Congratulations Jim Lee on a great flight. Minden to Moriarty

[Tim Taylor]

Amazing flight over some challenging terrain.

[Ron Gleason]

On Sunday, July 2, 2023 at 8:36:25 PM UTC-6, Tim Taylor wrote:
> Amazing flight over some challenging terrain.

Note to self, better odds of making the flight going downwind versus upwind!

[Mark Mocho]

https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-3.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=9535415#map=

1,407 km, 9 hours.

Looks like another Barringer trophy for Jim! Way to go, buddy!

[Tim Taylor]

Congratulations to Jim again!

Thanks Ron. No one ever said I was the brightest pilot ;-). But we wouldn't get to visit such cool places if I didn't try to fly into the wind sometimes. Thanks for chasing me across NM and CO.

I didn't end up in a Navajo hogan like Jim was thinking might be an option yesterday. Just a little place in Colorado:

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/houzz-tour-a-modern-mountain-home-takes-off-with-its-own-airstrip-stsetivw-vs~59630048

TT

[Tony]

Excellent Flight Jim!

Another fantastic soaring flight from Minden to celebrate at the SSA Awards Banquet this winter...

[John Johnson]

Wow!

[JC Garrison]

On Monday, July 3, 2023 at 12:16:24 PM UTC-4, John Johnson wrote:
> Wow!

Agreed ... Wow and Congratulations a few times over

Jim G.
AE

[Steve Leonard]

On Monday, July 3, 2023 at 7:39:05 AM UTC-5, Mark Mocho wrote:

Gonna have to kick it up about 5 notches to have a shot at topping that one! Well done, Jim! So, can you chime in? Was the "goal" the turn-around point east of Moriarty, or was the "goal" the Moriarty airport, and you just didn't want to dive brake off the altitude, so you flew out a little further just because you could? I have done that several times in the past.

Steve Leonard

[youngbl...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, July 2, 2023 at 10:36:25 PM UTC-4, Tim Taylor wrote:
> Amazing flight over some challenging terrain.

Well done Jim, taking the Right Banana worked out well, great flight, keep up the good work. Old Bob, The Purist

[John Sinclair]

Jim had another great flight, Minden to Idaho, a few years back…………..must be in his DNA?
Way to go!
JJ

[Mike Koerner]

Wow !

[Steve Koerner]

On Tuesday, July 4, 2023 at 10:50:13 PM UTC-7, Mike Koerner wrote:
> Wow !


What makes this all the more impressive is that in traveling 13.7 degrees of longitude, Jim effectively lost 55 minutes of sunlight. That might not matter much on a wave flight but it certainly matters on a thermal flight.

[Jim Lee]

Thanks all!
Tim, we need that Houzz house on our database!
The declared goal was Vaughn, another 46nm to the SE. This was the requirement to beat Karl Striedieck's 800 mile declared goal record. It would have to be a perfect flight to make it with available daylight without lights on the JS1 (all the while losing an hour of sun as Steve pointed out). When I had to detour to the NE to go around a solid wall of virga at Cedar City I knew that the record was not possible and sent a text to Jackie Payne my observer to tell her that. After exiting the virga area at Hite, the OD in the Durango area dictated a turn back towards ABQ. Dumping ballast in the sunlight over Sandia Peak in a 2 kt thermal to get me to Moriarty was a sight and a feeling I won't soon forget.
Oh, and Bob, since I curved around the left side of the course line, it was a left banana flight.
This may be the longest straight out thermal flight ever. Anyone know?

[youngbl...@gmail.com]

Thanks for the continued explanation of the Banana flight, I have Virelli painting a beautiful picture of your JS1 Motorglider and he is painting a banana on the tail instead of the contest number. I had to pat myself on the back for expanding your historical knowledge, yes you did take time to look up Ellery Queen, I am glad to be making such an impact as a teachable moment.
Again, great flight amigo, hope to see you again soon. Old Bob, The Purist

[Mike Koerner]

Jim,
Hans Werner Grosse’s 1972 world record flight of 1460 km (907 mi) was a thermal flight - never above 7,500’.
That said, your flight is the longest straight-out thermal flight that I know of in the U.S. Second place would be your flight to Granby last year. Third & fourth would be the 718 mile flights of Wally Scott & Ben Green in 1970. Fifth would be Jim Ketcham’s 695 mi Crystal Squadron flight to Bend, OR in 2003.
However, this listing may not be complete.
Mike Koerner

[Mike Koerner]

Actually, Wally Scott made at least 3 other flights over 700 miles: 716 in ’77, 716 in ’88 and 725 in ‘90. He may have made others.
Also, I’m assuming the epic straight-out flights by Gordon Boettger (including a couple with Hugh Bennett) were primarily in wave lift, though I’m sure he used thermals as well. Similarly, I think Karl Striedieck’s 805 mile flight in ‘97 was primarily ridge, but also included thermalling.