After some close calculations on the scores, I realized there was still a few more places I could drop to by the end of the meet. I’d better get to work and make some changes fast. I resolved that today was going to be different…… The weather improved a bit after the blowout yesterday, and the day actually looked halfway decent. It’s still really wet and it looked like it could OD in certain areas but heh, we were going to get to go flying. The task was to Tamworth, about 55k. Most pilots were on the west launch today and a few more on the east, both looked to be working equally good. The winds dropped to nothing, it was too hot, and I was wondering how long it was before I would be able to get into the air. A wise man once said - “when you’re at cloudbase, hell is below you”, and I was low and wanting out. The launch priority was based on the most recent results ranking and I was “suckin hind-tit” big time in this meet so it could be a while. Just my luck, the launch marshals asked for volunteers to do forward launches as no one wants to forward launch a comp wing. Since I had a Omega 7 (2-3) that I knew forward launched just fine and I got to step right in. After a little sideways running down the carpeted launch I escape the heat and get into the air. The first climb to cloudbase was dreamy, lingering the edge of the clouds and staying away from the crowds. As is typical just before the start, all the clouds dry up leaving us grovelling. A massive clusterfuck of epic proportions forms right at the start. Gliders who got the start were going one way, gliders going back to get the start were going the other, and there was a bunch still thermaling in the middle. I pick the nearest pilot and fly straight at him in a game of chicken to get the start. I don’t know if he drives on the right or the wrong side of the road but we do manage to miss each other and start the task. We all get pointed in one direction towards the first TP in Manila and sink in to the humid inverted valley. It’s not looking good. The first group splits in two with the first taking a deep line into the first low hills, and the second turning in the first crappy lift they come to. I join the second “crappy lift” group, and since today was going to be different, and today I was going to stay in the death gaggle and wait for others to show me the way. Today was a day for change. After an hour or so of change consisting of; collision avoidance, gaining 800 ft, losing it, and gaining it again, repeat. I decide I can’t change, and I can’t fly like this because its just not flying to me. This is a rush hour commute with heavy traffic slowed to a crawl, and we are all fighting for the same piece of shitty road. Bullshit. I finally had enough and with a sigh of relief, I point it toward to open road and go on glide, the solo creep, the thermal hunt, the unknown, peace. After some hard searching the ground comes up all to quickly. I’m packing up on the golf course too disgusted to be pissed. Kari lands about a half a click away from me, Josh and Tom got around 40ks along the course. We heard 12 pilots in goal.

Bill