In any case, sounds like a lot of fun. I think finding thermals in Florida in the summer is pretty much a no-brainer.
Yeah, usually, but not always.
Last Sunday, got off tow at 2000', got high (4300'), and headed out to do a 60 mile triangle.
Barely made the first turnpoint not finding lift along the way, was below my "safety altitude" for getting back to the airport, found no lift headed back to safety and had to land, so ended up with a 42 minute flight.
Arrow marks the airport 10 miles distant. I'm at 2650', 1328' feet lower than I would
like to be at that distance (per flight computer and "safety altitude"). So, it was a careful glide back, didn't find more than a bump or two of lift, and fortunately, not much sink.
The sky looked good, but nothing worked after the start.
Made it back at 800 feet, just high enough to fly a left downwind and left base onto runway 1, about 400 feet lower than optimal.
I'm headed south, will land headed north, on the runway on the left side of the airport.
Final approach at about 120 feet.
Here's the Barograph:
Tow, then thermal over town and get high, the head out on my planned flight and never catch any more lift.
Vertical blue line is the turnback point.
That flight had a little bit of "
pucker factor" in it.
