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topic: Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr

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2022 European Hang Gliding Championship »

Thu, Jul 21 2022, 6:20:25 pm GMT

Eighth task - 167 km

European HG Championships 2022

https://civlcomps.org/event/21st-fai-european-hang-gliding-class-1-championship/results

Live tracking: https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=4489

Longer but faster. 2:47 vs. 3:30 yesterday. 73 in goal. Everyone home before 6 PM.

Task 8:

# Name Nat Glider Time Total
1 Jochen Zeischka AUT Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:46:45 1000.0
2 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:47:48 980.2
3 Christian Ciech ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:47:58 976.7
4 Peter Neuenschwander CHE Aeros Combat C 02:49:10 963.7
5 Franz Herrmann CHE Aeros Combat C 02:49:46 958.7
6 Arne Tanzer NLD Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:52:09 940.3
7 Petr Polach CZE Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:53:21 930.7
8 Joost Eertman NLD Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:54:06 920.8
9 Dan Vyhnalik CZE Aeros Combat C 02:55:35 907.7
10 Roland Wöhrle DEU Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 02:55:27 905.3

Cumulative:

# Name Nat Glider Total
1 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 7697.0
2 Christian Ciech ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 7456.0
3 Primoz Gricar DEU Aeros Combat GT 7150.0
4 Grant Crossingham GBR Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 7117.0
5 Dan Vyhnalik CZE Aeros Combat C 7037.0
6 Filippo Oppici ITA Wills Wing T3 6921.0
7 Lorenzo De Grandis ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 6802.0
8 Petr Polach CZE Icaro 2000 Laminar 6689.0
9 Jon Durand AUS Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 6631.0
10 Olav Opsanger NOR Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 6595.0

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2022 European Hang Gliding Championship »

Wed, Jul 20 2022, 6:14:06 pm GMT

Seventh task - 152 km

European HG Championships 2022

https://civlcomps.org/event/21st-fai-european-hang-gliding-class-1-championship/results

Live tracking: https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=4489

Again another incremental (20 km) increase in the task length from the preceding day. 55 pilots in goal with Mario Alonzi last into goal at 5:47 over two hours later than Christian.. Christian and Alex were on final glide with Christian higher and going faster when Alex stopped to work some lift thinking perhaps that he wasn't going to make it after all.

Pedro 6th, with pilots clumped together. Petr Polach was out in front but had to find some lift in the last cylinder to be able to make it in fourth ten minutes behind Christian.

Task 7:

# Name Nat Glider Time Lead.
Points
Total
1 Christian Ciech ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:29:32 81.2 975.3
2 Petr Polach CZE Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:39:06 105.9 936.5
3 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:35:48 83.7 936.4
4 Franz Herrmann CHE Aeros Combat C 03:38:21 85.8 922.9
5 Grant Crossingham GBR Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 03:39:51 79.6 903.8
6 PEDRO L. GARCIA USA Wills Wing T3 03:40:22 79.6 898.7
7 Roland Wöhrle DEU Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 03:55:57 83.7 833.6
8 Primoz Gricar DEU Aeros Combat GT 03:56:29 83.5 828.8
9 Jiri Gut CZE Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:56:46 71.8 813.5
10 Dan Vyhnalik CZE Aeros Combat C 03:56:58 72.2 810.8

Cumulative:

# Name Nat Glider Total
1 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 6717.0
2 Christian Ciech ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 6479.0
3 Primoz Gricar DEU Aeros Combat GT 6275.0
4 Grant Crossingham GBR Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 6263.0
5 Dan Vyhnalik CZE Aeros Combat C 6130.0
6 Filippo Oppici ITA Wills Wing T3 6047.0
7 Lorenzo De Grandis ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 5931.0
8 Olav Opsanger NOR Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 5770.0
9 Petr Polach CZE Icaro 2000 Laminar 5758.0
10 Jon Durand AUS Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 5757.0

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2022 European Hang Gliding Championship »

Tue, Jul 19 2022, 7:03:11 pm GMT

Sixth task - 135 km

European HG Championships 2022

https://civlcomps.org/event/21st-fai-european-hang-gliding-class-1-championship/results

Live tracking: https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=4489

Tasks getting a bit longer. 58 pilots in goal. Pilots back after 6 pm. Jocken was in first place 22 km out, but on his own and didn't get the last thermal that he needed, while those just behind him stuck together.

Task 6:

# Name Nat Glider Time Lead.
Points
Total
1 Marco Laurenzi ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:09:15 106.2 989.4
2 Christian Ciech ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:08:56 92.0 984.2
3 Walter Mayer AUT Moyes Litespeed RX 4 Pro 03:08:58 86.8 975.6
4 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:09:24 94.7 971.4
5 Pedro L. Garcia USA Wills Wing T3 03:09:16 87.7 968.1
6 Lorenzo De Grandis ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:09:32 94.7 967.7
7 Juri Bressanello ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:09:49 90.7 959.1
8 Franz Herrmann CHE Aeros Combat C 03:09:53 90.2 955.8
9 Filippo Oppici ITA Wills Wing T3 03:10:01 85.5 947.8
10 David Gregoire FRA Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:10:25 90.6 945.8

Cumulative:

# Name Nat Glider Total
1 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 5781.0
2 Marco Laurenzi ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 5524.0
3 Christian Ciech ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 5504.0
4 Primoz Gricar DEU Aeros Combat GT 5447.0
5 Grant Crossingham GBR Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 5359.0
6 Dan Vyhnalik CZE Aeros Combat C 5319.0
7 Filippo Oppici ITA Wills Wing T3 5285.0
8 Gerd Dönhuber DEU Aeros Combat C 12.7 5226.0
9 Lorenzo De Grandis ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 5173.0
10 Jon Durand AUS Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 5062.0

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2022 European Hang Gliding Championship »

Mon, Jul 18 2022, 6:34:43 pm GMT

Fifth task - 110 km

European HG Championships 2022

https://civlcomps.org/event/21st-fai-european-hang-gliding-class-1-championship/results

Live tracking: https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=4489

Shorter task. 80 pilots in goal. Corinna and Gordon didn't fly. Pilots back before 6 pm.

Task 5:

# Name Nat Glider Time Total
1 Jon Durand AUS Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 02:11:27 1000.0
2 Christian Ciech ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:11:56 982.4
3 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:12:13 971.3
4 Dan Vyhnalik CZE Aeros Combat C 02:12:50 962.2
5 Olav Opsanger NOR Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 02:13:00 961.1
6 Marco Laurenzi ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:12:54 957.8
7 Jochen Zeischka AUT Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:13:31 955.1
8 Grant Crossingham GBR Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 02:14:10 940.0
9 Franz Herrmann CHE Aeros Combat C 02:15:36 931.8
10 Akira Nagusa JPN Wills Wing T3 02:16:32 931.2

Cumulative:

# Name Nat Glider Total
1 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 4810.0
2 Primoz Gricar DEU Aeros Combat GT 4670.0
3 Marco Laurenzi ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 4534.0
4 Christian Ciech ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 4520.0
5 Dan Vyhnalik CZE Aeros Combat C 4456.0
6 Grant Crossingham GBR Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 4419.0
7 Jon Durand AUS Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 4383.0
8 Filippo Oppici ITA Wills Wing T3 4337.0
9 Gerd Dönhuber DEU Aeros Combat C 12.7 4320.0
10 Lorenzo De Grandis ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 4205.0

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2022 European Hang Gliding Championship »

Sat, Jul 16 2022, 7:04:05 pm GMT

Fourth task - 200 km

European HG Championships 2022

https://civlcomps.org/event/21st-fai-european-hang-gliding-class-1-championship/results

Live tracking: https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=4489

Task 4:

21 in goal. Jonny Durand, the second to last pilot in goal at 6:53 PM. Pedro Garcia, the closest pilot to goal to not make it in. Launch open at noon. Pilots in the air for over 6 hours.

# Name Nat Glider Time Total
1 Primoz Gricar DEU Aeros Combat GT 04:42:21 1000.0
2 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 04:47:10 974.3
3 Franz Herrmann CHE Aeros Combat C 04:52:33 949.3
4 Lorenzo De Grandis ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 04:53:14 944.7
5 Marco Laurenzi ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 04:56:32 934.3
6 Peter Siess AUT Wills Wing T3 04:59:43 914.3
7 Joost Eertman NLD Icaro 2000 Laminar 05:01:43 901.9
8 Gerd Dönhuber DEU Icaro 2000 Laminar 05:03:25 900.5
8 Arne Tanzer NLD Icaro 2000 Laminar 05:02:47 900.5
10 Christian Ciech ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 05:16:41 871.2

Cumulative:

# Name Nat Glider Total
1 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 3844.0
2 Primoz Gricar DEU Aeros Combat GT 3811.0
3 Marco Laurenzi ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 3589.0
4 Christian Ciech ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 3566.0
5 Dan Vyhnalik CZE Aeros Combat C 3534.0
6 Grant Crossingham GBR Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 3530.0
7 Filippo Oppici ITA Wills Wing T3 3520.0
8 Gerd Dönhuber DEU Icaro 2000 Laminar 3491.0
9 Jon Durand AUS Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 3440.0
10 Lorenzo De Grandis ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 3405.0

From Regina Glas. Tomorrow a rest day with strong winds in the forecast.

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2022 European Hang Gliding Championship »

Sat, Jul 16 2022, 12:24:06 am GMT

Third task

European HG Championships 2022

https://civlcomps.org/event/21st-fai-european-hang-gliding-class-1-championship/results

Task 3:

# Name Nat Glider Time Total
1 Peter Neuenschwander CHE Aeros Combat C 03:04:34 1000.0
2 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:06:11 981.7
3 Primoz Gricar DEU Aeros Combat GT 03:06:45 975.9
4 Christian Ciech ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:07:14 970.2
5 Filippo Oppici ITA Wills Wing T3 03:08:24 955.3
6 Jochen Zeischka AUT Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:12:58 931.0
7 Roland Wöhrle DEU Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 03:19:34 885.7
8 Jon Durand AUS Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 03:25:25 854.2
9 Petr Polach CZE Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:27:12 848.4
10 Gerd Dönhuber DEU Icaro 2000 Laminar 03:28:36 836.4

Cumulative:

# Name Nat Glider Total
1 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 2869.0
2 Primoz Gricar DEU Aeros Combat GT 2811.0
3 Grant Crossingham GBR Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 2717.0
4 Dan Vyhnalik CZE Aeros Combat C 2698.0
5 Christian Ciech ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 2695.0
6 Filippo Oppici ITA Wills Wing T3 2694.0
7 Jochen Zeischka AUT Icaro 2000 Laminar 2676.0
8 Marco Laurenzi ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 2655.0
9 Petr Polach CZE Icaro 2000 Laminar 2654.0
10 Jon Durand AUS Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 2648.0

170 km task, 74 pilots in goal. Task deadline is now moved to 8 PM. Last pilot in goal at 6:29 PM.

Live tracking: https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=4489

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2022 European Hang Gliding Championship »

Thu, Jul 14 2022, 6:20:29 pm GMT

Second task

European HG Championships 2022

https://civlcomps.org/event/21st-fai-european-hang-gliding-class-1-championship/results

Task 2:

# Name Nat Glider Time Lead.
Points
Total
1 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:49:11 96.7 995.6
2 Primoz Gricar DEU Aeros Combat GT 02:50:06 92.0 979.5
3 Vanni Accattoli ITA Moyes Litespeed RX 4 Pro 02:50:59 101.1 979.3
4 Petr Polach CZE Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:53:23 91.8 946.5
5 Dan Vyhnalik CZE Aeros Combat C 02:53:58 94.3 943.0
6 Grant Crossingham GBR Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 02:52:44 77.9 942.3
7 Christian Ciech ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:52:48 78.3 939.3
8 Lorenzo De Grandis ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:54:07 82.9 928.2
9 Steve Docherty AUS Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 02:56:44 99.8 919.9
10 Marco Laurenzi ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:55:07 77.0 914.4

Cumulative:

# Name Nat Glider T1 T2 Total
1 Grant Crossingham GBR Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 948.3 942.3 1891.0
2 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 892.0 995.6 1888.0
3 Dan Vyhnalik CZE Aeros Combat C 923.7 943.0 1867.0
4 Lorenzo De Grandis ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 930.3 928.2 1859.0
5 Primoz Gricar DEU Aeros Combat GT 855.6 979.5 1835.0
6 Marco Laurenzi ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 906.8 914.4 1821.0
7 Vanni Accattoli ITA Moyes Litespeed RX 4 Pro 832.4 979.3 1812.0
8 Petr Polach CZE Icaro 2000 Laminar 859.4 946.5 1806.0
9 Jon Durand AUS Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 957.3 836.2 1794.0
10 Steve Docherty AUS Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 872.8 919.9 1793.0

Steve Blenkinsop last into goal at 6:44 PM, 16 minutes before the close.

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2022 European Hang Gliding Championship »

Wed, Jul 13 2022, 5:33:33 pm GMT

First task

European HG Championships 2022

https://civlcomps.org/event/21st-fai-european-hang-gliding-class-1-championship/results

# Name Nat Glider Time Lead.
Points
Time
Points
Arr.
Pos.
Points
Total
1 David Gregoire FRA Icaro 2000 Laminar 01:57:47 83.9 446.0 79.6 970.6
2 Jon Durand AUS Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 02:00:27 100.1 420.8 75.3 957.3
3 Grant Crossingham GBR Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 02:00:15 87.4 422.4 77.4 948.3
4 Lorenzo De Grandis ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:01:57 86.6 409.5 73.1 930.3
5 Dan Vyhnalik CZE Aeros Combat C 02:02:48 88.1 403.4 71.1 923.7
6 Marco Laurenzi ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:05:28 91.4 385.2 69.1 906.8
7 Alessandro Ploner ITA Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:07:56 96.3 369.4 65.2 892.0
8 Gerd Dönhuber DEU Icaro 2000 Laminar 02:07:02 87.3 375.1 67.1 890.6
9 Pedro L. Garcia USA Wills Wing T3 02:08:39 93.5 364.9 59.8 879.3
10 Trent Brown AUS Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 Pro 02:08:05 80.9 368.4 63.3 873.7

Australian team is first in the European Championships.

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2022 European Hang Gliding Championship »

Thu, Jul 7 2022, 8:35:46 pm GMT

July 10th through 23rd

European HG Championships 2022

https://www.italy2020.eu/en/

The maximum number of pilots in the championship is 130 (125 European pilots + 5 non-European wild cards pilots).

The maximum number of pilots constituting a national team is 6.

The maximum number of pilots that may be entered by a NAC is unlimited.

https://civlcomps.org/event/21st-fai-european-hang-gliding-class-1-championship

Pedro Garcia is the only US pilot flying in the competition.

The Australian team:

Twenty one Italians. No indications yet of who is on the various teams and who is flying as individuals.

Live Tracking: https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=4489

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Vågå Open Hang Gliding Competition 2022 »

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 4:43:45 pm GMT

Results

Manfred Ruhmer|Olav Opsanger|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|picture|Vågå Open Competition 2022|video

https://airtribune.com/vaga-open-hanggliding-competition-2022/results

Jonny wins Class 1 and Manfred wins Sport. Everyone got something to drink.

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New South Wales State Titles 2022 »

Sat, Feb 26 2022, 7:55:25 am MST

Seven days, two tasks

New South Wales State Titles 2022

http://williamolive.com/comps/manilla/2022/comp%252520results%2525202014.html

http://williamolive.com/comps/manilla/2022/gap_task_result_2022-02-26.html

http://williamolive.com/comps/manilla/2022/gap_comp_result.html

Terrible weather and most of the people went home.

Task 4:

# Name Glider Time Distance Total
1 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes Gecko 170 00:42:47 34.68 135.4
2 Brodrick Osborne Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 23.75 90.1
3 Bruce Wynne 12.48 67.4
4 Troy Horton Moyes Gecko 155 6.50 53.4
5 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 5.44 50.3

Final results:

# Name Glider T 1 T 2 Total
1 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes Gecko 170 912.3 135.4 1048
2 Tim Osborn Aeros 14 GT 725.1 48.7 774
3 Brodrick Osborne Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 628.2 90.1 718
4 Troy Horton Moyes Gecko 155 586.7 53.4 640
5 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 578.6 50.3 629
6 Tony Cross 617.4 0.0 617
7 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes Litespeed RX3.5 Technora 534.8 48.7 584
8 Steven Crosby 541.4 0.0 541
9 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 498.2 0.0 498
10 Andrew Sutton Moyes Gecko 155 488.7 0.0 489

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New South Wales State Titles 2022 »

Thu, Feb 24 2022, 2:17:21 am GMT

Four days, one task

New South Wales State Titles 2022

Rain on the first two days. Haven't heard what is up with the fourth day.

http://williamolive.com/comps/manilla/2022/gap_task_result_2022-02-22.html

# Name Glider Time Distance Total
1 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes Gecko 170 01:13:03 66.80 912.3
2 Tim Osborn Aeros 14m GT 63.17 725.1
3 Brodrick Osborne Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 49.74 628.2
4 Tony Cross 48.30 617.4
5 Troy Horton Moyes Gecko 155 45.09 586.7
6 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 44.37 578.6
7 Steven Crosby 41.61 541.4
8 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes Litespeed RX3.5 Technora 41.18 534.8
9 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 39.08 498.2
10 Andrew Sutton Moyes Gecko 155 38.58 488.7

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2022 Forbes Flatlands »

Wed, Jan 5 2022, 5:41:30 am MST

Day 8, final day

Forbes Flatlands 2022|Vicki Cain

Vicki writes:

And that's a wrap! Forbes '22 is done!

With the final day canned due to predicted overdevelopment and the safety committee pulling the pin, it was time for an air conditioned presentation at the Forbes Aeroclub!

Open class results:
1st - Attila Bertok - Moyes Litespeed RX5 Pro - 6710 points
2nd - Jonnie Durrand - Moyes Litespeed RX3.5pro - 5945 points
3rd - Scott Barrett - Aeros Combat - 5620 points

left to right: Scott Barrett #3, Attila Bertok #1, Jon

Sports class:

1st - Richard Hughes - Moyes Gecko 155 - 4290 points
2nd - Peter Garrone - Moyes Gecko 155 - 3583 points
3rd - Richard McLeod - Wills Wing Sport 2 - 2306 points

Richard Hughes #1, Peter Garrone #2, Richard McLeod #3

Results:
Open Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=333
Sport Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=334

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2022 Forbes Flatlands »

Tue, Jan 4 2022, 7:24:41 am MST

Day 7

Forbes Flatlands 2022|Vicki Cain|XC

Vicki writes:

Today was a mammoth effort for everyone involved with some pilots flying for over 30 hours in the last 7 days.

Unfortunately today Steve Docherty managed to meet up with the resident angry eagle and took some battle scars in flight.

Craig Taylor writes:

Day 7 saw us flying our 7th consecutive task with light winds and blue skies. A closed quadrilateral course back to BMIA of 137km in the shape of a Rogallo wing was thought up by the clearly getting rather bored task committee.

Strong climbs to 10,000 feet were promised, however it quickly became clear straight off the rope that the oppressive inversion would instead make the day a slow and tedious one. With the field packed together like sardines under a 4000ft ceiling, and the flock jostling for position, the first start gate came and went with no takers, with the field moving off somewhat lethargically on the second at 2:30pm.

Trent charged out ahead and found the climbs for much of the first leg, with the inversion slowly lifting to 5000ft.

After rounding Ktwo the first TP, Scott managed to find a boomer to 7 grand, quickly joined by the lead gaggle, whilst the rest continued to struggle under the inversion for much of leg 2. Those patient enough to hang in the 100-ups and doddle along course were finally and rather suddenly rewarded at the second turn with clouds, and the promised strong climbs to 10 grand. Jonny picked a 9-up and skied out, with Attila, Blenkie, Jonas and myself making up the lead gaggle.

Finally we could pull in the bar, and the race was on! That feeling however was quickly dispensed as the third leg took us straight across a big blue hole and we were back to crappy lift and long, toe pointing glides. Attila, knowing that he’s got the trophy already all but bagged, became a passenger and let the rest of us do the hard work. Scott rejoined, and together we made a low save 12 kms out from the final turn point, providing the gaggle with some much needed beeps.

It was getting late however, and this would be one of our last climbs, topping out at a truly inadequate 4000ft. It was becoming apparent that reaching goal was becoming out of reach. We struggled on, turning in pretty much anything that wasn’t sinking, and gained a few more kilometers.

I snagged a little bubble just big enough for one, and managed to top out at 5 grand 6 kms from the final turn. Then the glide to the deck was on, landing well after 7pm for a long day in the saddle. Attila won the day 10km short, me second, followed by Jonas, Blinkie, Scott, Jonny, Noma, and several others closely behind. It was a long hard day indeed.

Results:
Open Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=333
Sport Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=334

Day 7 open class (not complete with some scores missing):

# Pilot Kms Tot
1 Attila Bertok 132.31 0
2 Craig Taylor 130.79 916
3 Steve Blenkinsop 128.34 907
4 Scott Barrett 126.68 903
5 Yasuhiro Noma 123.79 892
6 Jon Durand 118.59 871
7 Steve Docherty 116.36 0
8 Mikhail Karmazin 109.12 834
9 Rob de Groot 103.46 769
10 Trent Brown 59.15 339
11 Guy Hubbard 45.69 0
12 Peter Burkitt 16.99 148
13 Michael Free 13.55 137

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Jon Durand Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 5930
2 Attila Bertok Moyes RX 5 Pro 5792
3 Scott Barrett Aeros Combat 5626
4 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 5185
5 Yasuhiro Noma Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 4658
6 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 4595
7 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 4236
8 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3543
9 Mikhail Karmazin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3021
10 Rob de Groot Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2792

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2022 Forbes Flatlands »

Mon, Jan 3 2022, 7:00:23 pm MST

Day 7 task

Forbes Flatlands 2022|Vicki Cain

Vicki sends:

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2022 Forbes Flatlands »

Mon, Jan 3 2022, 4:16:19 pm MST

Day 6 updated

Forbes Flatlands 2022|Jonas Lobitz|triangle|XC

Jonas writes:

The Forecast

Today’s forecast was similar to yesterday with 20-30km/h winds from the south west, 6-700fpm climbs up to 9000ft with scattered CU’s and patchy lift in some areas. However, there wasn’t the approaching trough line from the west that we had to navigate yesterday.

The Task

The task committee called a 192km dogleg task to Gilgandra, to the North East of Forbes with a 20km turn point radius at Trangie to keep the field away from the Naromine and Dubbo airspace.

