Day 1

High clouds over Iowa wanted to encroach into southern Minnesota, but for some reason, that political boundary kept the shade from encroaching to points in the north land. The tasking area was on the back side of the high pressure that made soaring pretty good on the practice day, and good enough for today.  The CD and weather advisor predicted that enough sunshine would reach the ground, enabling this unstable airmass to make thermals. 

 The task setters had both the 15-meter and sports classes fly to the northwest in the sunshine to Mapleton City and then to the southwest near the Iowa border just at the edge of the shade at Fairmont, but with the 15-meter class on task for 2:30 and the sports class on task for 2:00.  The sky was mostly blue except for an occasional cumulus cloud, exactly marking the thermal core, for just a few moments before it evaporated.  For sure, no one lost time wandering about under an overdeveloped, spread out cumulus cloud looking for lift.  These markers were spot on if you go there in time.  All pilots on task had to deal with the few if any markers on the last leg back to Albert Lea, but there was enough lift in the blue to get home on with a longer final glide.  Indicated lift on the varios for most of the task was about 3-8 knots and the same for sink.  Ron Ridenour won the 15-meter class and Jeff Banks won the sports class on Day 1, here in Albert Lea.

And, dinner tonight has us in the main hangar with the popular serving of Northwoods fish boil.

The CM