The forecast for today was for much better lift lasting until after 7 PM and
going to 8,000'. That was combined with a forecasted 25 knot north northeast
flow. The winds were indeed high, but not that high. They didn't seems as bad at
launch as the forecast either.
I measured about 15 mph winds out of the north northeast. Our second leg, a 70
km leg, was to the east northeast. Not an easy task. The first leg was 90
kilometers due south, very easy.
I launched third and climbed to 6,300' over the air field. Then headed over to
the 10 km start circle to the south west where the clouds were getting dark
bottoms and climbed to 8,000' at 700 fpm, smooth as could be.
I was now out to the south west portion of the start circle and by myself. I
decided to wait for the second start clock and go by myself. There was a blue
area to the south, but cloud to the west side of that area that looked good. I
did see Custard Chucker, Dave Seib at one point in the start circle but he would
start at the same time but to the east.
It was a twenty two kilometer glide in fifteen minutes to the first thermal. As
I got near the top at 8,200' Dave Seib came in just under me and two other
pilots came in a few thousand feet below. I went on glide with Dave still
climbing. This next glide was 23 km, and Dave took a straighter line and I came
in under him and climbed up to him.
Dave and I went on a glide together side by side and we seemed to be gliding
about the same. He in the Moyes LiteSpeed and me on the small Airborne C4-13. We
seemed to be climbing the same also.
I left the next thermal a little early while Dave was smarter to hang back a
bit. I thought I saw stronger lift ahead, but it turned out to be a mirage. That
meant I had to work a little hard under the cloud at the turnpoint at Violet
Town to get up.
Now we turned into the wind and could no longer get 60 mph ground speeds. The
wind was 15 mph, so it was quite a cross head wind to deal with.
I saw Attila a few kilometers ahead but lower. I came in over him as he was
circling up. We got to only 5,200' before he left, which I thought was too low
but I decided to stick with him. Dave was just above us in this thermal.
We got to the next thermal at 3,200' 6 kilometers away. It was weak, but we were
low. After a few turns Attila headed off to the north northeast while I edged
myself in light lift to the east northeast not wanting to follow him. After a
long search low, Attila landed, while I worked weak lift over him and finally
got up to 5,000'. Not great but better than Attila. I saw three pilots really
high come over us at near cloud base, at 8,000'.
Crossing over Benalla and the airport where the Australian Nationals Sailplane
Championships are taking place, I kept searching the sky for the signs of
lift nearby. I was down to 800' AGL when I caught a bit of lift off a dam (pond)
and climbed out to 5,600' climbing through another glider.
The area along the course line was all blue, so I decided to go downwind to the
good looking clouds over the hills to the southeast. I would start 6 km off course
line and end up at the top of the thermal 10 km south of the course line with a
strong north wind, but I got to over 8,400' in smooth lift.
I was then able to work the small range that lined up the to the northeast
working the good lift on the up wind side of the hills but not getting as high
as I did back in the hills. I was able to get quite a way back upwind.
On the downwind side of the small hills it was blue all the way (22 kilometers)
to goal. I worked my way upwind of the course line trying to get rid of the head
wind component for the final glide and to get under the last cloud at the gap in
the hills where the freeway comes through.
The cloud looked good and I saw the big quarry below it and the whole
arrangement looked good, but it turned out to be a dud. I landed 12.5 km short
of goal. Only two pilots made it to goal.
Got a handy helicopter? Send lawyers, guns, and money.
The emergency personnel should remain on site during the whole
competition, including the official practice days.
The emergency personnel are to remain in contact with the organisation and the
safety officer until released from duty. They require a mobile phone and a radio
in order to monitor the organisation and emergency frequencies. The emergency
personnel and meet officials establish a clear and simple method of transmitting
position and access information.
The emergency personnel is to carry a GPS and a map and understand how these are
used, or be accompanied by a person who does know. Maps (preferably with
turnpoints) should be co-ordinated so emergency personnel and officials can
communicate.
Before the first practice day, the organiser should make contact with the local
emergency services, confirm the helicopter response time and establish the most
suitable hospital able to accept severe traumatic injuries. Ensure that the
rescue service is operational throughout the competition.
It is already the case that a helicopter emergency response system
is required to be available to you if you run a Category 1 competition. This is
a request for additional helicopter capabilities.
Hungarian pilot Ferenc GRUBER tumbles near Violet Town
Ferenc was reported missing last evening and a full search for him
began this morning. With help from the organizers and his team mates it was
figured out where he was last and the helicopter was able to spot the glider in
the trees.
Ferenc was found and is not injured. He spent the whole night in his harness
hooked to the glider in the trees. The glider was not attached to the trees, but
just sitting on top of them. His arms and legs are numb from spending all this
time in the harness.
His radio wasn't working and has been very intermittent since he came here. This
added greatly to the problems of getting him safely out.
The organizers have been up all night and are very upset.
The Lumby Air Force will be hosting the Lumby Air Races June 9,
10, and 11, 2006 during Lumby Days in Lumby, British Columbia Canada. The event
will be for both Hang Gliders and Paragliders. The focus will be on a fun time
with challenging tasks, excellent prizes and great entertainment!
Lumby was the base for the Canadian National Hang Gliding and Paragliging
championships for the last four consecutive years. The Lumby Air Force was
organized as a flying club in 1975 and has been hosting flying competitions
since 1976. I am the owner of the official landing field and its great to see it
up on Google Earth however its marked as Ralph's LZ.
Hugh Morton of Grandfather Mountain is very ill with cancer of the
esophagus. He is undergoing treatment & can't take calls or visitors. Sounds
like its pretty rough going.
I know Mr. Morton has a special place in every pilot's heart who has ever been
to Grandfather Mountain. He has done so much for hang gliding and all of us.
Please keep him in your prayers. I'd like for everyone to send me emails
( <hughmortongfm> ) for Hugh
that I can print off and mail to him. Harris Prevost at Grandfather suggested
this.
I think its a great idea. You can also send him a card at Grandfather Mountain,
Box 129, Linville, NC 28646.
"The new signal-known as 'L2C-was specifically designed with
commercial needs in mind," said Deputy Commerce Secretary David Sampson in
remarks prepared for delivery at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce press event this
morning. "For example, it is transmitted with a higher effective power, so GPS
receivers work better in urban areas and indoors. And it requires less energy to
receive the signal, an important feature for battery-powered devices such as
mobile phones."
Surrounded by showers the safety committee calls the day
The forecast was for thunderstorms but only thirty percent chance,
but on the other hand the humidity was much higher than yesterday. There was an
upper layer of clouds that would seem to dampen the development a bit, but by
the time we got set up there were towering cu's all around. We counted six rain
squalls as we broke down next to the runway.
The Ready modeled sounding was completely off predicting moist conditions but no
lift (and therefore no thunderstorms). The highs on the Ready were much lower
than we were already experiencing.
We are still awaiting the return the Ferenc from his night in the forest.
A dust devil came through while we were breaking down causing considerable
damage to Pete's trike (broken keel). He was in the trike at the time and raced
away from the dust devil while holding onto his eight year old daughter.
Ferenc is back and looking healthy as he turns in his track log.
Unfortunately it is only a 2D track log as he has only a Garmin 12. Gerry hopes
to have it up later today.
Track logs. Turn off the other track logs and beginning and end points to see his
track log. It was from a Garmin 12 set to wrap, so it spends a lot of time in
the tree.
It is pretty clear from the track log why he got into trouble though. He went
way down wind of the course line into the area where there was over development.
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