The Race

Launch at Bill Moyes International opened at 1PM. The lift was blue and patchy in the start gate and the thermal cores were moving around a lot. Essentially the entire field took the first start at 2PM just as clouds were starting to develop down the course line.

Jonny Durand led the pack for the majority of the first leg, Trent Brown, Scott Barrett, Jonas Lobitz were closely on his heels. The CU’s were lining up well on the way to the first turn point with tight and punchy cores up to 7-800fpm topping out over 8000ft as we sped down the course line with the strong tail wind.

However, the clouds became more sparse about 30kms from the first turn point, we hit the blue and things slowed down with pilots having to stop in 3-400fpm climbs. Most of the field including Attila Bertok, Trent Brown, Scott Barrett, Craig Taylor, Steve Dogherty, Jonas Lobitz amongst others converged just after the first turnpoint in the blue before climbing out under a developing cloud about 50kms from goal.

From this position we were confident we’d make goal needing perhaps only one last climb before going out on final. Trent Brown led the charge from cloud base as we dove out over the forest towards Gilgandra. There was a large patch of overdevelopment and a Cu Nim building to our east, making its way towards course line.

Our glide numbers started falling as the overdevelopment encroached. The lift significantly weakened, and the wind switched round to the east, so the pilots now had a solid cross wind to battle. Attila Bertok took a slightly different line further to the west and managed to avoid the worst of the sink crossing the finish line in first place while the rest of the field struggled low in weak 50-100fpm lift in the strong cross wind.

Jonas Lobitz was a little higher and hit a light climb 8kms out from goal which was just enough to make it into the 2km goal cylinder. The rest of the pilots landed several kms short.

Results:
Open Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=333
Sport Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=334

Day 6 open class updated:

# Pilot Time Kms Tot
1 Attila Bertok 3:30:15 202.01 1000
2 Jonas Lobitz 3:51:16 202.01 915
3 Scott Barrett 198.63 719
4 Trent Brown 195.70 706
5 Jon Durand 195.88 700
6 Yasuhiro Noma 192.83 693
7 Craig Taylor 187.63 675
8 Steve Docherty 187.99 674
9 Steve Blenkinsop 195.73 672
10 Peter Burkitt 138.48 358

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Attila Bertok Moyes RX 5 Pro 5792
2 Jon Durand Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 5059
3 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 4846
4 Scott Barrett Aeros Combat 4723
5 Yasuhiro Noma Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3766
6 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3679
7 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3543
8 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3329
9 Guy Hubbard Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2598
10 Mikhail Karmazin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2187

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2022 Forbes Flatlands »

Mon, Jan 3 2022, 6:54:43 am MST

Day 6

Forbes Flatlands 2022|triangle|Vicki Cain|XC

Vicki writes:

Today has been the hottest day of the competition so far and the conditions in the paddock were temperatures exceed 40°C.

With the increase in temperatures we had no clouds for today's task, a dogleg heading north to Trangie with a goal at Gilgandra for a total distance just over 200km!

With many pilots landing out today they're all late returning home so no wrap up today! Maybe one in the morning.

It looks like Attila and Jonas were the only 2 to make goal today after a whole gaggle landed within 5/10km of goal as the slower conditions and SE wind drifted them off course line. Attila will extend his lead but the mid field battle is hotting up.

Notable mention to Scotty Ireland for making goal in the sports class, unfortunately the two eagles that tried to help him along the way left quite their mark on his glider.

Results:
Open Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=333
Sport Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=334

Day 6 open class (not complete with many scores missing):

# Pilot Glider Time Kms Tot
1 Attila Bertok 3:30:15 202.01 1000
2 Scott Barrett Aeros 198.63 0
3 Jon Durand Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 195.88 731
4 Steve Blenkinsop RX3.5 195.73 0
5 Trent Brown RX3. 5 195.70 736
6 Yasuhiro Noma 192.83 724
7 Steve Docherty Moyes RS3.5 Pro Skylite 187.99 0
8 Craig Taylor Moyes RX3.5 Pro 187.63 706
9 Peter Burkitt Moyes RX5 Pro 138.48 574
10 Rob de Groot Moyes RX3.5 123.60 373
11 Guy Hubbard Moyes RX3.5 Pro 52.29 0
12 Mikhail Karmazin RX35 51.40 143

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Attila Bertok Moyes RX 5 Pro 5792
2 Jon Durand Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 5090
3 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 4876
4 Scott Barrett Aeros Combat 4004
5 Yasuhiro Noma Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3797
6 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3710
7 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2869
8 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2657
9 Guy Hubbard Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2448
10 Peter Burkitt Moyes RX 5 Pro 2353

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2022 Forbes Flatlands »

Sun, Jan 2 2022, 9:23:15 am MST

Day 4

Forbes Flatlands 2022|Vicki Cain

Vicki writes:

We are officially into the new year and we start things off with amazing conditions and a primo Forbes triangle task!

Today's task starts at BMIA with a 5km exit cylinder, 1stturnpoint sends the competitors south west for 54km to "Caraga" with a 3km entry cylinder, next up is a 61km leg heading east to brush past the northern end of the Coninbla national park with another 3km entry radii, the final leg is an into wind push back to BMIA for another 50km.

With back to back 1000 point scores Attila takes another decisive win on his Moyes Litespeed RX5pro, second was Jonnie Durrand followed closely By Scott Barrett.

Attila's round up of the day:

"After a slow start unable to catch the forming gaggle in the start cylinder I was forced to take the start in a sub optimal position some 5-600m lower than the rest."

"Leaving the start we had very good clouds and it was very easy making it to the first turnpoint at Caraga, linking clouds and flying fast, after the poor start I started to feel better about the task, heading to the second turnpoint I had great clouds again for about ¾ of the 2ndleg, until I reached the turnpoint I was flying alone, unaware of where my competitors were."

"Leaving the first turnpoint I manage to get a visual on some other pilots coming up from low, at this point I realized I had at least a 6km lead and at least a full climb ahead, a nice place to be."

"Reaching the second turnpoint I was having to fight cloud suck, another good feeling! The clouds had started to disappear and by the time I had taken the turnpoint it was blue all the way home."

"There were some slight caps in the inversion layer and the big climbs left some small wisps to navigate the way home, on the last leg I was a little slower than the previous 100km and actually flew back down course line to take my final climb, I left at around 8-1 as the climbs were good and plentiful, it was seemingly a perfect final glide until a monster 1000ftpm climb threw me into orbit and ruined my goal line arrival style points!"

"Never the less a beautiful day in Forbes and another perfect score."

Results:
Open Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=333
Sport Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=334

Day 3 open class:

# Pilot Time Tot
1 Attila Bertok 3:22:45 1000
2 Jon Durand 3:27:26 924
3 Scott Barrett 3:30:06 891
4 Trent Brown 4:12:14 692
5 Craig Taylor 4:32:49 570
6 Yasuhiro Noma 4:34:20 558
7 Steve Blenkinsop 4:39:31 540

Cumulative

# Name Glider Total
1 Attila Bertok Moyes RX 5 Pro 3843
2 Scott Barrett Aeros Combat 3687
3 Jon Durand Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3486
4 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3140
5 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2695
6 Yasuhiro Noma Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2424
7 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2396
8 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2259
9 Guy Hubbard Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1821
10 Peter Burkitt Moyes RX 5 Pro 1455

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2022 Forbes Flatlands »

Sun, Jan 2 2022, 9:18:27 am MST

Day 5, what's with the zeros?

Forbes Flatlands 2022|triangle|Vicki Cain|XC

Vicki writes:

It's groundhog day! Today was a tough one!

The forecast had a few possibilities of rain with some fairly solid lines of showers predicted, this left the task committee a pretty hard job! They smashed it and got a perfect task between two lines of showers

Today we start once again at BMIA and head NNE to our first turnpoint at "Alec" a small town on the A39 highway running reciprocal to the Goobang national park, with a radii of 1km. Once tagging this turn point some 50km away from Forbes it's time to run north following the range for just over 100km before arriving at goal with a radii of 2.5km at the town of Trangie (turnpoint "Trang").

Our amazing ground crew got everyone off the deck within 30 minutes today with no one needing a reflight! Great work in temperatures exceeding 37°C.

Jonny Durand gives us today's wrap up!

"Conditions were a little tricky around launch and 10 minutes before the start nearly everyone was together and all did our own thing with no one ending up with the perfect start."

"First leg was good if you stayed high I managed to pull away from most pilots after hitting some strong climbs. Once rounding Alectown we faced a 101kms cross tailwind leg to Trangie, the sky blued up on course line and I was forced to go more upwind, The lift became broken and I was never able to reach cloudbase again."

"Attila had a similar story to me whilst the day winner Trent claimed to have a good run getting 700fpm climbs and even a 1000fpm climb on the second leg. Both of them flew over me and Trent will beat Attila by a couple of minutes with me 10 minutes behind Attila."

"Around 8 pilots in goal with Scott landing out. It was not the day to be low and trying to push and catch up."

While Attila extends his lead the leader board takes a change for 2ndand 3rdplaces with pretty much all spots up for grabs!

Results:
Open Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=333
Sport Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=334

Day 5 open class (unclear why the zeros):

# Pilot Glider Time Kms Tot
1 Trent Brown RX3. 5 2:53:12 160.97 1000
2 Attila Bertok Moyes 2:57:47 160.97 941
3 Jon Durand Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3:08:28 160.97 861
4 Yasuhiro Noma 3:46:26 160.97 636
5 Jonas Lobitz Moyes Litespeed RX3.5 3:54:23 160.97 596
6 Mikhail Karmazin RX35 3:53:34 160.97 593
7 Rob de Groot Moyes RX3.5 96.16 325
8 Peter Burkitt Moyes RX5 Pro 112.19 320
9 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 99.62 305
10 Guy Hubbard Moyes RX3.5 3:52:23 160.97 0
10 Michael Free 34.89 0
10 Scott Barrett AEROS GT 106.28 0
10 Steve Blenkinsop RX3.5 5:05:58 160.97 0
10 Steve Docherty MOYES RX3.5 PRO SKYLITE 4:21:13 160.97 0

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Attila Bertok Moyes RX 5 Pro 4784
2 Jon Durand Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 4347
3 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 4140
4 Scott Barrett Aeros Combat 3687
5 Yasuhiro Noma Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3060
6 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3000
7 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2396
8 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2259
9 Mikhail Karmazin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2032
10 Guy Hubbard Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1821

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2022 Forbes Flatlands »

Fri, Dec 31 2021, 8:13:51 am MST

Day 3

Forbes Flatlands 2022|triangle|Vicki Cain|XC

Vicki writes:

We are well underway for the Forbes Flatlands 2022 and for the last task of the year!

Task 3 sees a Triangle task starting off from BMIA we had a classic looking Forbes day, Cu's forming from the early AM, slight breeze and beautiful temperatures!

The first leg of the task heads the competitors NNW to "Billa" a 400m radius turnpoint 74km away, arriving at the most northern point it's time to hang a U-turn and head 35km SW for "Skulls" another 400m radii before heading east and into the slight head wind arriving at the goal "Bogan"

Guy hubbard reports the conditions today to be quite technical and punishing when low but great clouds and approximately 15/20% cloud cover, cloud base topping out around mid day of 8500ft!

Attila turns on the heat flying his Litespeed RX5Pro taking today's win by over 20 minutes followed by Scott Barrett and Jonny Durrand rounding out the podium for the day!

The scores are compressing for the top spot and it's all to play for on the final days!

Results:
Open Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=333
Sport Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=334

Day 3 open class:

# Pilot Glider Time Tot
1 Attila Bertok Moyes 3:03:24 1000
2 Scott Barrett Aeros 3:22:25 846
3 Jon Durand Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3:33:16 765
4 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.6 3:33:52 748
5 Guy Hubbard Moyes RX 3.5 3:34:16 740
6 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 3.5 Pro Skylight 3:50:57 660
7 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3:52:38 648
8 Yasuhiro Noma 4:06:49 581
9 Mikhail Karmazin Moyes RX 3.5 4:07:43 563
10 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes RX 3.5 4:16:33 534

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Attila Bertok Moyes RX 5 Pro 2843
2 Scott Barrett Aeros Combat 2796
3 Jon Durand Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2562
4 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2448
5 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2125
6 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1972
7 Yasuhiro Noma Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1866
8 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1719
9 Guy Hubbard Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1606
10 Rob de Groot Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1422

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2022 Forbes Flatlands »

Thu, Dec 30 2021, 7:51:26 am MST

Day 2

Forbes Flatlands 2022|Vicki Cain

Vicki writes:

Today is task 2 and with the cobwebs blown away we set a slightly more challenging 145km crosswind task to Tallim (Tallimba town) with a first turnpoint to the west at "ootha".

Winds in the paddock were a fairly consistent 10/15kmh E - ESE with Cu's showing a promising looking sky ahead.

Soon enough all competitors were in the air and seeing cloud base of around 7000ft (2100m) making the first turnpoint in good time with a reasonable tailwind, the task became more challenging as the pilots had to turn 90° heading SSW, on the plus side increasing Cu's to show the way but having to glide east of course line so as not to drift away from the optimised course line when thermalling.

We have a large radius around goal (17km) because we are not sure how the local area has been affected by the local floods, this give competitors better options for landing fields but makes final glide a little trickier!

Scott Barrett takes the win on day 2 followed by Trent Brown around 5 minutes behind and Attila Bertok in 3rd place.

Scott Barrett, Craig Taylor
Our day winner Scott Barrett and Craig Taylor in goal!

Results:
Open Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=333
Sport Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=334

Day 2 open class:

# Pilot Glider Time Tot
1 Scott Barrett Aeros 2:43:50 996
2 Trent Brown RX3. 5 2:47:30 955
3 Attila Bertok Moyes RX 5 Pro 2:51:23 906
4 Jon Durand Moyes RX Pro 3.5 3:04:12 793
5 Craig Taylor Moyes RX3.5 3:18:49 719
6 Guy Hubbard Moyes 3:35:01 615
7 Yasuhiro Noma Moyes 3:58:15 523
8 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 3.5 PRO SKYLITE 4:01:58 499
9 Steve Blenkinsop Litespeed RX3.5 4:09:11 441

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Scott Barrett Aeros Combat 1951
2 Attila Bertok Moyes RX 5 Pro 1843
3 Jon Durand Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1793
4 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1700
5 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1478
6 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1311
7 Yasuhiro Noma Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1287
8 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1185
9 Rob de Groot Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1098
10 Peter Burkitt Moyes RX 5 Pro 953

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2022 Forbes Flatlands »

Wed, Dec 29 2021, 5:50:16 pm MST

Day 1

Forbes Flatlands 2022|photo|Vicki Cain

With no foreign pilots the Forbes Flatlands is a much smaller meet with only thirteen open class pilots and six sport class pilots.

The day was blue as seen in this photo from Vicki:

Results:
Open Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=333
Sport Class: http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=334

Day 1 open class:

# Pilot Glider Time Tot
1 Jon Durand 2:54:31 1000
2 Scott Barrett 2:58:46 955
3 Attila Bertok Moyes 3:00:56 937
4 Rob De Groot Moyes RX 3.5 3:16:24 825
5 Steve Docherty 3:18:20 812
6 Yasuhiro Noma 3:25:48 764
7 Craig Taylor 3:26:36 759
8 Trent Brown Trent 3:26:38 745
9 Steve Blenkinsop Litespeed RX3.5 3:28:59 744
10 Peter Burkitt Moyes RX5 3:33:06 710

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Forbes Flatlands 2022 »

Wed, Dec 22 2021, 7:13:41 am MST

The field is mowed and ready to go

competition|Forbes Flatlands 2022|Vicki Cain

Vicki writes:

Forbes is happening this year and Bill and Molly will be joining us!

While we were not anticipating any international participation, we are pleased that Forbes will continue in 2022, albeit a smaller competition than we are use to!

It’s been wet at Forbes the past months though the paddock is mowed and ready to tow and we are hoping for some super weather and flights!

We look forward to seeing our friends and hosting a great competition!

Practice flying Tuesday 28th January 2021
1st Competition day Wednesday 29th January 2021
Last Competition day Wednesday 5th January 2021
Headquarters this year will be at the Forbes Aeroclub.
Full details and registration at our website: http://www.forbesflatlands.com/

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2021 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

Sun, Sep 19 2021, 10:49:34 pm MDT

Day 1, task 1

Brian Porter|John Simon|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Robin Hamilton|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2021|Zac Majors

The task and my flight:

There is a 5 km start cylinder around the launch at the Francisco Grande Hotel airfield (desert). The first leg is about over the Casa Grande airfield to a 2 km cylinder around Signal Peak. Signal Peak is under the 8,000' bottom of the Phoenix Sky Harbor Class B air space, so you don't want to be too high.

The second leg is to the tiny paved airfield at Sarita to the east southeast out in the flats, 400 meter cylinder. Next head north over a bit of no man's land to the intersection at Magma, which is also under the Phoenix airspace. Finally back to a sort of empty field that might have had a dirt air field years ago at Valley.

The forecast was for strong southwest winds aloft which might make getting back to Valley a bit of trouble. Forecast also said no cu's , but there are plenty around. I'm assuming that the heavy rain yesterday softened the lift near the hotel.

Robin Hamilton decides to launch later so I'm first to launch in order but behind two early birds and three Swifts. Two Swift pilots (Brian Porter and Steve Morris) are in France for the new Swift 3 so we don't have our five Swift Pilots. Chris Zimmerman is flying a motorized Swift with a gas motor.

Jonny Thompson tows me up to 2,000' AGL on the four stroke Dragonfly and there is light lift around. I'm able to climb to 4,500' (3,200' AGL) but not more than that. Others seem to be able to get higher but that's as high as I get over the next hour.

Towed up at 1:15 PM, I take the second clock at 2:15 PM at 2300' AGL and head northwest toward the Casa Grande airfield. I'm basically alone.

I quickly find the best lift so far at 270 fpm and climb up to 5,000' MSL. Heading to the cu's to the north of the airfield I find 370 fpm and climb to 7,000'. I'm almost 3 km north of the course line (going for the clouds) and heading for Phoenix airspace.

I nick the turnpoint at Signal Mountain below the airspace and head down south along the foothills toward more cu's. Finally I hit the lift at 1,300' AGL over the hillsides and climb at over 400 fpm to 7,900' (way out from under the airspace) with JD hanging around.

No more mountains to fly as we head off toward Sarita to the east. I'm 2km south of the course line now. There are some cu's out there so it doesn't look so bad, but I'm not expecting at much as I just got at the west facing hill sides with a westerly 5 mph wind.

I take 100 fpm just before Sarita and nick it at 3,300' AGL before heading north toward Magma. There are bigger cu's over Coolidge a little west of the course line, but smaller cu's ahead to the north. I see Zac Majors from the third clock catch up with me as I pass by Coolidge. A few other pilots also. John Simon who started at the second clock also is just a few hundred feet below.

I work 200 fpm east of Coolidge and then head off north to the east of Zac at his elevation at 5,500'. It's a ten kilometer glide before we find 150 fpm with Zac just above me and I'm down to 1,000' AGL.

Zac and Tyler Borradaile work better lift just to my east as I work 150 fpm to 4,700'. I made an attempt to find better lift on the peak just to the northwest given the west wind but that didn't work out as Tyler and Zac found better lift drifting to the east under the same cu that I was under. They just hung there as Zac (at least) knew that they were in first place and didn't need to take any chances or rush out ahead as goal wasn't that far away).

I quit the 150 fpm and headed north seeing that there were cu's and sunlight ahead. Nothing seemed to work whenever I turned in lift so I got to the Magma turnpoint at 2,200' AGL and headed south, with a line of cu's ahead of me.

Finally I hit 260 fpm just south of the cotton fields (I thought that they didn't have any water this year as the Colorado River is so far down and they are the least senior water rights holders) around the turnpoint. That lift got me to 5,200' about 4,000' AGL and with 13 km to goal the race was on.

Arrived with three pilots on the ground. Looks like thirteen pilots made goal.

Results should be out soon. Daniel Velez in Colombia is doing the scoring remotely.

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2021 Dalby Big Air »

April 24, 2021, 9:05:08 pm EDT

2021 Dalby Big Air

Final Results

Dalby Big Air 2021|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Rohan Taylor|Scott Barrett|Steve Blenkinsop

http://williamolive.com/comps/dalby/comp results.html

Final Results:

# Name Glider T 1 T 2 T 3 T 4 T 5 Total
1 Jonny Durand Jnr Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 963.6 873.0 36.8 937.6 958.1 3769
2 Scott Barrett Aeros GT 1000.0 892.5 36.3 860.0 974.5 3763
3 Rohan Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 879.1 904.1 16.5 862.0 920.6 3582
4 Josh Woods Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 774.9 877.1 22.8 901.4 921.1 3497
5 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 875.6 588.9 36.2 878.7 935.0 3314
6 Tony Cross Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 870.3 863.7 36.2 637.9 825.9 3234
7 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 283.5 762.2 32.1 945.1 851.6 2875
8 Rory Duncan Moyes RX3 Pro 37.7 936.1 43.0 912.7 900.3 2830
9 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 978.0 39.0 36.1 864.1 900.9 2818
10 Jason Kath Wills Wing T2c 144 588.3 826.6 16.5 961.9 307.3 2701

2021 Dalby Big Air »

Sat, Apr 24 2021, 8:00:12 pm EDT

Task 3, 4, and 5

Dalby Big Air 2021|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Nick Purcell|Rohan Taylor|Scott Barrett|Steve Blenkinsop|Trent Brown

http://williamolive.com/comps/dalby/comp results.html

Results from task 3:

# Name Glider Distance (km) Total
1 Rory Duncan Moyes RX3 Pro 14.26 43.0
2 Peter Burkitt Moyes RX 5 Pro 11.56 38.3
3 Jonny Durand Jnr Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 10.76 36.8
4 Scott Barrett Aeros GT 10.52 36.3
5 Tony Cross Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 10.46 36.2
5 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 10.47 36.2
7 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 10.42 36.1
8 Hossain Tefaili Moyes RX 4 10.37 36.0
9 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 10.27 35.6
10 Peter Adriaans Moyes RX 5 Pro 10.13 35.2

Task 4:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Jason Kath Wills Wing T2C 144 01:14:41 961.9
2 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:14:46 945.1
3 Jonny Durand Jnr Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:14:46 937.6
4 Oliver Chitty Moyes RX5 Pro 01:15:07 926.5
5 Rory Duncan Moyes RX3 Pro 01:15:14 912.7
6 Josh Woods Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:15:37 901.4
7 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:17:44 878.7
8 Vic Hare Ww T2C 136 01:18:12 865.9
9 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:19:04 864.1
10 Rohan Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:18:40 862.0

Task 5

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Scott Barrett Aeros GT 02:14:31 974.5
2 Jonny Durand Jnr Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:15:16 958.1
3 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:17:23 935.0
4 Josh Woods Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:17:54 921.1
5 Steve Crosby Moyes RX 5 02:17:36 920.7
6 Rohan Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:18:13 920.6
7 Nick Purcell Moyes Rs 4 02:11:59 912.8
8 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:20:11 900.9
9 Rory Duncan Moyes RX3 Pro 02:20:12 900.3
10 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:26:04 851.6

2021 Dalby Big Air »

April 21, 2021, 3:36:33 pm EDT

2021 Dalby Big Air

Task 2

Dalby Big Air 2021|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Rohan Taylor|Scott Barrett|Steve Blenkinsop|Trent Brown

http://williamolive.com/comps/dalby/comp results.html

Results from task 2:

# Name Glider SS ES Time Total
1 Rory Duncan Moyes RX3 Pro 13:15:00 15:47:54 02:32:54 936.1
2 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 13:15:00 15:51:32 02:36:32 910.2
3 Rohan Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 13:00:00 15:46:57 02:46:57 904.1
4 Scott Barrett Aeros GT 13:00:00 15:51:32 02:51:32 892.5
5 Josh Woods Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 13:15:00 15:56:06 02:41:06 877.1
6 Jonny Durand Jnr Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 13:15:00 15:56:38 02:41:38 873.0
7 Tony Cross Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 12:45:00 15:47:40 03:02:40 863.7
8 Jason Kath Wills Wing T2c 144 13:00:00 15:59:17 02:59:17 826.6
9 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 12:30:00 15:54:11 03:24:11 762.2

Cumulative:

# Name Glider T 1 T 2 Total
1 Scott Barrett Aeros GT 1000.0 892.5 1893
2 Jonny Durand Jnr Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 962.9 873.0 1836
3 Rohan Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 876.9 904.1 1781
4 Tony Cross Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 868.0 863.7 1732
5 Josh Woods Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 771.0 877.1 1648
6 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 873.4 588.9 1462
7 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 521.9 910.2 1432
8 Jason Kath Wills Wing T2c 144 581.3 826.6 1408
9 Rick Martin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 735.5 530.2 1266
10 Steve Blenkinsop Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 277.2 762.2 1039

Day 4 canceled due to high winds.

