco Bingo Party at the Rexall Drug Store. Victoria Duhring, our lovely cruise and entertainment director, and her crew (Damian, Jennifer, Megan, Miranda and Mark) did a great job with a buffet of hamburgers, chicken, French fries and ice cream Sundays. She ran a bingo game with some nice prizes in the store that was decorated in a 70’s disco theme.
All in all, today was a great day. Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be better. Cu should be more plentiful and I’m sure the speeds will be higher. In the 18 Meter Nationals, the top 7 are separated by less than 100 points. This race is very close with Sean Fidler only 9 points behind David Leonard who is in first overall. So, stay tuned and read tomorrow’s report for the latest developments.
Cheers,
Rich
Team 98 Backseater