Latest news June 16, 2006 Last-but -one-day -tension ! Picture: Courtesy to Robert Danewid. "On the ground a glider can be a place for all!" Who did say that gliding was NOT a family sport??? 9.00
Early gridding at 8 on 23, might mean long tasks! Standard class is upfront today. Sunny , pretty warm conditions already, after a cold night. Ingredients hopefully for a nice day.
Can the leaders secure their positions!? Is it possible to go a few places higher?! Hopefully not lower!
Everything is still possible only the pilots on the last spot might not win anymore. But they still can improve, nothing to loose!!!
We hope for 2 more great good, flyable days. Let's go for it!
Gridding is nearly FINISHED. Briefing at 10.Back soon! No tasks set yet!!!???!!!
10.15
Briefing is over and we have rather long tasks for day 9 of this competition. Here they are:
St class; pol. with 5 points; 417.4 km.
15 m. class; pol.with 5 points; 405.2 km.
18 m. class;pol. with 6 points; 431.4 km.
open class; pol. with 6 points; 457.2 km.
---Winners from day 8 got a nice red WGC fleece jacket.
---Dick Bradley; chief steward had another meeting yesterday with the safety committee. " Gaggle flying IS STILL NOT SAFE enough!!! There were complaints about extremely unsafe flying; SO BE MORE CAREFULL. It is the pilots responsability to fly safe. Behave like it!!!"
---The organizers anticipated on that and SAKA MADE THE START POINTS EVEN FURTHER FROM EACH OTHER.
---Open class has vPos
--- Sad news too, for open class pilot Pierre de Broqueville who has to leave the comps, due to severe illness of his wife. We wish him AND his wife all strenghts and our thoughts are with them.
The weather The weather lady got her voice back and could give us the good news that the airmass which is in the competition area is excellent for flying. Specially around the Lake Siljan. Only tricky thing to forecast seems to be the high clouds .
We have a westerly flow in the comps area and a weak W. wind.
At 11.00 we might have thermals up to 1000 m. later up to 2000 m. Thermals will be blue , with the odd cu in between.
Temperature will be 27 dgr. and sunset is at 22.13. Nearly mid summer night with the longest day , but we are going to miss that here!
First start is at 11.30, when the sniffer "feels" the thermals.
Hans Werner Grosse The first FAI 1000 km TRIANGLE was flown by Hans Werner in Finland from Nummela. I asked him. Sorry that I said Rayskala first, I changed that, after checking again with HW, staightaway.
11.00 You can defenitely "feel" some stress, also here on the ground and even with the readers who react in "
Meet and Greet". The "sniffer" is in the air , but does not yet go up like a rocket. We see blue skies, cirrus filaments over the airfield, 1 cloud to the N. and a weak wind from the WSW. The tugs are still on their parking spot.
11.30 Tuggies still in front of me, but you found out already that this can change very quickly, like the weather here.
11.45 Tuggies have started their engines. First launch will be at 12.00. Clouds everywhere around us!!! Looks like a good day, 114 glider pilots are ready to go for it. Wishing them well!! 12.00 First launch in St. class; they are on their way for a 417.4 km. task.
Start line opens at;12.51.
DI came back and is still on the side hooked on the car. 2 Gliders were that high , that I thought for 1 minute that they were airliners. YES this means they REALLY go high today.
12.21 18 m. Launches in progres now! Distance; 431.4 km.
Start line opens at; 13.15. It is good to see the spread in start points. Gliders go up high, no worries! DI has been put back on grid to go!
12.46 15 m. Launches in progres now! They go for a 405.2 km. long flight.
Start line opens at; 13.30. Temperature is nearly 25 dgr. at the moment!
13.00 Open class launches in progres now
Start line opens at;13.46.
Glider AT had a problem, but was launched at 13.20 and glider PF had an engine problem and they are still looking at it!
So all gliders except for one, are on their way now! Time to do some other things, as look at the pictures put on by Jeroen Kroon from the Netherlands. You can find them on
www.glidingpictures.com/wgc2006
You will find about 900 pictures!!! Enjoy!!!
You are up to date for this morning, hope to see you back in the next article. Ritz