2021 Dalby Big Air »

April 19, 2021, 8:45:26 pm EDT

2021 Dalby Big Air

Scot Barrett

Dalby Big Air 2021|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Rohan Taylor|Scott Barrett|Trent Brown

http://williamolive.com/comps/dalby/comp results.html

Results from task 1:

# Name Glider Time Distance (km) Total
1 Scott Barrett Aeros GT 01:56:05 66.32 1000.0
2 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 01:58:34 66.32 979.2
3 Jonny Durand Jnr 02:00:38 66.32 965.6
4 Rohan Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:15:18 66.32 885.8
5 Craig Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 02:15:58 66.32 882.5
6 Tony Cross Airborne REV 13.5 02:16:59 66.32 877.5
7 Rick Martin Moyes RX 3.5 02:44:13 66.32 754.5
8 Jason Kath Wills Wing T2c 144 66.24 611.3
9 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 55.50 549.3

Don't know if Jonny is flying a Gecko or not. Looks like he caught up to three other pilots after taking a clock fifteen minutes later. Steve Blenkinsop is back flying after injuries from his bicycle incident. Missing goal by 80 meters must have been a let down for Jason.

Sport Class flew a shorter version of the open task but pilots didn't make it back to Dalby. Interesting to see a U2 in the lead over the Geckos.

2021 New South Wales State Titles »

Tue, Feb 23 2021, 7:36:50 pm EST

Results from the third day

Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|New South Wales State Titles 2021|Trent Brown

http://williamolive.com/comps/manilla/index.html

Windy and a shorter task (45 km).

Day 3:

# Name Glider Time Distance (km) Total
1 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 00:53:42 45.83 746.1
2 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 01:11:15 45.83 719.0
3 John Spencer Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:04:40 45.83 701.7
4 Rory Duncan Moyes RX 3.0 Pro 01:20:42 45.83 613.8
5 Paul Bissett-Amess Moyes RX 3.5 01:32:22 45.83 527.5
6 Brodrick Osborne Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:36:59 45.83 511.4
7 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes Gecko 170 02:14:05 45.83 455.2
8 Jonas Lobitz Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 42.08 455.1
9 Rick Martin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 41.10 421.0
10 Shane Duncan Moyes Gecko 155 38.52 413.2

The Geckos would have had a harder time with the wind.

Cumulative:

# Name Glider T 1 T 2 T 3 Total
1 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1000.0 913.0 746.1 2659
2 Rory Duncan Moyes RX 3.0 Pro 920.3 978.2 613.8 2512
3 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 854.4 779.5 719.0 2353
4 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes Gecko 170 880.7 846.5 455.2 2182
5 Brodrick Osborne Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 691.9 774.9 511.4 1978
6 Jonas Lobitz Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 503.2 823.9 455.1 1782
7 Paul Bissett-Amess Moyes RX 3.5 465.3 718.0 527.5 1711
8 Shane Duncan Moyes Gecko 155 786.8 472.4 413.2 1672
9 Michael Free Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 392.9 631.2 399.3 1423
10 Rick Martin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 95.9 898.9 421.0 1416

Discuss "2021 New South Wales State Titles" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

2021 New South Wales State Titles »

February 22, 2021, 8:57:21 EST

2021 New South Wales State Titles

Results from the second day

Facebook|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|New South Wales State Titles 2021|Trent Brown

http://williamolive.com/

120 kilometer task. Looks like Shane lead the way but didn't quite make it to goal.

Day 2:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Rory Duncan Moyes RX 3.0 pro 02:01:49 978.2
2 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:01:09 913.0
3 Rick Martin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:09:03 898.9
4 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes Gecko 170 02:08:12 846.5
5 Jonas Lobitz Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:24:37 823.9
6 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 02:15:27 779.5
7 Brodrick Osborne Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:30:36 774.9
8 Dustan Hansen airborne ev 14.5 02:22:54 773.6
9 Richard Heffer Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:22:28 742.4
10 Paul Bissett-Amess Moyes RX 3.5 02:30:50 718.0

Cumulative:

# Name Glider T 1 T 2 Total
1 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1000.0 913.0 1913
2 Rory Duncan Moyes RX 3.0 pro 920.3 978.2 1899
3 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes Gecko 170 880.7 846.5 1727
4 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 854.4 779.5 1634
5 Brodrick Osborne Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 691.9 774.9 1467
6 Jonas Lobitz Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 503.2 823.9 1327
7 Shane Duncan Moyes Gecko 155 786.8 472.4 1259
8 Paul Bissett-Amess Moyes RX 3.5 465.3 718.0 1183
9 Michael Free Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 392.9 631.2 1024
10 Rick Martin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 95.9 898.9 995

Johnny is flying with a handicap as is Shane.

https://www.facebook.com/moyesuk/posts/1764365317056383

2021 New South Wales State Titles »

Sun, Feb 21 2021, 6:06:06 pm EST

Results from the first day

Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|New South Wales State Titles 2021|Trent Brown

http://williamolive.com/comps/manilla/2021/gap_task_result_2021-02-21.html

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:57:35 1000.0
2 Rory Duncan Moyes RX 3.0 Pro 03:12:06 920.3
3 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes Gecko 170 03:21:07 880.7
4 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 03:27:29 854.4
5 Shane Duncan Moyes Gecko 155 03:44:50 786.8
6 Brodrick Osborne Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 04:11:03 691.9

Discuss "2021 New South Wales State Titles" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

Still Number 1

June 9, 2020, 9:19:51 pm MDT

Still Number 1

By far the longest flight

Dustin Martin|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|PG|record

https://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/tracks/world/alltimes/brand:all,cat:0,class:all,xctype:all,club:all,pilot:0_0,takeoff:all&sortOrder=LINEAR_DISTANCE

(Ignore the bogus entry and the paramotor flight .)

That would be Dustin's (followed by Jonny's) World Record.

https://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/634487

Illinois to Ohio

May 11, 2020, 7:33:04 EDT

Illinois to Ohio

New East Coast hang gliding record.

Blue Sky|Dustin Martin|Greg Dinauer|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Krzysztof "Krys/Kris" Grzyb|Quest Air|record

Krzysztof Grzyb <<doitkg>> writes:

We have had a very cold spring here in the Midwest this year but lately every couple days good flying conditions are showing up.

Last Wednesday top of the lift was up to 10K, thermals around 1000 fpm with 20 mph NW wind encouraged us to fly a challenging 90+ miles triangle from Whitewater WI. Two days later (Friday) the sky was covered with very high Cumulus clouds from Wisconsin to Kentucky with straight north wind. The problem was the forecasted extremely low temperatures (3.0 F) under cloud base so Larry Bunner, Greg Dinauer and I gave up on flying that day.

Instead we focused on Saturday with higher temperature but lower cloud base, weaker thermals with 12-15 mph west wind. Our choice went to Cullom with a static tow system to be able flying cross country straight to the East. Late Friday afternoon we found out that Enjoy Field would start their weekend only aerotowing season. Laura confirmed that a tow plane was ready to tow us.

Our plan was to take off at 11.00 am and get in the air as close together as possible. Larry, John Enrietti (who was driving for us) and I came around 9:00 am to the airport. It was cold, a little above 40° F, and less windy than we expected. Around 10:00 am the first cu showed up 10-15 miles east of us. After setting up our gliders and gear, wearing ski masks, we were ready on the east side E-W runway at 11:00 am and waiting for our tow plane. After 15 minutes I was able to take off first, Larry was second. More pilots were arriving to the airport at this time.

Laura towed me straight into the wind without any turns, exactly what we need from a tow pilot in this windy condition. During tow we hit lift around 200-300 fpm so I stayed in it. Larry took off 15 minutes later. He released very low having some towing issue mixed with low thermal. Finally, he was able survive without landing and climb to be in our game.

We flew straight east with predefined waypoints to avoid airspaces around Kokomo, Fort Wayne, Dayton and Columbus. Sounds optimistic, does it not?

We had a perfectly clear blue sky above our head and we saw also some cu's down wind. The goal was to catch these clouds. It was not easy; these clouds were moving away from us as we flew toward them. To catch them we needed to increase our average speed but in the conditions it was difficult. The air was turbulent (wind) with lot of broken thermal bubbles. In this roller coaster, time to time we were able to find a tight strong thermal up to 500 fpm and climb to 4.5-6K but this was not enough to speed up. I did not have an idea on what strategy I should fly.

I did not want to fall out at noon. Going below 2500 ft in these conditions was very risky. The distance between any active air was long enough to easily make a mistake. I was a little frustrated that in such bright sun I was fighting to survive and flying slow. Larry had the same feelings. We were flying very conservatively.

When we passed I-65 I get low at 1500 ft. Larry was 2-3 miles south of me with better altitude. Luckily I found a bubble which extended later to a strong tight thermal.

From this point (after around 2 hrs from takeoff) we began flying in friendlier conditions with solid thermals up to 8K with 700-800 fpm and cu's closer and closer to us. Average cu life time was not more than 5 minutes, so many times we started turning in the blue sky, but when we reach 7.5-8.0 K cumulus started showing overhead.

Finally, the fun began.

Watching for airspaces we were cruising to the East. We did fly together, but we did not see each other. I was flying on Larry’s south side. A couple miles north of Kokomo a majestic C-17 flew below me not more than 200 ft. I hope the pilots were not texting on their smart phones and that they saw me above their heads.

I had a camelbac but it was useless, the pipe was frozen so no drinking during the whole flight. I had forgotten to push water back from the pipe before takeoff. At top of the lift it was 24-28 F. Only energizer gel was keeping me “alive”. The tail wind at the top of the lift was mostly 20 mph but sometimes more, but at lower altitudes it was slower, so the best thing was to stay high and try not to be frozen.

Passing the Indiana/Ohio border around 200 miles from Enjoy Field Larry suddenly “fell from the sky”. Leaving his last thermal he sank all the way to the ground. Bad luck. John reported that he was on his way to pick him up.

I was still going straight to the east passing Dayton airspace and Columbus air space on North side. Conditions began slowing down, the sun was getting lower. Around 7:00 pm I hit my last thermal which gave me a climb rate of 200-400 fpm. Now, I was afraid of not landing after the sunset, so gliding straight to the ground and not hitting any bumps I landed 5 minutes before sunset 283.8 miles from Enjoy Field in Centerburg, OH.

I was able to break my glider down before dusk, but my remaining gear I packed in flashlight beams. John with Larry came to pick me up 25 minutes later. Now we have 5.5 hr drive to Enjoy Field. I finally got to bed around 4 am.

This flight is my longest cross country flight ever and 0.8 miles longer than the previous US East Coast Record set by Jonny Durand and Dustin Martin from the Quest Air/Sheets Fields in Groveland, Florida almost to South Carolina.

It was great to see again Sandy, Joe, Laura, Danny and John Licada. Huge thanks to John Enrietti for helping us make our dreams come true.

Tired but happy Kris

Flight data:  https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:grzybk/9.5.2020/16:16

455.66 km or 283.134 miles.

2020 Paradise Airsports Nationals »

March 10, 2020, 7:16:12 EDT

2020 Paradise Airsports Nationals

Pretty excited about who is coming to the Nationals before the Worlds

Butch Peachy|Filippo Oppici|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Paradise Airsports Nationals 2020|Robin Hamilton

All the Sandoli's (like last year, Nene Rotor and Sons), Robin Hamilton, can you believe it, Butch Peachy, Filippo, Jonny Durand just signed up for both competitions and a total of thirty nine pilots so far. Many of them with a chance to win and at least be in the top ten.

https://airtribune.com/2020-paradise-airsports-nationals/pilots

You know, after this meet the Worlds starts, as well as the Wilotree Nationals. I'm thinking that some of these pilots will just not want to go home after a week of competition and will decide to stick around. Should be fun.

https://airtribune.com/2020-wilotree-nationals/pilots

2020 NSW State Titles »

February 22, 2020, 7:48:55 EST

2020 NSW State Titles

Day 7, task 4

Facebook|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|New South Wales State Titles 2020|Trent Brown

http://williamolive.com/comps/manilla/2020/comp%252520results%2525202014.html

Task 4:

# Name Glider Distance Total
1 Rory Duncan Moyes RX 3.5 pro 57.28 905
2 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes RX 4 Pro 55.55 887
3 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 55.15 884
4 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 55.24 883
5 Harrison Rowntree Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 53.07 855
6 Paul Bissett-Amess Moyes RX 3.5 50.76 793
7 Richard Heffer Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 47.38 726
8 Guy Hubbard Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 44.05 684
9 Brad Porter Moyes RX 3.5 pro 41.38 648
10 Rick Martin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 41.38 645

Final Results:

# Name Glider T 1 T 2 T 3 T 4 Total
1 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes RX 4 Pro 480 769 842 887 2978
2 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 412 776 765 883 2836
3 Rory Duncan Moyes RX 3.5 pro 134 767 1000 905 2806
4 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 134 579 750 884 2347
5 Harrison Rowntree Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 389 245 757 855 2246
6 Richard Heffer Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 412 683 399 726 2220
7 Rick Martin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 134 593 666 645 2038
8 Shigeto Ishizaka Moyes RX 3.5 pro 418 602 539 431 1990
9 Bruce Wynne Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 412 208 685 535 1840
10 Paul Bissett-Amess Moyes RX 3.5 0 595 392 793 1780

Must have been an error in the cumulative results after task three.

2020 NSW State Titles »

February 21, 2020, 8:56:08 EST

2020 NSW State Titles

Day 6, task 3

Facebook|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Jon Durand snr|Moyes Litespeed RX|New South Wales State Titles 2020|Trent Brown|video

http://williamolive.com/comps/manilla/2020/comp results 2014.html

Task 3:

# Name Glider Time Distance Total
1 Rory Duncan Moyes RX 3.5 pro 02:03:48 72.15 1000
2 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes RX 4 Pro 03:13:56 72.15 626
3 Bruce Wynne Moyes RX 4 03:53:15 72.15 582
3 Trent Brown Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 03:32:03 72.15 582
3 Harrison Rowntree Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 03:31:37 72.15 582
3 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 03:31:28 72.15 582
3 Rick Martin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 03:59:51 72.15 582
8 Guy Hubbard Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 62.95 545
9 Shigeto Ishizaka Moyes RX 3.5 pro 61.97 539
10 Brodrick Osborne Moyes RS 4 53.89 483

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Rory Duncan Moyes RX 3.5 pro 1921
2 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes RX 4 Pro 1895
3 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 1789
4 Shigeto Ishizaka Moyes RX 3.5 pro 1572
5 Richard Heffer Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1509
6 Rick Martin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1321
7 Trent Brown Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 1307
8 Jon Durand Snr Moyes Gecko 155 1251
9 Harrison Rowntree Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1211
10 Bruce Wynne Moyes RX 4 1196

Harrison Rowntree writes:

I bombed out today after scratching at 400ft for about 12 minutes. As I was about to relaunch I was joined by a west side bomb out virgin, Jonny Durand. We packed up and reflew. Rory Duncan got a good climb out of his launch and started on his own for a day win.

Jonny and I got up with the rest of the field and flew the first half of the course together before getting split up in the shade. Jonny finished second, Steve Docherty in third and I was fourth by 8 seconds. I love landing at this goal. There's lawn, a pool and a bar.

2020 NSW State Titles »

February 20, 2020, 8:46:07 EST

2020 NSW State Titles

Day 5, task 2

Facebook|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Jon Durand snr|Moyes Litespeed RX|New South Wales State Titles 2020|Trent Brown|video

http://williamolive.com/comps/manilla/2020/comp%252520results%2525202014.html

Task 2:

# Name Glider Distance Total
1 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 48.33 826
2 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes RX 4 Pro 48.05 819
3 Rory Duncan Moyes RX 3.5 pro 47.69 817
4 Richard Heffer Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 41.97 723
5 Shigeto Ishizaka Moyes RX 3.5 pro 32.79 636
6 Paul Bissett-Amess Moyes RX 3.5 32.86 628
7 Rick Martin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 32.64 626
8 Trent Brown Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 31.68 611
8 Jon Durand Snr Moyes Gecko 155 31.90 611
10 Troy Horton Moyes Gecko 155 29.35 553

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes RX 4 Pro 1299
2 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 1238
3 Richard Heffer Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1135
4 Shigeto Ishizaka Moyes RX 3.5 pro 1054
5 Rory Duncan Moyes RX 3.5 pro 951
6 Jon Durand Snr Moyes Gecko 155 878
7 Rick Martin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 760
8 Trent Brown Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5 745
9 Michael Free Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 723
10 Vic Hare WW T2C 136 709

2020 NSW State Titles »

February 18, 2020, 8:31:58 EST

2020 NSW State Titles

They fly, task 1

Facebook|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Jon Durand snr|New South Wales State Titles 2020|video

http://williamolive.com/comps/manilla/2020/comp%252520results%2525202014.html

http://williamolive.com/comps/manilla/2020/gap_task_result_2020-02-18.html

Task 1:

# Name Glider Distance Total
1 Jon Durand Jnr Moyes RX 4 Pro 39.86 442
2 Shigeto Ishizaka Moyes RX 3.5 pro 31.45 384
3 Bruce Wynne Moyes RX 4 30.74 379
3 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 4 Pro 30.74 379
5 Richard Heffer Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 30.70 378
6 Harrison Rowntree Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 28.76 352
7 Michael Free Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 27.85 338
8 Jon Durand Snr Moyes Gecko 155 17.38 235
9 Dustan Hansen airborne ev 14.5 11.64 192
10 Brad Porter Moyes RX 3.5 pro 8.76 169

https://www.facebook.com/harrison.rowntree/videos/10216175997574337/

It was supposed to be a write off today and it will be for many who were stuck on the hill with it blowing over the back. I sat ready to go for half an hour before a cycle blew up the face and allowed me to launch. I was rewarded with an easy climb to cloudbase and a fly along the side of a cloud to admire the view. No one in goal, Jonny will win the day with maybe 6km past TP2. I'm 2km short of TP2. It will be a low scoring day.

Jonny Vs. Filippo - Task 2

Mon, Feb 10 2020, 8:05:33 am EST

Final Glide

Filippo Oppici|Forbes Flatlands 2020|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr

Filippo is red, Jonny is blue. The blue vertical line is just before the edge of the goal cylinder. Pilots are flying at about 60 mph just before the goal cylinder. There is a strong head/side wind from the west as they approach from the south east increasing to 16 mph as they get closer to goal and lower.

Time Altitude Ground Tas Distance
Speed Ahead
Feet mph mph Meters
Filippo Jonny Filippo Jonny Filippo Jonny Filippo Jonny
1:24 8588 8742 24 26 33.6 39.1 180
1:26 8128 8135 35 31 44.3 46.6 270
1:28 7482 7364 42 40 50.8 56.4 293
1:30 6882 6780 31 28 35.1 39.4 140
1:32 6347 6413 27 25 36.3 37 10
1:34 5402 5537 43 41 52.1 56 70
1:36 4086 4060 37 37 44 49.3 160
1:38 2922 2869 39 48 48 61.7 110
1:40 1803 1760 51 45 59 57.7 120

The time is UTC -5, not Australian time.

Earlier article: https://OzReport.com/24.028#2

IGC files: http://www.forbesflatlands.com/results/results-2020

Discuss "Jonny Vs. Filippo - Task 2" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

Filippo and Jonny on Final Glide

February 6, 2020, 2:08:01 pm EST

Filippo and Jonny on Final Glide

Third task of the 2020 Forbes Flatlands

Filippo Oppici|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr

http://www.forbesflatlands.com/results/results-2020

Final glide:

Filippo in red and Jonny in blue. They are quite close to each other. This is GPS altitude. The make goal soon after the time marked 0:2:00:00.

Time Altitude Ground TAS Distance
Speed ahead
feet mph mph meters
Filippo Jonny Filippo Jonny Filippo Jonny Filippo Jonny
1:44 10778 10505 circling circling
1:46 10636 10636 33 43 38.8 48.6 300
1:48 9531 9738 47 48 35.2 40 140
1:50 8990 9377 30 37 36.7 41.1 90
1:52 8468 8645 42 37 49.1 38.8 170
1:54 7825 7759 59 59 66 59.9 108
1:56 6470 6368 61 63 60.9 64.7 46
1:58 4856 4472 61 56 68.1 57.3 40
2:00 2766 2208 64 57 71.4 59 105

Attila on the 2020 Forbes Flatlands

January 18, 2020, 9:46:27 EST

Attila on the 2020 Forbes Flatlands

Finally

Attila Bertok|dust devil|Facebook|Filippo Oppici|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|photo|Rohan Taylor

Attila Bertok writes:

After I think 28 years coming to Forbes (except a few years when it wasn’t held) and losing at least 5 un-losable Flatlands, I finally can put this in the collection, too. Josh came 2nd with brilliant flying and Jonny came 3rd.

It all started as doom and gloom. The country was on fire and the smoke was delivered to us via the varying winds. Visibility was occasionally nil either due to smoke or dust or both. The first 3 days were cancelled. It surely looked like that we are going to see the worst Forbes Flatlands ever. A few pilots decided to pull out of the competition and head somewhere smoke free. I don’t blame them, time off work is quite precious for most of us. I guess any flying seems more attractive than no flying at all.

The Queensland vs NSW golf tournament was shaping up well. Some rumors mentioned cheating, but it was just some fake news.

The 4th day our fortune turned and we woke up for a much better day, at least for a taskable one. I was one of the task setters and I must say that we’ve never faced such a challenging forecast on any previous Forbes comps, but we did our best considering the circumstances. So, on day 4 we set a task down south to Old Junee partly because the fires were burning in the mountains and a SW wind change was anticipated. Finally it turned out to be a distance task, largely due to the 1 hour delay initiated by the safety committee. I strongly disagreed with both of the half hour delays, because it didn’t improve safety, but I respected their decision. Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t call them wimps. Trent took the crown for the day pushing ahead as usual followed by Josh then Pedro. I’ve felt the day was quite turbulent, but it was partly due to the upcoming SW wind which created some convergence at first and later stopped us from completing the task. But we’ve had a day in the bank. Lukas also encountered a large brown snake which made his waiting for the retrieve car in the dark a lot less boring.

The 5th day promised better conditions. Again, we had winds from the west, so we’ve decided on a cross wind flat triangle down south and back via a short final leg to the Bogan Gate goal which is not at all in Bogan Gate. The safety committee has obviously learned something from the day before, so we just got on with preparing instead of spreading pessimism on the ground way before setting up. On course, we encountered strong lift, most thermals were marked with dust devils. Due to the wind there was some ‘interesting’ climbs for me and this made me quite restless pushing ahead. I’ve learned from my previous day’s mistake and didn’t push too aggressively into the cross wind, but everybody did which gave me an early 10 km advantage which I’ve managed to hold the whole way and winning 1000 points for the day. Jonny came 2nd and Filippo 3rd. The air was very good on the final glide and despite the strong headwind everybody came in very high.

6th day. Similar weather but the Skysight forecast seem to get it wrong every day. Cloudbase prediction usually way off, but not bad. Winds are turning out to be stronger. Windy gets it quite right. This is hindsight of course. So again, we went for a flat triangle, this time up to the north turning at Peak Hill, then back to Forbes via a turn point at the corner of the state forest east of Forbes. We had the best conditions on this day, big thermals both in size and strength. It was nice to fly with some people for a change, but it only lasted up to the 1st turn point, after that was lonely flying again. It is my Hungarian accent, I think.

So I was flying fairly upwind and things were working out nicely until I didn’t find a strong high climb before turning at the forest. So I was quasi-ahead, but it was just that I had a longer fruitless glide. I was quite desperate to find lift turning into the strong head wind and being low, when I noticed a ninety degree wind direction change on the surface of the small ponds which told me which way to go. As soon as I hooked into the 3-4 meter lift I saw the dust picking up.

A little while later I was climbing right over the eye of our micro tornado. The dust tube of the dust devil was so perfectly formed that it was mesmerizing as well as beautiful to look straight down the pipe while going up. By this time everybody was all over me below and above, but I was happy to see that the ones above didn’t have the turn point yet, so I still had a chance to place well. I ended up winning the final glide giving me another 1000 point day, Josh came 2nd and Rohan 3rd. A lot of happy people arrived in goal shortly after.

7th day. A weather change was happening. It complicated matters even further. The temperature diagram looks bad, showing a max climb to 1000m at the beginning of our flight but slightly improving later, however a blue day, for sure.

I even make a little joke about how bad the day looked like. We settled on a short 90km task to Tomigley, fearing bad conditions if we go any further north. I know it is a “pussy” task but we could only make a decision on the information we had.

Anyway, we got going and the prediction was spot on at the beginning of the task, however it was rapidly improving. I climbed out with Jonny quite well and he made a perfectly good decision by going for a large dust devil. This made it obvious to me that he wanted to go early, but I didn’t follow because I wanted to minimize risk by having people ahead of me, about which I usually don’t care. I was on the lead by ~170 points and I didn’t want to lose yet another Flatlands comp, so I hung back. I almost overdid the waiting game, because I wanted to do a better start, but finally I went with about 5 minutes deficit, but with people in front of me. Thankfully I had Lukas with me, so I wasn’t too worried.

As the task progressed I got closer and closer to the gliders in front. It was very obvious, that it is a very short task, so it was much more than just a matter of finishing, the time had to be good, too. Finally I made goal being quite sure that I had done enough. Rohan took the day by completing the task in 1:11 followed by Josh and Trent. I did 1:15 which was already 100 points less than first place, but the plan wasn’t trying to win the task today anyway.

Fun fact: 350 km to north east in Lake Keepit the Womens World Gliding Championship was going on. The very same day the task setters got it so wrong that everybody from all the 3 classes out landed. The closest pilot was 70kms from home in case someone thinks that task setting is easy!

While I am writing this it is raining outside and my mind still keeps looking down to that perfectly formed dust devil.

2020 Forbes Flatlands »

Sat, Jan 11 2020, 9:29:13 am EST

Day 8 results

Øyvind Ellefsen|Attila Bertok|Facebook|Forbes Flatlands 2020|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Michael "Zupy" Zupanc|photo|Rohan Taylor|Trent Brown

Live Tracking: https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=3171

http://www.forbesflatlands.com/results/results-2020

Task 4:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Rohan Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:11:05 945
2 Josh Woods Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:14:09 870
3 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:15:02 857
4 Attila Bertok Moyes RX 5 Pro 01:15:46 846
4 Jonas Lobitz Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:15:44 846
6 Olav Opsanger Moyes RX 4 Pro 01:15:52 845
7 Vic Hare Ww T3 144 01:16:46 832
8 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 01:16:52 831
9 Oyvind Ellefsen Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:23:21 757
10 Filippo Oppici Ww T3 144 01:26:09 729

Final:

# Name Glider Total
1 Attila Bertok Moyes RX 5 Pro 3501
2 Josh Woods Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3355
3 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 3215
4 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3071
4 Filippo Oppici Ww T3 144 3071
6 Olav Opsanger Moyes RX 4 Pro 2975
7 Jonas Lobitz Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2915
8 Vic Hare Ww T3 144 2716
9 Oyvind Ellefsen Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2604
10 Yasuhiro Noma Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2471

Discuss "2020 Forbes Flatlands" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

2020 Forbes Flatlands »

Thu, Jan 9 2020, 8:30:56 am EST

Day 6, Task 3 results

Øyvind Ellefsen|Attila Bertok|Evgeniya "Zhenya" Laritskaya|Facebook|Forbes Flatlands 2020|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Rohan Taylor|Trent Brown|Vicki Cain

Vicki Cain writes:

We’re getting ready for task 3 today launch starts a little early at 12:45 you can watch the action live at Flymaster. The Open Class are coming back to the airfield so we will all be at goal with bells and whistles and cold beer and watermelon.

Live Tracking: https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=3171

Attila, the day winner.

Task 3:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Attila Bertok Moyes RX 5 Pro 03:24:53 1000
2 Josh Woods Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 03:25:23 973
3 Rohan Taylor Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 03:26:28 946
4 Jonas Lobitz Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 03:26:39 944
5 Filippo Oppici Ww T3 144 03:30:25 914
6 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 03:30:28 907
7 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 03:30:31 902
8 Philippe Michaud Moyes RX 4 Pro 03:31:00 895
9 Steve Blackler Moyes RX 3.5 03:43:26 838
10 Olav Opsanger Moyes RX 4 Pro 03:55:32 764

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Attila Bertok Moyes RX 5 Pro 2655
2 Josh Woods Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2485
3 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 2384
4 Filippo Oppici Ww T3 144 2342
5 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2214
6 Olav Opsanger Moyes RX 4 Pro 2130
7 Jonas Lobitz Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2069
8 Vic Hare Ww T3 144 1884
9 Oyvind Ellefsen Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1847
10 Lukas Bader Moyes Rs 4 1846

Evgeniya Laritskaya writes:

Our pilots had a 157km flat triangle task, mostly with a cross wind and a final short leg with the head wind. The launch was open at 12:45. The towing was rather rough from what pilots said, but this just meant that the weather is great. Our tug pilots are amazing, by the way, towing and saving hang glider pilots in such extreme conditions.

Andrey said he had ceilings of 3000+ meters (~10,000 ft), thermals at times up to 5m/s (1000 fpm, sinks were strong, too), and winds from 8 to 25 km/h. Andrey ended up 41 km short, but time-wise (not distance-wise) he had the longest flight of his life: he was in the air 6 h 23 min. He was fighting hard, having two low-saves from 350 meters and one from 249 meters, which was already at half past six in the sunset light, and it turned into +5m/s.

Aleksei was flying faster but his harness’ zipper broke at some point and, after flying for 70 more km with open harness, he landed on course. Michael decked it after the first turnpoint. Konstantin made it further than the other Russians, but also didn’t make it to goal. Yes, the conditions were challenging!

Fifteen amazing pilots made goal with Attila leading again.

Discuss "2020 Forbes Flatlands" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

2020 Forbes Flatlands »

Wed, Jan 8 2020, 8:14:47 am EST

Day 5, Task 2 results

Øyvind Ellefsen|Andrey Solomykin|Attila Bertok|dust devil|Evgeniya "Zhenya" Laritskaya|Facebook|Forbes Flatlands 2020|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Konstantin Lukyanov|Trent Brown

Evgeniya Laritskaya writes:

The task committee set a 144 km long zigzag task to Bogan Gate, with the launch opening at 1 pm. There were some concerns about the wind at first, but by 1 pm the weather at the paddock looked really good (the heat and dust devils are included into the “good” when you are in Forbes).

It was a really fun to watch live tracking. Attila Bertok was flying with the Ollie Chitty’s tracker, so it was Attila who was blasting all the way to goal. Jonny Durand came in second, and Filippo Oppici third.

As for our team, Michael Karmazin made goal. Andrey Solomykin was 350 meters short (he is sad, but I am proud for he was never giving up!). Aleksei Labzin landed halfway between second turnpoint and goal, and Konstantin Lukyanov was flying too fast at some stage, which caused him to deck it before the 2nd turnpoint.

My pilots said they could climb up to 3100-3200 meters (10500 ft), the wind was cross most of the way, the thermals were not too strong and rather broken most of the time, but sometimes they would find something like 6 m/s (1200fpm) on average. And a lot of dust devils everywhere. Forbes: the way we love it.

https://www.forbesflatlands.com/results/results-2020

Task 2:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Attila Bertok Moyes RX 5 Pro 02:55:21 1000
2 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 03:09:57 848
3 Filippo Oppici Ww T2C 144 03:10:03 838
4 Olav Opsanger Moyes RX 4 Pro 03:12:41 818
5 Josh Woods Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 03:12:55 812
6 Oyvind Ellefsen Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 03:14:26 794
7 Yasuhiro Noma Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 03:23:09 756
8 Pedro L. Garcia Ww T3 144 03:25:18 745
9 Jonas Lobitz Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 03:38:05 695
10 Vic Hare Ww T3 144 03:49:00 652

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Attila Bertok Moyes RX 5 Pro 1655
2 Josh Woods Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1512
3 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 1482
4 Pedro L. Garcia Ww T3 144 1443
5 Filippo Oppici Ww T2C 144 1428
6 Olav Opsanger Moyes RX 4 Pro 1366
7 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1307
8 Vic Hare Ww T3 144 1244
9 Yasuhiro Noma Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1228
10 Jonas Lobitz Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1125

Discuss "2020 Forbes Flatlands" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

2020 Forbes Flatlands »

January 7, 2020, 8:45:02 EST

2020 Forbes Flatlands

Day 4 results

Andrey Solomykin|Evgeniya "Zhenya" Laritskaya|Facebook|Filippo Oppici|Forbes Flatlands 2020|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Trent Brown|weather

Evgeniya Laritskaya writes at noon:

Our task and safety committees chose to believe the most optimistic of the weather forecasts, so here is the task we hope open class pilots can fly today: a straight line 167 km (157 km optimized distance, I think) with a quartering tailwind. Right now it is still a little too windy.

Evgeniya Laritskaya writes at 3 PM:

Launch delayed. Still waiting. Pilots are ready.

At 3:30 PM pilots are in the air.

https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=3171

Looks like Jonny landed 41.6 km from goal and he was the furthest according to Live Tracking.

Here are the Results:

http://www.forbesflatlands.com/results-show?id_results=3&db=results2020&class=results_open

# Name Glider Distance Total
1 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 119.15 671
2 Josh Woods Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 117.30 664
3 Pedro L. Garcia WW T3 144 116.78 662
4 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 104.75 603
5 Vic Hare Wills Wing T2C 136 94.95 567
6 Filippo Oppici WW T2C 144 94.46 565
7 Andrey Solomykin 91.32 550
8 Olav Opsanger Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 86.94 526
9 Marcin Gil 77.95 483
10 Rich Reinauer Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 72.21 461
10 Steven Blackler 72.29 461

2020 US Nationals Beginning to Fill Up

December 16, 2019, 7:53:24 EST

2020 US Nationals Beginning to Fill Up

Paradise Airports and Wilotree Nationals

US Nationals 2019|US Nationals 2020|Wilotree Park

We've already had 69 pilots sign up for the 2020 World Championships being held in April and that means it's going to be a successful competition with this number of pilots. We say the maximum that we can handle is 125, but we've never expected that many to show up. Pilots need to sign up by January 19th (you don't have to be on a National team to be in the Worlds) so the window is closing quickly on who are going to be coming to the Worlds.

https://airtribune.com/2020-world-championships/info/details__info

We're also putting on two Class 1 Open competitions in April at Wilotree Parks, one the week before the Worlds and one during it. (The Worlds are the combined Women's Worlds, Sport Class, Class 2 and Class 5 Worlds).

Once again last year these Spring open class competitions at Wilotree Park were very popular. Pilots love coming to fly in Florida in April enjoying the marvelous lifting thermals in pleasant air with mild temperatures, puffy little clouds, light winds and open fields. Pilots are signing up now for these competitions, despite the fact that they are not under the same tight time constraints that pilots who are signing up for the Worlds.

We are always under resource constraints (mainly the number of tugs that we can round up to get every one in the air), so it is always a good idea to register as early as possible and become confirmed as early as possible so that you can be assured that you are in the competition. There will be additional resource constraints during the Worlds for the Wilotree Nationals dictated by the fact they the Worlds ahs first claim on the resources and we can fit in open class pilots only after their needs are taken into account. The World's pilots launch first, for example.

At the moment, we can handle all six competitions and we'll see what the future holds. We hope to be able to accommodate open class pilots in both the Paradise Airsports Nationals and the Wilotree Nationals. For sure there is no issue with the Paradise Airsports. It is a bit iffier for the Wilotree Nationals, so you might want to sign up early to reserve your spot (need to be confirmed). We'll keep you informed.

https://airtribune.com/2020-paradise-airsports-nationals/info/details__info

https://airtribune.com/2020-wilotree-nationals/info/details__info

Central West Classic Hang Gliding Competition

November 21, 2019, 8:26:33 PST

Central West Classic Hang Gliding Competition

Gulgong, Task two, after a day or two of non-flying

Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Trent Brown

http://williamolive.com/comps/central west classic/2019/gap_task_result_2019-11-21.html

Task 2:

# Name Glider Time Distance Total
1 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:08:29 92.34 1000
2 Harrison Rowntree 02:15:34 92.34 903
3 Brad Porter 02:31:21 92.34 788
4 Vic Hare WW T2C 136 02:32:47 92.34 779
5 Bruce Wynne Moyes RX 4 02:46:10 92.34 704
6 Jonny Durand jnr Moyes RX 4 Pro 90.28 474
7 Raymond Mcculloch Moyes LS 5 59.75 362
8 John Harriott Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 58.90 358
9 Neale Halsall Moyes RX 3.5 pro 41.23 270
10 Randal Clotworthy 40.91 268

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Harrison Rowntree 1814
2 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1771
3 Brad Porter 1541
4 Jonny Durand jnr Moyes RX 4 Pro 1422
5 Vic Hare WW T2C 136 1165
6 Bruce Wynne Moyes RX 4 1082
7 Neale Halsall Moyes RX 3.5 pro 665
8 Raymond Mcculloch Moyes LS 5 650
9 Josh Woods 612
10 Randal Clotworthy 452

Central West Classic Hang Gliding Competition

November 18, 2019, 6:54:12 pm PST

Central West Classic Hang Gliding Competition

Gulgong, First Day

Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Trent Brown

http://williamolive.com/comps/central west classic/comp results 2018.html

# Name Glider Time Distance Total
1 Jonny Durand jnr Moyes RX 4 Pro 02:29:03 97.68 943
2 Harrison Rowntree 02:31:54 97.68 906
3 Trent Brown Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:50:46 97.68 761
4 Brad Porter 02:53:18 97.68 743
5 Josh Woods 03:23:45 97.68 598
6 Steve Docherty Moyes RX 5 Pro 68.38 406
7 Neale Halsall Moyes RX 3.5 pro 59.21 381
8 Vic Hare WW T2C 136 55.60 374
9 Bruce Wynne Moyes RX 4 57.06 365
10 Raymond Mcculloch Moyes LS 5 43.43 280

2019 Canungra Classic »

October 10, 2019, 9:07:14 MDT

2019 Canungra Classic

Thursday Results

Canungra Classic 2019|Facebook|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|photo|Rohan Taylor|Tim Cummings

Jonny out of the hospital.

http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=276

Task 5:

# Pilot Glider Time Tot
1 Jon Durand moyes rx 4 pro 2:08:21 967
2 Robert DeGroot Moyes 3.5 rx pro 2:43:47 808
3 Brodrick Osborne Moyes 3.5 rx pro 2:43:49 805
4 tony cross rev 2:46:00 784
5 Craig Taylor Moyes 3.5 rx pro 2:59:15 714
6 Peter Adriaans Moyes rx 5 pro 3:01:45 686
7 Richard Martin Moyes 3.5 rx pro 2:57:51 669
8 Steven Crosby Moyes 5 rx pro 3:08:56 667
9 geoff christophers Moyes 3.5 rx pro 3:19:52 592
10 Hagen Bruggemann moyes rx 4pro 3:43:14 537

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Steven Crosby Moyes 2989
2 Glen Macleod Moyes 2977
3 Steve Docherty Moyes RX4 Pro Skylite 2954
4 Craig Taylor moyes 2888
5 Brad Porter Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2856
6 Richard Martin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2852
7 Robert DeGroot Moyes 2819
8 tony cross Moyes 2810
9 Jon Durand RX 3.5 PRO 2785

Tim Cummings writes:

Jonny required strong antibiotics for an infection in digestive tract. If it got worse he would need surgery. Anyway he drove straight from hospital to launch, took off after everyone had left and was first into goal.

Later he writes:

Day 7 has just been cancelled due to rain on course and forecast for so much rain tomorrow we have decided to have presentation tonight.

Lots of rain near first turnpoint so day 7 of Canungra Classic was stopped while we were in the air. I turned around and flew back to this big dry paddock with Keith, Peter and Hagan.

2019 Canungra Classic »

October 7, 2019, 9:59:59 pm MDT

2019 Canungra Classic

Rest day

Canungra Classic 2019|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|weather

Vicki writes:

Weather forecast for today shows similar stable conditions as yesterday but with a lot stronger winds up high, to again compliment a lovely 39 degrees Celsius on the ground. The safety committee has agreed to give pilots a rest day with tomorrow’s conditions looking very good off Beechmont. With 20-time champion Jonny Durand out, the race is wide open with not much separating the top 10 or so.

2019 Canungra Classic »

October 7, 2019, 9:23:48 MDT

2019 Canungra Classic

Monday Results

Canungra Classic 2019|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Rohan Taylor

http://xc.highcloud.net/task_overview.html?comPk=276

Day Quality = 0.29

Jonny Durand didn't fly.

Task 3:

# Pilot Glider Kms Tot
1 Steven Crosby Moyes RX 5 39.24 258
2 Steve Docherty Moyes rx 4 38.95 257
3 Hagen Bruggemann moyes rx 4pro 34.46 233
4 abe kemp Moyes 3.5 pro 19.85 179
5 Robert DeGroot RX 3.5 pro 19.29 177
6 Craig Taylor Moyes 3.5 rx pro 12.31 145
7 hugh glenn rx4 moyes 9.44 135
8 Brad Porter Moyes 3.5 rx pro 7.99 126
9 Richard Martin Moyes 3.5 rx pro 6.37 120
9 Peter Burkitt Moyes RX 5 6.24 120

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Steven Crosby Moyes 1914
2 Steve Docherty Moyes RX4 Pro Skylite 1907
3 Jon Durand RX 3.5 PRO 1818
4 Glen Macleod Moyes 1782
5 Hagen Bruggemann Moyes 1694
6 Brad Porter Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1580
7 Richard Martin Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1559
8 geoff christophers Moyes 1404
9 tony cross Moyes 1394
10 Robert DeGroot Moyes 1221

Investigating and Reporting

October 1, 2019, 9:55:41 MDT

Investigating and Reporting

It started innocently enough.

Belinda Boulter|Daniel Vé|Daniel Vélez Bravo|Daniel Vélez Bravo|Elena Filonova|Facebook|Flytec 6030|Gordon Rigg|Greg Kendall|Jamie Shelden|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Kraig Coomber

https://ozreport.com/23.190.2

I do not recall how I found out about this issue. Jamie Shelden, the meet director and organizer probably told me about it. I received what I thought was Jonny Durand's Flymaster tracker track log in the morning on Friday the 20th for the task on Wednesday the 18th. I didn't look at the file using Notepad but rather displayed it on SeeYou and subsequently published the screen captures showing the difference between it and his 6030 the track log. If I had looked at the IGC file from what I thought was the Flymaster tracker using Notepad I would have seen that it was actually a "copy" of that file taken from the Airtribune web site.

I had already heard that there was no Live Tracking on the Flymaster Live Tracking web site for the Santa Cruz Flats Race. I also knew (but didn't connect) the fact that Belinda could follow the race on XCGuide with the group number that would normally be used on the Flymaster Live Tracking web site.

Daniel Velez, the remote scorekeeper, then informed me that there was another case of a missed turnpoint from the Wednesday task that needed to be corrected with the pilot's flight instrument. The track log that Daniel had showed him missing the last turnpoint so Daniel got Jamie to have Greg Kendall send in his track log from his 5030.

On Saturday the 21st, the last task after two days of not flying when there were high winds, we got two bogus track logs that required track logs from pilot's flight instruments be sent to Daniel, mine and Kraig Coomber's.

https://ozreport.com/23.193

Both Daniel and I were still referring to the track logs that he was downloading from the Airtribune web site as Flymaster tracker track logs, when in fact they were "copies" of the track logs from the Flymaster web site, and it would appear later not very good copies.

Not only were there missing track log points there was also the weird altitude values from the Airtribune tracklog points which got further above the track log points from the pilots' flight instruments the higher the pilot got. That still doesn't make any sense.

With this height discrepancy really bothering me (and apparently no one else except the always perceptive Gordon Rigg) I decided to look further into it. 

https://ozreport.com/1569588107

I was beginning to suspect that something was wrong with the Flymaster trackers.

That's when I checked out my Flymaster track logs from the 2019 Big Spring Nationals against my 6030 track logs. I checked three flights. They were all identical. Whoa.

Finally I decided to look at the track log files using Notepad. Whoa again. The Flymaster tracks were certainly producing different designators for the trackers in the track logs from the SCFR. I still didn't get it but I was getting warmer.

After thinking about what was right in front of my face I thought to ask whether the track logs for the SCFR were coming from the Airtribune site and not the Flymaster web site. I was just hard for me to believe that this would actually be the case. I asked Daniel.

By the time he replied that they were indeed taking the track logs from the Airtribune web site I had already concluded that was the case.

I followed the data and kept looking and looking again and despite not just figuring it out when perhaps it should have been obvious I finally found enough clues to take me in the right direction and away from my preliminary and incorrect assumptions.

So I was left with the task of getting access to the Flymaster Live Tracking web site to download the actual Flymaster tracker track log files for the SCFR. So far that's not going very well. I've reached out to Jamie, Daniel, Brett, and even Kate who was our scorekeeper at the Big Spring Nationals and obviously did it right. I just want to confirm the theory that the actual Flymaster tracker's track logs don't have the drop out problem. Kate has told me that she didn't experience any dropouts during the Big Spring Nationals.

Finally on Monday morning I was able to get access to the Flymaster track logs on the Flymaster server for the Santa Cruz Flats Race. Crisiano at Flymaster was the one who gave me the final clue that I needed to be able to login to the correct account. After that it was trivial to download the files and check out the Flymaster tracker track logs against the Airtribune track logs.

The Flymaster tracker track log did not have the dropouts that the Airtribune tracks had. I had remembered that Brett had told me and others not to use the Airtribune track logs for scoring purposes only for Live Tracking. The problem was not placement of the trackers in the harnesses. Even Kraig Coomber's tracker worked just fine even though it was placed underneath his carbon back plate.

Elena Filonova wrote to me to say:

When you download the track log from Airtribune it is reprocessed by it and filters out baro data.

That explains the different altitude values displayed in the previous articles. Here is an example of the baro track from Jonny Durand's flight from the Flymaster tracker vs. the baro (now GPS) track from the Airtribune web site:

The blue line is the GPS altitude. Since you as the pilot are making decisions about how high you can go if you are flying under airspace based on your baro altitude, you might want to be sure that the scorekeeper is using your baro altitude and not GPS altitude to determine if you infringe on airspace or not.

When I get ready to launch I set my baro altitude at the GPS altitude of the launch site. This is easy to do with the Flytec 6030.

All this is traced on these two Facebook threads:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118763844883239/permalink/2421537051272562/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118763844883239/permalink/2414056872020580/

Moyes Boys »

September 30, 2019, 8:58:15 MDT

Moyes Boys

Hard time communicating

Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr

At the Santa Cruz Flats Race the top Moyes pilots often flew near each other. I asked is they were communicating. Here's Jonny's answer:

I saw you asked about if the Moyes boys flew as a team on radio. Phil Bloom flew with his team, Olav had no radio. Kraig's radio only worked when you were next to him, maybe antenna issues. Tyler's radio worked. My headset was broken first day. Ran out of batteries on radio the second day. So there was not much team work in the air but we did strategize before takeoff. 

Where are you packing your tracker?

September 27, 2019, 6:44:08 MDT

Where are you packing your tracker?

Not in the hang glider we suppose

Greg Kendall|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr

Jonny - "On the side of my harness to avoid the back plate never had an issue until this comp."

Kraig - "Above my lower back below the carbon back plate." "First time I've flown with one for scoring. That was the most convenient pocket I had available."

By below, he means under the carbon back plate.

Davis - behind my neck, in the small pocket in the harness, only some cloth between it and the hang glider. Also never heard of any problems before.

Greg Kendall - by his ankles.

Too high

September 27, 2019, 6:41:47 MDT

Too high

The discrepancy is proportional to altitude gain

competition|Davis Straub|Facebook|Flytec 6030|Greg Kendall|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Kraig Coomber|Volirium P1

Jonny Durand's track Log:

This is a display using SeeYou and the "altitude" chart which is supposed to display barometric altitude. When I use SeeYou to display "GPS altitude" both instruments give the same values.

The red line is the Flymaster tracker. The blue line is his Flytec 6030. I've already shown that my Flytec 6030 and my Volirium P1 give the same results.

https://ozreport.com/23.193

I've also shown the the Flymaster tracker's track log shows a higher value than Greg Kendall's Flytec 5030.

https://ozreport.com/23.193#2

This is Kraig Coomber's track log:

The blue line in this case is the Flymaster tracker. The red line is his Flytec 6030.

I have track logs from four pilots. Two from the third task and two from the last task. Some of the IGC file can be found here: https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-mark-knight-memorial-2019/results. Also there is an on-going discussion here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118763844883239/permalink/2414056872020580/

I reviewed some of my other flights at the SCFR and saw the same pattern.

I then checked out some of my flights in Big Spring.

The Flymaster Trackers and the Flytec 6030 produced the same values. Here is an example:

So why are the Flymaster trackers working correctly in Big Spring but not at the SCFR?

My Flymaster tracker in Big Spring:

AXFMSFP Flymaster Live, V1.0, S/N 226405
HFFXA010
HFPLTPILOT:Davis Straub
HFGTYGLIDERTYPE:
HFGIDGLIDERID:
HFDTM100GPSDATUM:WGS-1984
HFCIDCOMPETITIONID:101
HFCCLCOMPETITIONCLASS:
HOSITSITE:Big Springs-US
HFGPS:UBLOXNEO6
HFPRSPRESSALTSENSOR:NA
HFRFWFIRMWAREVERSION:202g
HFRHWHARDWAREVERSION:1.0R2
HFFTYFRTYPE:FLYMASTER,LIVE

My Flymaster tracker at SCFR:

AXYYAAA
HFDTE210919
HFFXA500
HFPLTPILOTINCHARGE:Davis Straub
HFGTYGLIDERTYPE:
HFGIDGLIDERID:
HFDTM100GPSDATUM:WGS-1984
HFRFWFIRMWAREVERSION:0.4
HFRHWHARDWAREVERSION:
HFFTYFRTYPE:Airtribune Logger
HFGPSAirtribune
HFPRSPRESSALTSENSOR:
HFCIDCOMPETITIONID:101

Greg's Flymaster tracker at SCFR:

AXYYAAA
HFDTE210919
HFFXA500
HFPLTPILOTINCHARGE:Greg Kendall
HFGTYGLIDERTYPE:
HFGIDGLIDERID:
HFDTM100GPSDATUM:WGS-1984
HFRFWFIRMWAREVERSION:0.4
HFRHWHARDWAREVERSION:
HFFTYFRTYPE:Airtribune Logger
HFGPSAirtribune
HFPRSPRESSALTSENSOR:
HFCIDCOMPETITIONID:222

Jonny's Flymaster tracker at SCFR:

AXYYAAA
HFDTE180919
HFFXA500
HFPLTPILOTINCHARGE:Jonny Durand
HFGTYGLIDERTYPE:
HFGIDGLIDERID:
HFDTM100GPSDATUM:WGS-1984
HFRFWFIRMWAREVERSION:0.4
HFRHWHARDWAREVERSION:
HFFTYFRTYPE:Airtribune Logger
HFGPSAirtribune
HFPRSPRESSALTSENSOR:
HFCIDCOMPETITIONID:21

Is the score keeper taking the data from the Airtribune web site for the SCFR and not from the Flymaster web site? Does this also explain the drop outs? We know that the source of the data for the Airtribune web site is the Flymaster web site and we know that there are problems getting the data from one web site to another.

We also know that the meet organizers were unable to get the Flymaster Live Tracking working for the SCFR.

Congratulations to the Moyes Boys

September 26, 2019, 10:42:34 MDT

Congratulations to the Moyes Boys

On their sweep of the podium and beyond at the SCFR

Jamie Shelden|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Kraig Coomber|Tyler Borradaile|Vicki Cain

Vicki Cain <<Vicki>> writes:

SCFR 2019 is a wrap with a clean sweep for Moyes taking out the top five places.

Once again for 2019 the competition was decided on the final day with a complete switch around of the podium.

Tyler Borradaile takes the win on his Moyes RX3.5Pro Skylite.

Jonny Durand takes 2nd place just a single point behind flying the Moyes RX4Pro Skylite.

Olav Opsanger rounds out the podium flying his Moyes RX3.5Pro.

A very close competition with only 27 points separating the first three positions.

Kraig Coomber 4th Moyes RX 3.5 Pro Skylite

Phil Bloom 5th Moyes RX 3.5 Pro Skylite

Congratulations and thanks to Jamie Shelden and the crew for hosting another great comp.

That's Hang Gliding For You

September 26, 2019, 9:23:49 MDT

That's Hang Gliding For You

Zac is aggressive, and sometimes it doesn't work for him

Greg Kendall|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Oleg Bondarchuk|Zac Majors

These are the main elements of the story on the last day of the 2019 Santa Cruz Flats Race. Zac Majors has been leading the competition going into the last day. He will fly aggressively on the last day as he has all week and not just try to keep over the guys closest to him in the competition.

Here is the start of the task for most pilots at the second start clock (actually at 14:20:05). Zac is the blue arrow at 8,800', I'm the red arrow at 5,400', and standing in for Jonny, Oleg, Kraig and others, is Tyler, the green arrow, at 9,300'. The top finishing pilots all flew together for the most part so Tyler is a good stand in for all of them.

At 14:31 Tyler and Zac make the first turnpoint, a 5 km cylinder around Signal Peak.

Tyler (and friends) is at 8,300', Zac at 7,000'. I'm 5 km behind climbing at 4,600'.

At 14:45:37, 25 minutes after the start at 14:20, Zac finds a strong thermal averaging 590 fpm, just north of Casa Grande Mountain and just south of the I8 freeway. He is three kilometers ahead of Tyler (and friends) at 5,900'. Tyler is at 6,800' and I'm 9 kilometers behind Zac at 5,100'.

Tyler (and friends) misses the lift as he passes right under Zac at 5,800' while Zac is 7,700' and climbing. Zac climbs to 8,300' before heading south for the mountain. Meanwhile Tyler has reached the north end of the mountain at 5,300'

At 14:53:33 Tyler finds 225 fpm at 4,200' over the mountain as Zac passes over him without stopping at 7,200'.

At 15:05:57 Zac continues south until he finds 285 fpm at 2,400' (1,000' AGL). He is 8 kilometers ahead of Tyler who is thermaling at 140 fpm at the south end of the mountain at 5,200'. I'm just getting to the north end of the mountain at 5,400', 5 kilometers north of Tyler, after thermaling up at 300 fpm near where Zac got up north of the mountain. I will soon find strong lift half way down the ridge line.

At 15:17:40 Zac finds 485 fpm at 3,300'. I've climbed to 9,300' and am heading south toward the Sunland turnpoint. Tyler is heading south just north of Arizona City at 4,900'.

At 15:23:45 as Zac climbs up just 2.4 kilometers north of the Sunland turnpoint, Tyler and about four others get stuck at a little over 4,000' over Arizona City as I fly over them at 6,700'.

At 15:29 Zac climbs to 6,800' and then takes the Sunland turnpoint along with Greg Kendall who started 20 minutes earlier. I'm a little less than 3 kilometers behind but down to 4,300'. Tyler is still over Arizona City at 5,900'.

At 15:41:26 Tyler and a little later Jonny finds 400 fpm from 6,600'. Jonny finds 600 fpm just to Tyler's (and friends) west. I'm stuck north of the turnpoint searching for better lift which I'll find in a few minutes. Zac is turning in 180 fpm at 4,200' and is 15 kilometers ahead of Tyler 11 kilometers up the last leg.

Tyler climbs to 10,200' by 15:50:50. At 3,500' I find 360 fpm one kilometer south of Tyler. Zac is 20 kilometers ahead of Tyler but at 3,100' climbing at 70 fpm.

Given their extraordinary altitude Tyler and friends go on final glide from 30 kilometers out. Only Kraig has to take a few more turns up the final leg. Zac doesn't get up and lands 7 kilometers short of goal. I thermal up to 8,200' but that is not enough to make it to goal as I headed north (not north northwest toward goal) to get up over the mountain again but don't climb to an adequate height to make it in as the lift is much weaker than when I got to the mountain heading south.

Flymaster trackers dropping out

September 25, 2019, 9:58:04 MDT

Flymaster trackers dropping out

They aren't perfect devices, so we need your backup

Daniel Vé|Daniel Vélez Bravo|Daniel Vélez Bravo|Flytec 6030|Foundation for Free Flight|Greg Kendall|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|record

On the same day, but at a different turnpoint, Greg Kendall also experienced his Flymaster tracker missing a turnpoint, just as Jonny's Flymaster tracker did.

Here are the two track logs, one of the Flymaster Tracker and one from Greg's 5030.

Let's take a little closer look:

The red line track is from his 5030 and the blue is from the Flymaster tracker.

Daniel Velez, the remote scorekeeper, finds the missing data from the Flymaster tracker:

Actually there is 1 minute and 06 seconds of missing info that the tracker had an "invalid" reception (as I understand) so it didn't recorded a position on the IGC file during that period.

B2131023259416N11127605WA0000001540
B2131033259424N11127594WA0000001539
B2132093259986N11127490WA0000001387

B2132103259996N11127494WA0000001386

On the last day my Flymaster tracker quits recording data on my final glide to just short of goal. It stops when I'm a little over 3,000'. The red line is the Flymaster Tracker:

It was fortunate that Daniel caught this problem as it wasn't obvious unless you looked at the altitude data. Pilots might consider this if they see a result that shows you short of where you thought you landed. Daniel caught this before we saw any preliminary data.

Note that the Flymaster tracker also consistently records a higher GPS altitude than the 6030's barometric altitude, even though they start at the same altitude:

Your Flymaster tracker might show you going into airspace, while your 6030 shows you below the floor of the airspace. You might want to check with the scorekeeper if you find yourself penalized for air space infringements that your 6030 showed you avoiding.

2019 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

September 22, 2019, 6:42:26 pm MDT

2019 Santa Cruz Flats Race

Starting low

dust devil|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2019

Jim Prahl pulled me to the east to where I got to climb up quickly to 7,300' all by myself. The problem was that it was still to too early. Searching around I got down to 5,700' near the edge of the start cylinder as the first start window opened. I headed back to find a way to get back up but don't find it as other pilots did and climbed to 9,600'. I've got to start with the second clock 4,000' below them.

Marcelo Mennin was right there suffering the indignity with me as we headed east northeast to the 5 km cylinder around Signal Peak. There was plenty of 200 fpm lift along the course line. I spotted a dust devil eight kilometers south of this first turnpoint and went for it. It was well formed but only provided 150 fpm to 4,400'.

I spotted another dust devil just north of Casa Grande mountain while Marcelo didn't get up well at the first dust devil and landed about five kilometers south of it. This second dust devil got me to 5,500' at 330 fpm which made it easy to get over the mountain.

450 fpm got me to 9,000' right over the top of the mountain. I was back in the game, but I didn't know it.

I passed many of the pilots who were high at the start as I flew south of Arizona City. I was at 7,100' and Jonny was at 4,000' as I passed him. I saw four or five pilots gravelling low over Arizona City.

It was fifteen kilometers to the Sunland turnpoint and I got there with 3,500', eight kilometers ahead of Jonny. There were a few straggly cu's nearby.

I made the mistake of working a bunch of light thermals while behind me the previously leading pilots still eight kilometers behind found 600+ fpm to well over 10,000'. I climbed to 7,500' at 340 fpm, but they were zooming past me and on final glide.

I headed back to the mountain hoping to get enough altitude to make it back to the Francisco Grande. Unfortunately the lift was much weaker at a little after 4 PM and after much working back and forth I got to only 4,800'  which left me 1.7 kilometers short of goal.

2019 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

September 22, 2019, 6:21:32 MST

2019 Santa Cruz Flats Race

A win by one point

Bill Soderquist|Brian Porter|Chris Zimmerman|competition|Davis Straub|Facebook|Glen Volk|Greg Chastain|Greg Kendall|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Kevin Carter|Kraig Coomber|Phill Bloom|photo|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2019|Tim Delaney|Tyler Borradaile|Wills Wing T3|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-mark-knight-memorial-2019/results

Tyler Borradaile wins the 2019 Santa Cruz Flats Race.

Fourth task:

# Name Glider Time Distance Total
1 Kraig Coomber Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:55:45 74.63 925
2 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:55:46 74.63 912
3 Olav Opsanger Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:56:00 74.63 896
4 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 01:56:49 74.63 876
5 Bill Soderquist ? ? 02:08:42 74.63 861
6 Guilherme Sandoli WillsWing T3 144 01:57:23 74.63 860
7 Bruno Sandoli Wills Wing T3 144 02:00:46 74.63 822
8 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:02:49 74.63 794
9 Kevin Carter Wills Wing T3 02:18:45 74.63 733
10 Philippe Michaud Wills Wing T2C 144 02:19:07 74.63 708
11 Glen Volk Moyes RX 3.5 72.35 502
12 Greg Kendall Moyes RX 3.5 67.07 489
13 Kevin Dutt Aeros Combat C 13.5 69.56 488
14 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 66.48 445
15 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 71.81 441

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3364
2 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 3363
3 Olav Opsanger Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3337
4 Kraig Coomber Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3268
5 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3146
6 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 2992
7 Kevin Carter Wills Wing T3 2904
8 Bruno Sandoli Wills Wing T3 144 2526
9 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 2476
10 Philippe Michaud Wills Wing T2C 144 2373

Sport Class:

# Name Glider Time Distance Total
1 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 01:14:07 45.19 1000
2 Hugh Glenn Moyes Gecko 170 01:15:01 45.19 977
3 L.J. Omara Wills Wing Sport 3 155 01:56:46 45.19 703
4 Ken Millard Wills Wing Sport 3 155 43.56 589
5 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 35.98 518

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 3187
2 Hugh Glenn Moyes Gecko 170 2447
3 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 2142
4 Ken Millard Wills Wing Sport 3 155 2027
5 L.J. Omara Wills Wing Sport 3 155 1962

Swift Class:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Chris Zimmerman Aeriane Swift'Light 01:51:21 1000
2 Brian Porter Aeriane Swift 02:07:01 778
3 greg chastain Moyes or Brightstar Litespeed 5 or Swift 02:13:27 726

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 greg chastain Moyes or Brightstar Litespeed 5 or Swift 3070
2 Brian Porter Aeriane Swift 3047
3 Chris Zimmerman Aeriane Swift'Light 2858
4 Stephen Morris Bright Star Millennium 1316
5 Bruce Barmakian Aeriane Swift 1131

Flymaster Tracker drop outs

September 20, 2019, 10:39:48 MST

Flymaster Tracker drop outs

Getting fooled at the turnpoints

Flytec 6030|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr

Here is what Jonny Durand's two tracklogs (one from the Flymaster Tracker and one from his Flytec 6030) from the task on Wednesday look like:

Let's take a closer look:

The red line is the track log from the Flytec 6030. It is clear from this picture that the Flymaster Tracker lost the connection to the GPS at a crucial time and  it didn't reconnect until it was too late.

A review of the Flymaster track log on the Replay on Airtribune made it appear as though there wasn't a problem with the tracker. The only clue was the abrupt change in direction of the hang glider symbol at the point of divergence seen in the  graphic above. Otherwise it looks like a smooth continuation of the flight.

We can't figure out how to replay the flight on the Flymaster web site, so we don't know how that would display this Flymaster Tracker track log.

Both "flights" look smooth when animating them in SeeYou also.

2019 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

September 18, 2019, 6:50:03 pm MST

2019 Santa Cruz Flats Race

A too short task - the results

Brian Porter|Chris Zimmerman|competition|Davis Straub|Greg Chastain|Greg Kendall|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Kevin Carter|Kraig Coomber|Phill Bloom|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2019|Tim Delaney|Tyler Borradaile|Wills Wing T3|Willy Dydo|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-mark-knight-memorial-2019/results

Task 3:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 00:59:06 864
2 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 00:59:57 835
3 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 01:08:21 721
4 Olav Opsanger Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:09:21 704
5 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:13:57 657
6 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 01:16:04 632
7 Bruno Sandoli Wills Wing T3 144 01:17:48 622
8 Greg Kendall Moyes RX 3.5 01:18:33 599
9 Guilherme Sandoli WillsWing T3 144 01:21:51 577
10 Willy Dydo Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:19:17 570

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 2547
2 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 2487
3 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2452
4 Olav Opsanger Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2441
5 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2352
6 Kraig Coomber Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 2343
7 Kevin Carter Wills Wing T3 2171
8 Marcelo Alexandre Menin Wills Wing T2C 154 2167
9 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 2035
10 Bruno Sandoli Wills Wing T3 144 1704

Sport Class:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Rick Warner Wills Wing Sport 2 155 00:30:35 729
2 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 00:33:29 657
3 L.J. Omara Wills Wing Sport 3 155 00:41:03 560
4 Richard Caylor Moyes Gecko 170 00:44:33 525
5 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 00:49:01 483

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 2187
2 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 1624
3 Hugh Glenn Moyes Gecko 170 1479
4 Ken Millard Wills Wing Sport 3 155 1401
5 Rick Warner Wills Wing Sport 2 155 1314

Swifts:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Brian Porter Aeriane Swift 01:55:19 998
2 greg chastain Swift 01:55:17 993
3 Chris Zimmerman Aeriane Swift'Light 01:55:48 974

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 greg chastain Swift 2344
2 Brian Porter Aeriane Swift 2269
3 Chris Zimmerman Aeriane Swift'Light 1858
4 Stephen Morris Swift 1015
5 Bruce Barmakian Aeriane Swift 903

2019 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

September 17, 2019, 8:59:49 pm MST

2019 Santa Cruz Flats Race

Task Two Results

Brian Porter|Chris Zimmerman|competition|Davis Straub|Greg Chastain|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Kevin Carter|Kraig Coomber|Phill Bloom|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2019|Tim Delaney|Tyler Borradaile|Wills Wing T3|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/santa-cruz-flats-race-mark-knight-memorial-2019/results

# Name Glider Time Distance Total
1 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 01:47:15 67.83 1000
2 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 01:52:59 67.83 862
3 Kraig Coomber Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:55:37 67.83 828
4 Olav Opsanger Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 01:58:21 67.83 797
5 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:10:28 67.83 762
6 Marcelo Alexandre Menin Wills Wing T2C 154 02:05:02 67.83 755
7 Kevin Carter Wills Wing T3 02:07:21 67.83 734
8 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 02:31:54 67.83 629
9 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144   66.16 497
10 Kevin Dutt Aeros Combat C 13.5   57.06 445

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 1826
2 Kraig Coomber Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1785
3 Olav Opsanger Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1737
4 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1695
5 Kevin Carter Wills Wing T3 1665
6 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 1652
7 Marcelo Alexandre Menin Wills Wing T2C 154 1613
8 Tyler Borradaile Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 1588
9 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 1403
10 Philippe Michaud Wills Wing T2C 144 1116

Sport Class:

# Name Glider T 1 T 2 Total
1 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 653 877 1530
2 Hugh Glenn Moyes Gecko 170 356 872 1228
3 Ken Millard Wills Wing Sport 3 155 328 815 1143
4 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 141 1000 1141
5 Bill Snyder Wills Wing U2 145 209 525 734

Swifts:

# Name Glider T 1 T 2 Total
1 greg chastain Moyes or Brightstar Litespeed 5 or Swift 1000 351 1351
2 Brian Porter Aeriane Swift 464 807 1271
3 Chris Zimmerman Aeriane Swift'Light 716 168 884
4 Bruce Barmakian Aeriane Swift 415 347 762
5 Stephen Morris Bright Star Millennium 361 275 636

2019 Santa Cruz Flats Race »

September 15, 2019, 10:07:09 pm MST

2019 Santa Cruz Flats Race

Results from the first day

Davis Straub|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Kevin Carter|Kraig Coomber|Phill Bloom|Santa Cruz Flats Race 2019|Tyler Borradaile|Wills Wing T3|Zac Majors

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 02:11:32 963
2 Tyler Borradaile Moyes Rx Pro 3.5 02:11:25 959
3 Kraig Coomber Moyes RX3.5 Pro 02:11:15 958
4 Olav Opsanger Moyes LSRX3.5 PRO 02:11:39 938
5 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 02:11:43 931
6 Kevin Carter Wills Wing T3 02:11:45 929
7 Philippe Michaud Wills Wing T2C 144 02:13:10 914
8 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 02:12:48 904
9 Bruno Sandoli Wills Wing T2C 02:13:21 881
10 Marcelo Alexandre Menin Wills Wing T2C 154 02:17:31 859
11 Patrick Pannese Wills Wing T2C 02:29:10 767
12 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 PRO 02:52:44 660
13 Cory Barnwell ? ? 02:55:11 599

2019 Big Spring Nationals

Tue, Aug 20 2019, 6:16:31 am MDT

Personal bests

cart|Mitchell "Mitch" Shipley|Mitch Shipley|US Nationals 2019

"Eduardo Fonseca" «fonseca414» writes:

Here is a quick summary of the comp after my last goal on task 3:

Task 4: Did not fly, too gusty for my comfort level
Task 5: Good tow, but didn’t get to leave the start cylinder
Task 6: Could have been a better tow, got just outside the start cylinder
Task 7: Great tow, great climbs, made goal.

Now, here are the details:

Task 4:
It was gusty, beyond my comfort level. I decided not to fly that day. Perhaps a good decision given that the treachery of the wind that day cause pilots to have two broken downtubes and a carbon speedbar. Most people didn’t make goal, and I feel I made the right decision.

Task 5:
Had the best tow to date. After so much mentoring and feedback I wanted to stick in the cart longer. As Mitch Shipley had mentioned, during Big Spring air pilots need to stick to the cart longer. There is the tendency to leave the cart once we are “lifted” by the prop wash, but there is not enough airspeed at that time to properly maneuver the glider. Thus, pilots need to ride out the prop wash, and then hold on to the hoses to the point that the keel of the glider lifts off the cart. So I did, and the takeoff was so much better. Mick had also given recommendation on how to move the body, relax the knees, and control the glider. This tow was so great thanks to being able to apply all the teachings we had received during the comp. During flight it was not easy to find lift and ended short of leaving the start cylinder. Great approach and landing, which seem to come more naturally now. However, I cannot let my guard down (stay tuned for task 7).

Task 6:
It is important to be consistent, which I did not fully apply on takeoff. After the prop wash I left too early, with just enough airspeed to leave the cart. However, I felt the harness graze the cart. Thus, not the best takeoff and need to stay in the cart even longer. The task was a 110 km flight, but just like the prior day, could not find good lift. This flight taught me the importance of always looking for a landing field, and how easy one can end up getting in trouble. Trying to find lift kept me moving towards a not-so-easy-to-land area and going to an open field was out of the question due to distance. There were two options, freak out or stay calm and deal with the situation. Thankfully, I have experience dealing with stressful and difficult situations that require quick action, so the same methodology from work was applied to the landing strategy. Given the wind direction and landing limitations, I was able to land the glider on a pipeline path that was in very similar direction as the wind. Good landing and not very difficult drive for the retrieval team.

Task 7:
Last day of the competition. 38 km NE downwind. I kept telling myself that just being able to fly is great. But how great it would be to make goal once again. We just have to wait and feel the air.

Another great tow, this time staying as long as I could on the cart. Plenty of speed for control and contingencies. Being towed by Mick, I just felt so confident staying in line and dealing with the bumpy air. Just a great tow.

Waved off in nice smooth lift. I was not sure if it just was weak lift or I lacked thermaling skills, but I could see Mynor from Guatemala just a few miles upwind going up like a rocket. I could try to fly that direction, or stay where I was. I decided to stay with my current little climb (at least I was going up). The only way I could even possibly make goal in my opinion was to capitalize on any lift I could find. Thus, I kept working the lift. I took the time to refine my thermaling skills. As I circled, I thought of the direction of the wind, the path of the glider, and how to adjust the turning radius upwind and downwind to make the climb as efficient as possible.

After 6500 ft MSL I did not look at the vario at all, I just managed the turns and listened to the beeps. After a while, I looked again and for the first time in my life I was above 10,000 ft. It didn’t really feel like it, but there I was. “I might have a chance,” I thought. I did not care if I arrived last, I just wanted to get there.

I got as high as 10,900 ft, and when I could not climb anymore, I set the VG full and went on course. Getting lower again at 6000 ft, I reduced speed and little VG in case another thermal showed up. And there it was.

Climbing once again, I prepared myself for the final stretch, taking note of distance to goal, required glide ratio (compared with current glide ratio), as well as time left on the task. It was 5:15 pm and the task would be stopped at 6:00 pm. Thus, it was time to leave the climb, set full VG, stretch my body and tuck my arms in to minimize pressure drag, and stuff the bar in.

After a couple of minutes, I was at goal. I got to goal at around 6000 ft. So happy to make goal once again.

I felt I could have gone for another 60 km, but the day had to end early due to clos9ng ceremonies. So it was time to land. Thankfully at 6000 ft there are so many options, and I picked a field in which two other pilots had landed (Pete and Max).

What’s funny about this moment for me is that as I tried to go down, lift was happening… where have you been all my life. So I stuffed the bar in, and eventually got low enough to make the final approach. Max and Pete gave me the wind direction. As I went down, I could see Max gesturing to add speed, and I was trying (he would later tell me to just keep a hand of the upright and another on the speedbar). Essentially, need to increase my airspeed, period.

Ground effect coming in, and then time to flare. There was more wind than what I had experienced the other days of the comp, so when time to flare came, up the glider went. Not so much, but it is one of those moments in which some people might think of pulling in, but instead I stretched my arms even more and waited for physics to happen. Landed on my feet, safe on the ground and with a great smile.

This was a great way to end an amazing week of hang gliding. I had dreamed of flying in Big Spring since the the Oz Report started talking about it back in 2002. Now, I have become a part of it.

As Mick has mentioned in prior occasions, the experience gained in competition flying substantially surpasses recreational flying. Not for the competitiveness, but for the learning potential. Here are some of my statistics to show you how valuable competitions can be for pilot development:

- Number of flights: 7
- Max altitude: 10,900 ft
- Max thermal climb: 5055 ft
- Number of tasks flown: 6 out of 7
- Number of tasks completed (reached goal): 2 out of 6
- Total flight time: 7 hours 14 minutes
- Longest flight: 2 hours 18 minutes
- Total distance: 131.6 km
- Max distance in a single flight: 41.8 km

Being in Big Spring has been a tremendous learning experience that far exceeded my expectations and made me a better pilot. Of course there is room for improvement, and I hope that the 2020 Big Spring comp is just as exciting and educational.

2019 Big Spring Nationals

August 19, 2019, 7:04:44 pm CDT

2019 Big Spring Nationals

The podiums

competition|Facebook|photo|US Nationals 2019

https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/results

Open Class:

Sport Class:

Brasileiro 2019 Andradas

August 19, 2019, 8:21:23 CDT

Campeonato Brasileiro 2019 Andradas

Jonny wins the meet in the Brazilian National series

Facebook|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|photo

https://sistema.cbvl.com.br/evento/resultado/285

All tasks:

# Name Glider T 1 T 2 T 3 T 4 T 5 T 6 T 7 Total
1 JONNY DURAND JNR MOYES LS RX 4 PRO 943 936 984 828 1000 627 613 5931
2 CARLOS ROBERTO DE NIEMEYER SALLES AEROS COMBAT GT 12,7 1000 915 963 859 330 635 577 5279
3 MARCIO ROSADAS COIMBRA MOYES RX 3.5 PRO 738 838 704 857 787 740 560 5224
4 GLAUCO PINTO ICARO 2000 LAMINAR 14.1 487 953 830 818 461 929 669 5147
5 MAX TIBERIO TURIACO AEROS COMBAT C 731 752 875 990 731 102 941 5122
6 RODRIGO GERUNDO CAVALCANTE DOS SANTOS AEROS COMBAT C 12.7 746 703 661 847 693 584 500 4734
7 BRUNO SANDOLI WILLS WING T2C 873 743 683 762 634 379 572 4646
8 MARCELO ANDREI ROCHA AEROS COMBAT GT 13.2 983 753 689 499 0 759 569 4252
9 DORIVAL AGULHON JUNIOR MOYES LITESPEED 5 883 639 662 828 567 102 492 4173
10 MICHEL LOUZADA WILLSWING T2C144 347 742 730 830 789 635 0 4073

Two Moyes boys on the podium after seven grueling tasks with multiple changes in the rankings throughout the week. Eventually Jonny took a commanding lead after task five where he was the only pilot to make goal, finishing the competition with a 600+ point lead to second place. It was a close race to fill the rest of the podium with just 150 points taking out the next four positions.

Nene's two sons finished higher than he did, but he didn't fly the last two days. I wonder why?

2019 Big Spring Nationals

August 18, 2019, 6:39:56 pm CDT

2019 Big Spring Nationals

Seven days, seven tasks

Belinda Boulter|CIVL|competition|Davis Straub|dust devil|Erick Salgado|Facebook|Gary Anderson|Kevin Carter|Mike Degtoff|US Nationals 2019|Wills Wing T3|Willy Dydo

The pilots made it clear that they wanted the awards ceremony and meal on Saturday night, the last day of the competition and not on Sunday morning at brunch. That meant we had to have a shorter task or a task that brought us back to Big Spring on Saturday. With a 12 mph forecasted southwest wind, that meant a small triangle for the open class and a short downwind task for the sport class.

Today's task and flight:

https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/results

Task 7:

# Name Nat Glider Time Total
1 Rodolfo Gotes MEX Wills Wing T3 144 01:58:23 764
2 Willy Dydo USA Wills Wing T2C 136 02:25:16 724
3 Nathan Wreyford USA Wills Wing T2C 144 02:10:32 666
4 Erick Salgado MEX Moyes RX 5 Pro 02:13:51 663
5 Davis Straub USA Wills Wing T3 144 02:18:10 649
6 Bruce Barmakian USA Aeros Combat 12.7 02:29:35 58

Final Results:

# Name Nat Glider Total
1 Rodolfo Gotes MEX Wills Wing T3 144 5301
2 Erick Salgado MEX Moyes RX 5 Pro 5200
3 Bruce Barmakian USA Aeros Combat 12.7 4690
4 Willy Dydo USA Wills Wing T2C 136 4258
5 Davis Straub USA Wills Wing T3 144 4068
6 Kevin Carter USA Wills Wing T3 3919
7 Vic Hare AUS Wills Wing T3 144 3889
8 Nathan Wreyford USA Wills Wing T2C 144 3705
9 Rich Reinauer USA Wills Wing T2C 144 2510
10 Gary Anderson USA Wills Wing T2C 144 2409

Sport Class:

Erick R. Lopez won the last task with Ric Caylor second and Anibal Lemus third. Eight pilots made goal with the winner there in 33 minutes (it was a short task).

Jose Sandoval only went eight kilometers, but that didn't stop him from winning overall. Four Guatemalans in the top five.

Swift Class:

Chris won the task again by three minutes and won the meet overall.

The sky was still blue at 1 PM. The temperatures here were about 10 degrees warmer than what we have experienced in the past (104 Vs. 95). The sky has been blue instead of full of cu's reliably appearing at 1 PM. We've also not had good lift conditions until around 2 PM. There has been at least a slight inversion at 1 PM this year.

Three pilots launched at about 1:15 PM and two stayed up but didn't get high. I launched right after we saw them thermaling, and climbed to 5,200' but no higher and then lost the thermal and landed as did Willie Dydo, one of the three The wind was seventeen mph out of the south.

After a new bottle of water I went again at about 2:20 PM and now the lift was there and sustained. I went right up after the Swifts and circled with them over the airport. I circled up to about 8,000' drifting just outside the start cylinder and then went back and tagged it for the fourth start time at 2:45 PM. I was averaging a little over 200 fpm.

I almost took the 2:30 PM clock but decided to stay near or inside the start cylinder by heading back upwind against the seventeen mph wind, to just get the fourth start clock. The Swifts went with me. About six minutes later Erick and Bruce left the start cylinder late, but I was basically on my own. Rudy would take the 3 PM clock.

Five kilometers out I found almost 500 fpm to 8,300' which told me that the day was truly on. There were no cu's in the vicinity though. This can also be a sign that you'd better be careful if you think that all the lift is going to be this good.

That thermal got me to the turnpoint at a little over 7,000' Turning to the southwest, my tail wind turned into a cross head wind of ten mph. I flew almost six kilometers before I found lift down at 4,200'.

I was low and the lift was weak at 220 fpm and I could only climb to 5,800' losing distance all along drifting to the north. I pushed to the south directly into the wind getting south of the course line before once again starting from 4,200' I climbed at 300 fpm to 7,900' but north and east (downwind of the course line and back up the course line) so I had to cover the same ground again.

Heading southwest then south passing under the first cu's, which when they did not have any lift that, I continued to another cu to the south where I found 150 fpm and was heading backwards once again. I moved east a kilometer from 5,400' and worked slightly better lift until I was seeing 1000 fpm on the twenty second averager. I climbed at 400 fpm on average to 9,700'.

There was a large area of uncultivated flat lands to my southwest and toward the second turnpoint. The wind was between eleven and eighteen mph out of the south. A cu formed over me as I climbed and there were now scattered cu's out in front. I was high enough to get over the less friendly area and flew thirteen kilometers to get to the next lift three kilometers from the turnpoint. As I flew toward the turnpoint, I kept seeing wisps of cu's forming to my southwest but they disappeared before I could get to them.

When I found that thermal it took me to 8,000' at over 400 fpm. It was easy to get the turnpoint despite the 13 mph south wind.

Turning east south east twenty two kilometers from goal it looked like there were cu's ahead. Then I spotted Eric and Rudy turning and flew the four kilometers past the turnpoint to them getting down to 4,500'.

The lift was very strong, sometimes at 700 fpm and averaged 540 fpm. Though Erick and Rudy started out about 3,000' over my head I quickly gain most of that altitude up to them flying in the same thermal which was much stronger down below them. I climbed to 9,500' which gave me a 10:1 glide ratio to goal. Rudy and Erick took off about 500' above me and I went with them.

There was a ten mph cross wind going to goal. At first I was all going well and I wasn't losing much altitude, then things changed and I was losing consistently 800 fpm. My required glide was down to 7.5:1 but I was getting 6.5:1. I stopped for a dust devil and a cu above it at seven kilometers out to be sure that I had enough altitude to make it. I came in five minutes behind Rudy and Erick.

It was an incredible competition with great conditions, just what we expect from Big Spring. We held it a week later than normal, and they had rain after four months of no rain. Next year we go back to the first week of August. The only reason we held it when we did was because we wanted to have two weeks between the Worlds and our meet. That was a useless gesture which we won't ever repeat.

The task and safety committees performed brilliantly and made the competitions with their great calls. Mitch was the best CIVL meet steward we have ever experienced, by far. Belinda was a fantastic meet director and very much in charge and worked well with Mitch. Kate Griffin was a fantastic scorekeeper and tracker wrangler. She is very experienced now (Brett Janaway keeps updating the procedures so it is a task just to know what is going on.) Thor was a very calming presence as the launch director and Mike Degtoff was a great second in command at the launch. The tug pilots, Mick, Bobby, and Jim were spot on and their little cooperative of tug pilots is working great.

Thanks so much for all the help from the Big Spring Community. We could not pull this off without their tremendous support - water and free ice cream included. Thanks to all the sponsors for their prizes.

Photo by Mike Degtoff.

2019 Big Spring Nationals

August 16, 2019, 10:58:53 pm CDT

2019 Big Spring Nationals

Another incredible call from the Safety Committee

Chris Zimmerman|competition|Davis Straub|Erick Salgado|Gary Anderson|Kevin Carter|Mitchell "Mitch" Shipley|Tom McGowan|US Nationals 2019|Wills Wing T3|Willy Dydo

Today's task and flight:

https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/results

Big Spring to Lamesa to Town, 145 kilometers.

Task 6:

# Name Nat Glider Time Total
1 Erick Salgado MEX Moyes RX 5 Pro 02:31:00 776
2 Rodolfo Gotes MEX Wills Wing T3 144 02:25:57 765
3 Kevin Carter USA Wills Wing T3 02:33:31 684
4 Davis Straub USA Wills Wing T3 144 02:34:23 671
5 Vic Hare AUS Wills Wing T3 144 02:38:30 642
6 Willy Dydo USA Wills Wing T2C 136 02:39:37 625

Cumulative:

# Name Nat Glider Total
1 Erick Salgado MEX Moyes RX 5 Pro 4537
1 Rodolfo Gotes MEX Wills Wing T3 144 4537
3 Bruce Barmakian USA Aeros Combat 12.7 4103
4 Vic Hare AUS Wills Wing T3 144 3609
5 Kevin Carter USA Wills Wing T3 144 3542
6 Willy Dydo USA Wills Wing T2C 136 3534
7 Davis Straub USA Wills Wing T3 144 3419
8 Nathan Wreyford USA Wills Wing T2C 144 3039
9 Rich Reinauer USA Wills Wing T2C 144 2225
10 Gary Anderson USA Wills Wing T2C 144 2191

Open class:

The open class task was stopped at 5:46 PM and scored stopped at 5:31 PM. Seven pilots had already made goal. (Tom McGowan also made goal right after me but was scored incorrectly.)

Sport class:

Stopped at 5:40 PM and scored at 5:25 PM, Jose Sandoval was in the lead when the task was stopped. No one made goal. There was over-development to the west which got close to or came over the course line.

Swift Class:

Chris Zimmerman won the day.

With a forecast for strong lift, cu's, cloud base at 13,500' and 10-13 mph southwest winds we called cross wind tasks to the north. But when we launched at 1 PM it was not happening at all and almost everyone landed and went for a reflight.

When I relaunched at about 2 PM things were much different and I climbed up to 8,500'. I've been adding more layers each day after only two layers on Wednesday (which was very comfortable) with four moderate layers today with the forecast for 37 degrees at 13,500' cloud base later in the day. I don't recall us ever getting that high here before.

There were plenty of cu's after 2 PM as there had been none at 1 PM. I took the last start clock at 2:30 PM, which was the popular start time as almost everyone had to launch late for the second time.

I headed for a fat cu to the north northwest fourteen kilometers and found little lift there. It was all blue ahead so I wanted to get up from 2,200' AGL and I left 160 fpm at 6,000' heading into the blue after a disappointing climb.

Of course, there was good lift right out in the blue and I found 300 fpm to 7,900' and then 400 fpm to 8,900'. It wasn't 13,500' but it was getting up there. The wind had started out at 10 mph out of the south southeast and was now 10 mph out of the south.

I had enough altitude to find the next bit of reasonable lift at twenty two kilometers to the north northwest. I was heading for the ten kilometer cylinder around Lamesa. I headed for an isolated small cu over the canyon area that looked like it was feeding off the gullies. The sink increased dramatically as I approached the spot that I thought looked like the origin of the thermal, and that assured me that there was a good thermal there. I took 250 fpm to 7,200' from 4,500'.

With more cu's ahead I was able to climb to 8,200' at 430 fpm just before the turnpoint cylinder edge. I pushed to the west to get the cylinder and get myself lined up for a cloud street to the north. The wind was averaging thirteen mph out of the south southeast.

The cloud street was working and I was able to climb at 300 fpm and then 330 fpm and then flying straight and climbing to 9,200'. I still had not climbed high and felt the icy cold winds. Speaking of winds, the winds were now eighteen mph out of the south southwest.

For the first time I noticed the over-development and shading from the west. There was rain about fifteen miles away. I wanted to go fast to get north of the rain if possible.

Twenty seven kilometers north of the turnpoint at Lamesa I found a strong thermal at 7,600' It averaged over 500 fpm and I took it to 12,400'. It was cool up there. I was forty three kilometers from goal and had goal at 14:1 with a seventeen mph tail wind. I went on final glide.

During the final glide it showed I had about 2,300' above best glide. That value changed very little no matter how fast I flew nor how much sink or lift I encountered. I was racing the storm to the west which was producing more rain but wasn't effecting goal as yet. Mitch Shipley was at goal and he was saying it was level 1. Tom McGowan and I on the Safety Committee were flying near each other and agreed.

As I got within five kilometers of goal I no longer was losing any altitude even with the bar stuffed.

When I go to goal it was shaded as was the last five kilometers and I found nothing but lift. I had to fly to the east five kilometers to finally find some sink and get down. I assume that it was being affected by the over-development to the west.

The over-development affected the Sport Class goal much more strongly as it built to the south of our goal. Their task was stopped a few minutes earlier than ours was.

The task committee had originally set a task to Levelland to the west of the Town goal. That would have put us right through the over-development. The safety committee moved the task based on the forecast.

So far three days in a row affected by thunderstorms. The task and safety committees have been brilliant in task calling, keeping us safe but with fun tasks. The conditions here have been excellent as well as exciting. All the pilots are enjoying themselves immensely. It was great getting so high today. It was great flying the last forty three kilometers in less than half an hour.

2019 Big Spring Nationals

August 15, 2019, 7:46:27 pm CDT

2019 Big Spring Nationals

Setting the best task that the weather forecast allows

Chris Zimmerman|competition|Davis Straub|dust devil|Erick Salgado|Flytec 6030|Gary Anderson|Kevin Carter|Roger Irby|US Nationals 2019|weather|Wills Wing T3|Willy Dydo

Today's task and flight:

https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/results

Task 5:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat 12.7 01:55:47 960
2 Rodolfo Gotes Wills Wing T3 144 01:55:57 882
3 Erick Salgado Moyes RX 5 Pro 02:13:02 841
4 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 02:00:22 821
5 Willy Dydo Wills Wing T2C 136 02:08:10 746
6 Nathan Wreyford Wills Wing T2C 144 02:24:56 667
7 Rich Reinauer Wills Wing T2C 144 02:47:42 589
8 Vic Hare Wills Wing T3 144 02:34:51 559
9 Kevin Carter Wills Wing T3 144 02:37:59 544
10 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T2C 144 02:44:33 533

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat 12.7 3904
2 Rodolfo Gotes Wills Wing T3 144 3772
3 Erick Salgado Moyes RX 5 Pro 3761
4 Vic Hare Wills Wing T3 144 2967
5 Willy Dydo Wills Wing T2C 136 2909
6 Kevin Carter Wills Wing T3 2858
7 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 2748
8 Nathan Wreyford Wills Wing T2C 144 2617
9 Roger Irby Wills Wing T2C 154 2041
10 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T2C 144 1882

Sport Class:

Five pilots made it back to Big Spring with Peter Wall winning the day. Jose Sandoval is in the lead over all.

Swift Class:

They made a task to the south. Chris Zimmerman won the day and leads overall.

The weather forecast was for over development in all directions after 4 PM. So we decided on short tasks with early starts.

There were cu's to the west and east of the airport very early and there were too many cu's to the north with cu-nimbs to the west and north at Lamesa which almost stopped the task at 12:30PM (we launched at 12:15). Mitch was on the radio to the safety committee and we said level 2 and 2.5. We were south of the airfield and in good conditions climbing to 7,400', so we said it was level 1 where we were. We were just concerned about the conditions to the north.

As we were six or seven kilometers from the top of the five kilometer start cylinder I flew up to the north at four minutes before the first start time but found weak lift down to 4,500'. I hung in it with a couple of other pilots trying just to stay up.

We stayed in the poor lift for almost half an hour until, just before the last (third) start time, the lift we were in finally turned on and we were able to climb up to 6,000' before going on glide and finding a good thermal to 7.400', nine kilometers to the north. There were no cu's near us.

The winds were light which is why we called a triangle task for the open class and an out and return task for the sport class. The towering cu's to the north dissipated and there was plenty of sun shine on the ground. It no longer was a level 2.

I was leading out in front of the other two pilots which seemed easy to do. We found 200 - 300 fpm average climbs and hooked up with Rudy for a few climbs south the the first turnpoint. The lift was improving as the day went on. We had taken the last clock at 1:45 PM.

I found a nice dust devil just before the first turnpoint where I had seen Rudy turning a bit earlier under a cu and I climbed to 7,700'. There was a much bigger dusty to the east by the second turnpoint which Rudy got into. Before I got to that dust devil I found a thermal under a small cu that averaged 425 fpm so I took it to almost 9,000'.

As I headed south on my own I could see the over development further to the west. The rest of the sky was inviting. I found a forming cu out in the blue and climbed at 380 fpm average to 9,300'. The 6030 said I had goal but it was 12:1 to get there from twenty five kilometers out so I didn't exactly believe that.

The outflow from the top of the over development was partially shading the ground between me and goal. I could see a nice little cu about half way to goal, but off the course line a couple of kilometers. I felt that there was a good chance of finding lift just going down the course line in spite of the partially shaded ground.

At thirteen kilometers from goal I found 440 fpm and took it to 7,500' with an 8:1 required glide.

I came into goal with 600' AGL and landed. The wind was light out of the west toward the over development.

The over development continued to grow and come toward us but all the pilots who made goal made it in with incident. It was just shaded and there were no thunderstorms near us.

2019 Big Spring Nationals

August 14, 2019, 9:21:51 pm MDT

2019 Big Spring Nationals

East northeast wind with low top of lift

competition|Davis Straub|Erick Salgado|Gary Anderson|Kevin Carter|Roger Irby|US Nationals 2019|Wills Wing T3|Willy Dydo

Today's task and flight:

https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/results

Task 4:

# Name Glider Time Distance Total
1 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat 12.7 03:26:40 118.09 534
2 Rodolfo Gotes Wills Wing T3 144 03:52:45 118.09 458
3 Erick Salgado Moyes RX 5 Pro 03:57:58 118.09 418
4 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144   44.46 235
5 Kevin Carter Wills Wing T3   29.02 188
6 Willy Dydo Wills Wing T2C 136   15.77 132

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Erick Salgado Moyes RX 5 Pro 2860
2 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat 12.7 2844
3 Rodolfo Gotes Wills Wing T3 144 2816
4 Vic Hare Wills Wing T3 144 2421
5 Kevin Carter Wills Wing T3 2297
6 Willy Dydo Wills Wing T2C 136 2153
7 Nathan Wreyford Wills Wing T2C 144 1963
8 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 1904
9 Roger Irby Wills Wing T2C 154 1749
10 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T2C 144 1362

Sport Class:

Jose Sandoval Sandoval was the only one to make goal at 48T. He continues to lead the sport class.

Swift Class:

Didn't fly.

The forecast was for an east northeast wind, lighter than the previous day. With a huge downpour and flash flooding around Big Spring on Tuesday night we figured the lift around the airport to be very poor. That proved to be the case.

The wind was sixteen mph northeast just south west of the airport so that made things even worse. Our task was to the west northwest given the forecast for lighter and east northeast winds.

I was circling with Bruce and Kevin as we climbed at 170 fpm. That thermal got us to the edge of the start cylinder just in time for the first clock at 3 PM. We joined up with Roger Irby and Rudy Gotes and climbed to 6,800' just outside the start cylinder.

After a short weak climb we headed north northwest to try to get on the upwind side of some shallow lakes. Roger Irby landed and Bruce and Kevin thermaled downwind of the lakes. I pushed further up wind and found better lift at 345 fpm and after a while they came and joined me. We lost track of Rudy.

We climbed back to 6,800' and headed again to the north northwest cross wind in order to go toward the turnpoint at 48T. We stayed above 5,600' climbing to almost 6,000' and hooked up with Rudy. I was able to find lift by pushing up wind to the northeast when after I felt any lift.

The lift gave out for a while and down to 800' I found lift near a very strong gas flare. Rudy came back to join me and Kevin landed. Bruce was behind us and climbing. We were only able to get to 5,600'.

There were now little cu's popping along our cross wind course line so we could fly to them. I found the next thermal and Rudy joined me but it was only 100 fpm. We had lost Bruce who was high and behind us. We only climbed to 5,700'.

Rudy stayed back as I raced to get under the next thin cu, but got low and had to work it back up to 5,300'. The lift was broken up near the top so I went for a cu just forming up wind of us. It didn't work and I soon landed.

Rudy and Bruce were able to make it around to goal with Erick coming later.

I should have been more conservative and not tried to chase cu's. The lift down low was broken and ratty.

2019 Big Spring Nationals

August 13, 2019, 11:54:10 pm CDT

2019 Big Spring Nationals

Dealing with the forecast for no lift later to the south

Chris Zimmerman|competition|Davis Straub|dust devil|Erick Salgado|Gary Anderson|Greg Chastain|Kevin Carter|Roger Irby|US Nationals 2019|Wills Wing T3|Willy Dydo

Today's task and flight:

Today's forecast for lift at 5 PM:

The task committee set a task with a eighteen kilometer radius around the airfield at Rankin so that we didn't have to go over a territory full of pump jacks (oil wells) to get to the airfield. It also helped that it kept us away from the likely over development.

https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/results

Task 3:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat 12.7 01:41:50 874
2 Rodolfo Gotes Wills Wing T3 144 02:05:34 777
3 Vic Hare Wills Wing T3 144 02:05:22 776
4 Erick Salgado Moyes RX 5 Pro 02:07:18 742
5 Kevin Carter Wills Wing T3 144 02:03:44 631
6 Rich Reinauer Wills Wing T2C 144 02:11:01 628
7 Roger Irby Wills Wing T2C 154 02:23:03 624
8 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 02:32:55 566
9 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T2C 144 02:36:34 544
10 David Proctor Wills Wing T2C 154 02:40:47 481

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Erick Salgado Moyes RX 5 Pro 2442
2 Rodolfo Gotes Wills Wing T3 144 2358
3 Vic Hare Wills Wing T3 144 2335
4 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat 12.7 2310
5 Kevin Carter Wills Wing T3 2109
6 Willy Dydo Wills Wing T2C 136 2021
7 Nathan Wreyford Wills Wing T2C 144 1877
8 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 1669
9 Roger Irby Wills Wing T2C 154 1663
10 Gary Anderson Wills Wing T2C 144 1276

Sport Class:

Six pilots in goal with Jose Sandoval winning the day. Jose is now back in first place overall.

Swift Class:

Greg Chastain landed short and now Chris Zimmerman is in first place after making it back to the airport.

With an unusual north northeast wind at launch we launched from the south part of the taxi way. There were no cu's around at first at 1:30 PM. There was good lift just southwest of the airport and I was able to get to 7,400' with half a dozen other pilots. When that lift ran out twenty three minutes before the start window opened I headed back toward the airport and then north to a cu when I didn't see anyone climbing near the airport.

The cu quickly disappeared and I chased a remnant of a dust devil further west to hook up with what remained of it after it disappeared also. That set me up alone north of the course line at a little less than 7,000' for the 2:30 PM start.

To the south the area of forecasted zero lift was already filling up with cu's. There were a few wispies along our course line. The forecast said that we wouldn't get too high, maybe to 8,000'.

I found a couple of good climbs but twenty kilometers out from the edge of the twelve kilometer start cylinder I was down to about 1,000' AGL. I was able to work 250 fpm back to over 6,000'.

There had started to be a few scattered good looking cu's about so it was easier to find the lift. Lots of cu's starting and disappearing quickly.

I kept an eye on the vast area to the south where the thick cu's were forming. They were far enough away that I couldn't see their shadows. They did not look dangerous. There seemed to be a limit on how high they went.

I found a nice set of cu's and was able to climb to 9,200' under the dark bottoms. They were still pretty small. I continued to stay northwest of the course line.

The wind changed from lighter northeast to stronger east northeast. This pushed me further to the west of the course line. I also was following the cu's which were more to the west of the line.

There was a mix of possible landing areas and lots of areas with not such great landing opportunities below. I had already been low so I didn't want to do that again.

Twenty kilometers out from the goal cylinder I chased after some little forming cu's and when those didn't work I flew to the area where I had seen a dust devil when I was a few kilometers to the north. Down to 900' AGL I found that there was good lift under some forming cu's that got me back to 6,000' which was enough to get over a large patch of unlandable area and to goal over a super big cultivated field.

I landed with the areas in shade further to the south but plenty of sunshine where I was. It looks like the task committee called a good task given the conditions.

The thunderstorm did hit Big Spring around 8:30 PM with flash flooding.

2019 Big Spring Nationals

August 12, 2019, 11:37:18 pm CDT

2019 Big Spring Nationals

Air sick

Bobby Bailey|Tom McGowan|US Nationals 2019

We take a bit later launch than originally planned as the pilot meeting drags on a bit so the launch is at 1:30 PM (half an hour before Sunday) and the start window at 2:30 PM. After all the relights on Sunday pilots are a bit reluctant to go right away, but we see the first few sticking so the open class pilots are all off in half an hour.

The cu's do start late with a few at 1:30 but more at 2 PM. Bobby Bailey tows me up and before we get to the end of the taxi way to the south he's bank up and I hang on as best I can. I  go around with him twice and then pin off at 1,700' AGL. I work that thermal with lots of pilots coming over to join me to over 10,000'.

It's still a few minutes before the start window so we mush around in light sink before heading out at 2:30 PM at about 9,400'. The wind is averaging 7 mph out of the south west. Our turnpoint is to the northeast. There is a big turnpoint radius around Fish at eighteen kilometers and then the course goes north to Jayton airfield.

About eight of us start off together high and head up the highway toward Snyder to the east north east. The optimized course line will take us right over town and right over the sport class goal. We climb to 10,600' nineteen kilometers from the edge of the start cylinder at almost 600 fpm.

After that I struggle with weak lift and not getting high for the next fifty kilometers as the wind turns from southwest to south at 16 - 18 mph.. Down to 5,000' I get too hot (too much clothing) and get nauseous. I check to see if it is heat stroke or air sickness, but I'm still sweating so it's air sickness. I keep flying as it is not overwhelming as it has been two other times.

I climb to 9,400' just before Snyder over the airfield that is the sport class goal. East of Snyder the land mass changes from open fields to canyon lands. I have to go cross wind to get to the turnpoint eighteen kilometers from Fish. I find another thermal twenty two kilometers out from Snyder at 400 fpm to 8,500' but then it all gets worse as I continue to fight with the air sickness.

I'm six kilometers north of the optimized course line and  work my way south southeast to get back toward the optimized waypoint on the eighteen kilometer radius turnpoint. I'm soon down to 2,000' AGL working weak lift and drifting to the north away from the optimized turnpoint. I go back south and back up the course line to try again and it doesn't get  any better. I'm over the canyon lands low with a few landing options that present difficult retrieves.

I was three kilometers from the turnpoint but low and not willing to go cross wind across unlandable area to go further east to get the cylinder. Taking lift I climb to over 6,000', still relatively low but now six kilometers from the turnpoint and it's upwind. All the lift I find under the fast moving cu's is weak.

I push again upwind to get under the best looking cu and there is nothing there. I'm drifting away from the turnpoint. There is no reason to continue and I'm ready to land as I feel pretty ill.

I land near a paved road and fortunately I can contact Tom McGowan who has landed near Snyder and is in the retrieve vehicle not far away. I curl up on the ground under my glider not having moved it since I landed and go to sleep. I can't stand up. Tom and Dave Proctor break down the glider for me as I rest in the air conditioned truck.

The field is full of stickers and our shoes are covered with them.

2019 Big Spring Nationals

August 12, 2019, 10:51:26 pm CDT

2019 Big Spring Nationals

Down and cross wind almost 100 miles

Chris Zimmerman|competition|Davis Straub|Erick Salgado|Gary Anderson|Greg Chastain|Kevin Carter|Roger Irby|US Nationals 2019|Wills Wing T3|Willy Dydo

https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/results

Task 2:

  Name Nat Glider Time Total
1 Erick Salgado MEX Moyes RX 5 Pro 02:39:00 974
2 Nathan Wreyford USA Wills Wing T2C 144 02:38:26 935
3 Rodolfo Gotes MEX Wills Wing T3 144 02:44:49 917
4 Willy Dydo USA Wills Wing T2C 136 02:44:17 901
5 Vic Hare AUS Wills Wing T3 144 03:00:00 783
6 Bruce Barmakian USA Aeros Combat 12.7 03:00:11 779
7 Kevin Carter USA Wills Wing T3 144 03:36:29 599

Cumulative:

# Name Nat Glider Total
1 Willy Dydo USA Wills Wing T2C 136 1824
2 Erick Salgado MEX Moyes RX 5 Pro 1700
3 Rodolfo Gotes MEX Wills Wing T3 144 1581
4 Vic Hare AUS Wills Wing T3 144 1559
5 Nathan Wreyford USA Wills Wing T2C 144 1525
6 Kevin Carter USA Wills Wing T3 1478
7 Bruce Barmakian USA Aeros Combat 12.7 1436
8 Davis Straub USA Wills Wing T3 144 1103
9 Roger Irby USA Wills Wing T2C 154 1039
10 Gary Anderson USA Wills Wing T2C 144 732

Sport Class:

Twelve out of fourteen made goal at 75.6 km with Max Conde winning the day.

Max Conde is in the lead overall with Jose Sandoval in second. Two Guatemalans.

Swift Class:

Chris Zimmerman and Greg Chastain. They are doing out and return tasks as they don't have a driver.

Greg has won both days.

2019 Big Spring Nationals

Mon, Aug 12 2019, 6:23:37 am MDT

Sport Class to La Mesa

competition|US Nationals 2019

Four out of fourteen pilots made it in Sport Class seventy kilometers to the goal at the La Mesa airfield.

https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/results

Jose Sandoval, Ric Caylor, Max Conde, and John Irlbeck.

2019 Big Spring Nationals

August 12, 2019, 6:19:07 MDT

2019 Big Spring Nationals

We glide on up to Brownfield

Blue Sky|competition|Davis Straub|dust devil|Erick Salgado|Kevin Carter|Roger Irby|US Nationals 2019|Wills Wing T3|Willy Dydo

https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/results

https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/results/task4325/day/open-class

Task 1:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Willy Dydo Wills Wing T2C 136 02:33:51 921
2 Kevin Carter Wills Wing T3 02:26:25 877
3 Vic Hare Wills Wing T3 144 02:35:14 772
4 Erick Salgado Moyes RX 5 Pro 02:56:44 721
5 Roger Irby Wills Wing T2C 154 02:49:29 682
6 Davis Straub Wills Wing T2C 144 03:03:35 662
7 Rodolfo Gotes Wills Wing T3 144 03:07:10 659
8 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat 12.7 03:08:43 651
9 Nathan Wreyford Wills Wing T2C 144 03:09:12 583

14 to 18 mph south southeast wind. A few cu's. The dry line was clearly visible to the west. Top of lift/cloudbase around 11,000'. A 2 PM launch and 3 PM start to get the better part of the day.

Mick Howard towed me three kilometers south toward the nearest cu due south of the taxi way. The area to the west of launch has proven to be a poor area for lift so I was happy to avoid it. The cu's had been popping since about 1:30 PM (half an hour before launch) on our east side, but we are restricted from going there because it crosses the main runway.

After I pinned off it was a continuous climb from about 4,000' (1,700' AGL) to almost 9,000' drifting seven kilometers to the north northwest in a 15 mph south southeast wind. The start cylinder had a six kilometer radius so given that Mick had towed me way to the south I had no issues staying inside it for the second start time.

North of the airport the cu's were mostly off to the east of the course line about ten kilometers and the first turnpoint was at the La Mesa airfield to the north northwest. While it was all blue ahead I headed in the direction of the turnpoint about five kilometers east of the optimized course line. The start cylinder is centered on a point five kilometers west of the Big Spring airport.

Despite the blue sky there was lift where there were no cu's. I even took a thermal over a gas flare of which there are many (not like years ago north of Big Spring). I was able to hook up with a sweet dust devil north of Ackerly averaging 460 fpm and called Dave Proctor over to join me.

There were towering cu's off to the west quite far aways, but just little wisps along our route. There were some haze domes north of La Mesa which marked 400 fpm lift and I could see ahead a large area of green cotton fields that indicated weaker lift.

I had to search around just south of the cotton fields to find 270 fpm. Bruce, Erick, and Dave came in under me as we all had the idea to get high here before venturing out into the less promising area. I couldn't get any one to go so I headed off by myself (which had been ture for all the flight so far) and it was thirteen kilometers before I found 200 fpm at less than 2,000' AGL (the land elevation was rising).

Kevin and Erick came in under me and we climbed back to 8,000' (5,000' AGL). Kevin had taken the clock after me and Erick the one before me. I couldn't get Kevin to leave so again I headed out on my own as we drifted close to the turnpoint at T-Bar.

There were cu's to the northwest which I had decided to go to before the turnpoint. It was all blue and cross wind to the goal to the west northwest at Brownfield airfield.

I misjudged the distance to the cu's and that took me north and downwind of the course line. Then, when I got to the cu's, they didn't work so I had to go hunting for lift in the blue anyway. I ended up twelve kilometers downwind of the course line working lift to get as high as possible to give me a chance to beat back upwind.

I worked to over 9,600' at 280 fpm and headed southwest knowing that it would take a bit more lift to make it in. Fortunately it was there eight kilometers out and I was able to make it in with plenty of altitude despite the 18 mph head wind.

Kevin went into the blue after the T-bar turnpoint and found lift along the course line going into goal. Willy Dydo took the first clock and grabbed all the extra points getting to goal twenty three minutes before Kevin.

2019 Big Spring Nationals

August 10, 2019, 11:00:10 pm CDT

2019 Big Spring Nationals

The Welcome Dinner

Gary Osoba|US Nationals 2019

Photo by Gary Osoba.

2019 Big Spring Nationals

August 5, 2019, 5:13:50 pm MDT

2019 Big Spring Nationals

It begins this weekend

US Nationals 2019

https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/blog

https://www.livetrack360.com/livetracking/

https://lt.flymaster.net/

Get ready for following the 2019 Big Spring Nationals.

We'll put up the link to Flymaster Live Tracking this weekend when we set things up.

2019 Worlds »

July 15, 2019, 8:02:09 MDT

2019 Worlds

Who's not coming to the competition?

Attila Bertok|CIVL|Corinna Schwiegershausen|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Worlds 2019

https://airtribune.com/22nd-fai-world-hg-championship/pilots

http://civlrankings.fai.org/?a=326&ladder_id=1&

Petr Benes, current world champion and ranked number 1,

Jonny Durand, Jr., ranked number 3,

Attila Bertok, former world champion, ranked 14th,

Oliver Chitty, ranked number 7,

Corinna Schwiegerhausen from the German National team,

Seven of the top ten NTSS ranked US pilots,

The Australian team:

2019 Big Spring Nationals is on

Tue, Jul 2 2019, 6:57:01 am MDT

We've got enough pilots to keep the loses under control

Belinda Boulter|CIVL|US Nationals 2019

The tee-shirts are going to be donated. Belinda has come up with trophies. The CIVL costs will not be as high as we thought. We still will suffer substantial losses.

https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/pilots

We look forward to having a great competition in Big Spring.

2019 Big Spring Nationals

June 20, 2019, 10:22:39 MDT

2019 Big Spring Nationals

Get confirmed by July 1st

Gregg "Kim" Ludwig|US Nationals 2019|Wilotree Park

I wrote to pilots:

We are very much looking forward to the Big Spring Nationals in August. We trust that you are also. It’s great that this year it will also be the test competition for the 2020 Pan-American Championships.

As you know we have to bring everything to Big Spring to run a championship. This includes the Dragonflies from Wilotree Park. Gregg Ludwig will already have his trike in Texas, even though he now lives in Florida.

As you can no doubt see from the aerotow fee, this is an expensive proposition and we need to know well in advance of the competition how many pilots are coming this year. As we have informed almost all of you previously, your status in the pilot registration needs to be marked “confirmed” in order for you to reserve a spot in the competition. The number of pilots with “confirmed” status will determine the number of tugs that we will have at Big Spring.

For example, if we have 50 “confirmed” pilots we will have a total of 5 tugs at Big Spring. We currently have 53 pilots registered and 13 “confirmed” pilots. You can see the pilot list here: https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/pilots.

The number of spots reserved on July 1st will determine how many tugs we will have at Big Spring. If we have only 13 pilots “confirmed,” as is the case now, Gregg might be the only tug pilot there.

So to make this competition a success we need your cooperation. If you are coming to the 2019 Big Spring Nationals you need to take the steps necessary to become “confirmed.” They are as follows, and as found here: https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/info/details__info:

1) Pay $250 entry fee here: http://ozreport.com/2019BigSpringpay.php

2) Sign waivers and medical information form: http://ozreport.com/onlinewaivers.php or: http://ozreport.com/waivers.php

Pilots not confirmed by July 1st will be so noted and only if there are spots available will they be allowed to enter the competition. Again, the number of spots available will be determined by the number of tugs that we have available at Big Spring and therefore by the number of pilots “confirmed” on July 1st..

If you are registered, but not coming to Big Spring we would very much appreciate hearing from you also so that we can delete your entry from the pilot list. In this case please email Davis at <davis> saying that you won’t be coming.

If everything goes to hell in a hand basket (i.e. the meet is canceled), you will receive a 100% refund.

Again, looking forward to having a great time as always in Big Spring. Hope to see you there.

Moyes in China

June 11, 2019, 7:11:15 MDT

Moyes in China

Pete and Jonny in goal

Facebook|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|Pete Lehmann

Pete Lehmann as the day winner writes our task report:

The first task day at Guyuan had excellent conditions, but stronger than forecast winds aloft made for a much tougher task than had been anticipated with only two making goal. The task was a 56km out'n'back to the west, but the 20-25 kph crosswind and some big blue holes made it difficult.

Only two pilots made goal, Jonny Durand was predictably first and fastest (circa two hours) flying a lower, riskier route than Pete Lehmann(circa 2:45) who flew in the cautious, higher, and slower mode appropriate to his advanced years.

At one point Jonny found himself down well below 700ft agl over a hill infested with windmills to add drama to the occasion. Overall, climbs had been quite good, and cloudbase was at 12,400 msl (7,700 agl) with reliable clouds. Fun day.

Competition in China

June 10, 2019, 6:42:05 MDT

Competition in China

Vicki and Moyes are back for year two

Facebook|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Vicki Cain|weather

Vicki Cain writes:

We’re back in China for the 2nd annual Moyes China Comp 2019. Saturday, the practice day was blown out and today we have waited for the winds to ease with everyone in the air for afternoon flights. We have three Aussies, Jonny Durand, Richard Hughes, and Scott Ireland , two pilots from Korea, Jungdae Lee and Jonhwan Kim and Pete Lehman from the USA along with fifteen local pilots. The weather is shaping up for a fantastic week ahead.

https://www.facebook.com/vicki.cain.1/posts/10216762549670564

2019 Nationals - week 1 long task

Mon, May 13 2019, 7:24:37 am MDT

Replay is now working.

US Nationals 2019

https://airtribune.com/play/3982/2d

https://OzReport.com/23.94#0

The cloud street is to the left (west) of the course line. Andrew Hollidge has found a wisp along the course line marking lift and keeping him on track to make the last turnpoint.

Carter and Gotes also stay along the course line and get high enough to make it into goal.

https://airtribune.com/2019-quest-air-nationals-week-1/blog__day_5

The top ten in the World

May 6, 2019, 7:36:38 EDT

The top ten in the World

As of May 5th.

Alessandro "Alex" Ploner|Attila Bertok|Christian Ciech|CIVL|Filippo Oppici|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Quest Air|Steve Blenkinsop|Thomas Weissenberger

Rank Name Nation Points Rank/Ranking-points/Competition
1
 
Petr Benes
CIVL ID: 9764
 Czech Republic 339.1 3 97.8 2018 Hang Gliding Pre Worlds
7 88.4 20th FAI European Hang Gliding Class 1 Championship
4 78.8 Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championships 2019 Class 1
2 74.1 Spring Meeting - Friuli Venezia Giulia Trophy 2018 - Italian Open Class 1
 
2
 
Christian Ciech
CIVL ID: 6034
 Italy 317.0 4 96.1 2018 Hang Gliding Pre Worlds
6 90.4 20th FAI European Hang Gliding Class 1 Championship
1 75.5 Spring Meeting - Friuli Venezia Giulia Trophy 2018 - Italian Open Class 1
4 55.0 XXXI Valerio Albrizio Trophy Class 1
 
3
 
Jonny Durand Jnr
CIVL ID: 2231
 Australia 310.4 1 89.5 Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championships 2019 Class 1
12 78.7 20th FAI European Hang Gliding Class 1 Championship
18 73.8 2018 Hang Gliding Pre Worlds
1 68.4 2019 Quest Air Nationals (week 1) (pre-Worlds) Class 1
 
4
 
Oliver Chitty
CIVL ID: 39469
 United Kingdom 290.6 9 84.5 20th FAI European Hang Gliding Class 1 Championship
2 70.8 Dalby Big Air 2018 HG Class 1
1 68.9 2018 Canungra Classic Hang Gliding Competition Class 1
2 66.4 2018 UK Hang Gliding Nationals and Chabre Open Class 1
 
5
 
Alessandro Ploner
CIVL ID: 5724
 Italy 289.4 1 100.7 20th FAI European Hang Gliding Class 1 Championship
3 72.6 Spring Meeting - Friuli Venezia Giulia Trophy 2018 - Italian Open Class 1
2 60.7 XXXI Valerio Albrizio Trophy Class 1
1 55.4 Monte Cucco International Trophy 2018 Class 1
 
6
 
Thomas Weissenberger
CIVL ID: 7819
 Austria 288.0 7 91.1 2018 Hang Gliding Pre Worlds
8 86.4 20th FAI European Hang Gliding Class 1 Championship
3 57.8 XXXI Valerio Albrizio Trophy Class 1
2 52.7 Monte Cucco International Trophy 2018 Class 1
 
7
 
Filippo Oppici
CIVL ID: 6295
 Italy 283.7 4 94.5 20th FAI European Hang Gliding Class 1 Championship
1 72.8 HG Brazil Open 2019 Round 1 Valadares
6 72.1 Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championships 2019 Class 1
8 44.3 XXXI Valerio Albrizio Trophy Class 1
 
8
 
Attila Bertok
CIVL ID: 5885
 Hungary 275.5 2 85.9 Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championships 2019 Class 1
1 72.9 Dalby Big Air 2018 HG Class 1
3 61.4 2018 Canungra Classic Hang Gliding Competition Class 1
4 55.3 2018 Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championships - Class 1
 
9
 
Dan Vyhnalik
CIVL ID: 6089
 Czech Republic 274.6 10 86.2 2018 Hang Gliding Pre Worlds
10 82.5 20th FAI European Hang Gliding Class 1 Championship
4 71.2 Spring Meeting - Friuli Venezia Giulia Trophy 2018 - Italian Open Class 1
2 34.7 Low Tatras Cup 2018
 
10
 
Steve Blenkinsop
CIVL ID: 7701
 Australia 272.4 16 76.8 2018 Hang Gliding Pre Worlds
1 69.2 Dalby Big Air 2019 Class 1
7 68.8 Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championships 2019 Class 1
24 57.6 20th FAI European Hang Gliding Class 1 Championship
 

2019 Big Spring Nationals and pre-Pan-Americans

Fri, May 3 2019, 8:04:56 am EDT

Get ready for the big fat air

Pre-Pan-Americans 2019|US Nationals 2019

https://airtribune.com/2019-big-spring-nationals/info/details__info

This is a unique opportunity. This is the test event for the first Pan-American Championships (Class 1 open class). We are looking for pilots from Central and South American to join us and get a taste of that Big Spring air.

2019 Nationals

April 30, 2019, 9:38:36 EDT

2019 Nationals

Some of those who came to help run the competition

Facebook|US Nationals 2019

2019 Nationals (week 2)

April 28, 2019, 3:25:20 pm EDT

2019 Nationals (week 2)

Results for day 7, task 6

Bruce Barmakian|competition|Corinna Schwiegershausen|Davis Straub|John Simon|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Phill Bloom|Raul Guerra|Tim Delaney|US Nationals 2019|Wills Wing T3|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/2019-quest-air-nationals-week-2/results

Task 6:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 03:00:56 993
2 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 03:00:36 989
3 Pedro L. Garcia Wills Wing T3 144 03:01:12 987
4 Nene Rotor Wills Wing T3 144 03:01:13 985
5 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 03:02:08 971
6 Akira Nagusa Wills Wing T23144 03:01:58 970
7 Marcelo Alexandre Menin Wills Wing T2C 154 03:02:28 969
8 Corinna Schwiegershausen Moyes RX 3 Pro 03:04:59 945
9 Giovani Tagliari Wills Wing T2C 154 03:05:28 943
10 Raul Guerra Aeros Combat C 12.7 03:47:06 758

Final:

# Name Glider Total
1 Nene Rotor Wills Wing T3 144 5614
2 Pedro L. Garcia Wills Wing T3 144 5426
3 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 5266
4 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 5153
5 Marcelo Alexandre Menin Wills Wing T2C 154 5005
6 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 4827
7 Kevin Dutt Aeros Combat 13.5 4635
8 Akira Nagusa Wills Wing T23144 4620
9 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 4430
10 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat 12.7 4242
11 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 3956
12 Corinna Schwiegershausen Moyes RX 3 Pro 3911
13 Guilherme Sandoli WillsWing T2C 136 3875
14 Patrick Pannese Wills Wing T3 144 3770
15 Raul Guerra Aeros Combat C 12.7 3747

Sport Task 6:

# Name Glider Distance Total
1 Knut Ryerson Aeros Discus C 48.36 900
2 Mitch Sorby Wills Wing U2 145 44.29 847
3 Rod Regier Moyes Litesport 4 42.30 813
4 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 26.41 528
5 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 22.35 475
6 Richard Milla Wills Wing U2 145 19.75 431
7 Attila Plasch Moyes Litesport 4 16.77 369
8 Danilo Lohse De Stefani Wills Wing U2 160 5.00 116
8 Phil Siscoe Wills Wing U2 5.00 116
8 Richard Caylor Moyes Gecko 170 5.00 116

Final:

# Name Glider Total
1 Rod Regier Moyes Litesport 4 4531
2 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 4217
3 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 3462
4 Richard Milla Wills Wing U2 145 3063
5 Mitch Sorby Wills Wing U2 145 2987
6 Knut Ryerson Aeros Discus C 2716
7 Richard Caylor Moyes Gecko 170 2226
8 Ken Millard Moyes Gecko 155 1541
9 Danilo Lohse De Stefani Wills Wing U2 160 1490
10 Attila Plasch Moyes Litesport 4 1287
11 Phil Siscoe Wills Wing U2 625

2019 Nationals (week 2)

April 28, 2019, 3:23:51 pm EDT

2019 Nationals (week 2)

The last day

Jeff Chipman|PG|US Nationals 2019|weather|Wilotree Park

The forecast:

https://ozreport.com/seweather.php

Saturday

Sunny, with a high near 85. North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Surface winds 8 mph decreasing to 5 mph east northeast.

HRRR 3, 2 PM:

Updraft velocity: 600 fpm
TOL: 5,000’
Wind TOUL: 8 mph, east northeast
B/S: 9.8
Surface winds 5 mph east northeast
Cu’s unlikely.

The task:

No Leg Dist. Id Radius
1 0.0 km QUEST 400 m
2 SS 4.6 km QUEST 5000 m
3 35.1 km GROSS 3000 m
4 53.4 km CENTER 400 m
5 68.1 km CENTER 15000 m
6 82.7 km CENTER 400 m
7 ES 101.9 km QUEST 400 m

A 15 kilometer exit circle around Center Hill.

The flight on-line: https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:davisstraub/27.4.2019/17:30

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/ranking-hg-national:US

http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/2257915

http://wxc.fai.org/module.php?id=22&date=20190428&gliderclass=hg1

The narrative:

The idea is that we would fly west to get away from the lake effect with the northeast wind to the 3 km turnpoint around the Gross airfield. Then back east to Center Hill against the east wind. There is a 15 km exit cylinder around Center Hill so you have to get anywhere outside it to get this next waypoint, then back to Center Hill before heading back to Wilotree Park.

Again pilots were reluctant to launch until they saw a few pilots in the air, and some of the pilots did launch in their original order. When the launch organizer when around again calling upon us to launch, we all launched in our order.

The lift was indeed suppressed by the lake effect and I didn't find anything at first. Then I drifted down wind to the Mickey Mouse lake and with the help of the "locals" skimming over the lake, I found 200 fpm that took me to over 4,300'. And then after every one joined me we went over and found another thermal to 4,300', but this was 8 minutes before the start window opened and with a 7 mph east southeast wind.

Unfortunately I lost a bunch of altitude when this thermal gave out and was down to 2,800' at the start which put me in a bit of a deficit. Others had managed to stay near 4,000'.

Managed to find 200 fpm over Mascotte and was soon back to 4,200'. I could see the lead gaggle ahead and we found reasonable lift going west toward the Gross airfield, at one point averaging over 300 fpm, and getting to over 4,000' so even though I was behind things looked good.

Three kilometers from the Gross turnpoint I came over the lead gaggle. I found the better lift and they all came in under me. I was back in the game.

As I was on top I lead out to the turnpoint, but instead of heading to the east north east headed back toward where we were previously climbing. This turned out to be an error as the guys that were below me were now above me climbing up over a small fire that was now to my north. I quickly got over there but now I was on the bottom instead of on the top. It took a while to center the smoke thermal from 1,800' but I was finally in the 300 fpm core to 3,900'.

South of Bushnell I climbed to 3,800' but only at a little over 200 fpm. I hadn't caught up with the lead guys yet. I saw a few pilots further north higher and turning but didn't go to them thinking that I would find lift to the east toward Center Hill That was my second mistake.

The lift along the east/west highway going to Center Hill was very weak. The first three thermals: 140 fpm, then 50 fpm, then minus 22 fpm. Leaving the last non-lift at 1,600' I thought for sure that we were going down. At 600' AGL as I looked at fields to the north for landing opportunities as we were over intensively farmed nurseries, we found 225 fpm that took us to 3,800' drifting back at 5 mph.

This made it possible to find lift to 3,100' at 284 fpm just before Center Hill. I headed northeast and found 100 fpm then 180 fpm over a very small fire which got me to 3,600' over the forested area on its southeast corner. A kilometer further north Jeff Chipman and I had the help of two bald eagles as we climbed to 4,300' at 250 fpm.

I went further north past the Florida Turnpike to get past the edge of the 15 kilometer exit cylinder. The wind was 5 mph due east. Coming back from outside the cylinder around Center Hill I started at 2,400'.

Down to 1,700' I found 240 fpm just east of the prison. As I drifted over the prison I climbed to 3,900'. I hoped that they didn't think that I was going to drop anything.

Heading south directly across the center of the forest I found a couple of thermals to get me to the south side, north of Center Hill. There I found 190 fpm to 3,900' at 5:49 PM. After that it was a 12:1 glide for 11 kilometers into a 6 mph head wind to one of the most beautiful and friendly landing fields near us, but 4 kilometers short of the chicken coops where I hoped to get back up.

Raul would land at goal about 5 minutes after as the last one to make goal.

2019 Nationals (week 2)

April 26, 2019, 10:14:14 EDT

2019 Nationals (week 2)

Rain day, winds later

US Nationals 2019

2019 Nationals (week 2)

April 25, 2019, 11:07:51 pm EDT

2019 Nationals (week 2)

We don't go down wind

Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Larry Bunner|PG|US Nationals 2019|weather

The forecast:

https://ozreport.com/seweather.php

Thursday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Surface wind 5 mph, southeast

HRRR 3, 2 PM:

Updraft velocity: 680 fpm
TOL: 6,000’
Wind TOUL: 10 mph, south southwest
B/S: 10
Surface winds 3 mph south southeast
A good chance of cu’s.

The task:

No Leg Dist. Id Radius
1 0.0 km QUEST 400 m
2 SS 4.6 km QUEST 5000 m
3 10.7 km GATORS 400 m
4 31.7 km BARON 4000 m
5 47.5 km PANOLK 3000 m
6 63.4 km KOKEE 3000 m
7 ES 91.5 km QUEST 400 m

The flight on-line: https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:davisstraub/25.4.2019/17:27

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/ranking-hg-national:US

http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/2255949

http://wxc.fai.org/module.php?id=22&date=20190426&gliderclass=hg1

The narrative:

There are no cu's in the nearby area so the first pilots (including me at number 3) naturally decline to launch and go to the end of the queue. About half the pilots do this, so we quickly start the second round. We find plenty of lift and climb out slowly while drifting to the north toward the first turnpoint at Gator field.

Our drift in the 12 mph south wind and climb rate (weak) are perfectly timed so that we reach the edge of the start cylinder at our highest altitude (4,500') just as the window opens for the first start at 2PM. Jonny and Jon Simon start with us, but go back later. Kevin Dutt is with us. Nine pilots take the first clock.

Gator field is a short distance away so we quickly get there then head northwest up the Florida Turnpike. I get south of the Turnpike to get to the wispy cu's and climb out at over 200 fpm to 4,800'. I saw Kevin, Patrick and Konstantin higher and in front of me further down wind to the north (the wind is now 13 mph out of the south), but I feel that I can catch them by getting to the cu's and climbing faster.

I keep finding good lift under the cu's along the turnpike and sure enough I run into those pilots ahead of me at the turnpoint at Baron and we climb out fast to cloudbase at 5,800'. We let Chippy and Kevin go out in front.

I wanted to get as high as possible because the next leg looks difficult. It's a straight cross wind leg. It's unclear where we are going to find the lift despite the presence of cu's. Sure enough I get down to 1,900' before I find a little something west of the prisons.

Patrick goes a bit further west and finds better lift. I come over him and climb out to 4,300' while he loses the lift for a while. He fortunately comes back down wind to find it again but I leave him low by the turnpike. The 7 mph wind out of the south southwest pushes us way to the north.

The pilots who took the second clock have almost caught up with us and they are further upwind having found lift near the prisons, which we did not find.

It's an up and back struggle to take the next turnpoint at the grass air strip southwest of Lake Panasofkee and to get away from it to head south southwest to the turnpoint at Kokee. There are plenty of cu's ahead and as soon as I get away from the lake I find strong lift, at one point averaging almost 500 fpm to 5,000'.

That height gets me to 2,500' 3 kilometers north northeast of he turnpoint. I circle there a few times with Jonny in negative 110 and then leave as I can't figure out why we are doing this. I head for the turnpoint while Glen turns back upwind to get up at Bushnell.

I get lucky. Down to 1,100' AGL I tag the turnpoint and then find a thermal which at 250 fpm takes me to 4,400'. This puts me ahead of all the nearby pilots. I head out with Larry Bunner, who took the second clock, nearby.

After an 8 kilometer glide and down to 2,100' I decide to turn back to get under a better looking cu. Larry comes in under me. I climb to 3,800' at almost 200 fpm with Larry right below me. Five or six pilots who were just behind us come in under us as we climb up.

We lead out and find three more thermals for the following pilots, being their guiding lights ahead. The last one just south of the nursery on highway 50 takes me to 3,600'with a 9.5 kilometer glide to goal. With a 4 mph cross wind it is an easy final glide as I lead them all into goal.

2019 Nationals (week 2)

April 25, 2019, 10:20:58 pm EDT

2019 Nationals (week 2)

Preliminary Results for day 5, task 5 (Kevin Dutt not scored yet)

Bruce Barmakian|competition|Corinna Schwiegershausen|Davis Straub|Glen Volk|John Simon|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Larry Bunner|Phill Bloom|Raul Guerra|Tim Delaney|US Nationals 2019|Wills Wing T3|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/2019-quest-air-nationals-week-2/results

Task 5:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 02:28:56 987
2 Alvaro Figueiredo Sandoli Wills Wing T3 144 02:29:51 968
3 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 02:30:59 953
4 Pedro L. Garcia Wills Wing T3 144 02:43:59 845
5 Marcelo Alexandre Menin Wills Wing T2C 154 02:44:41 839
6 Akira Nagusa Wills Wing T23144 02:51:41 798
7 Raul Guerra Aeros Combat C 12.7 03:09:40 709
8 Corinna Schwiegershausen Moyes RX 3 Pro 03:21:44 647
9 Wolfgang Siess Wills Wing T3 154 03:23:50 641
10 Larry Bunner Wills Wing T2C144 03:20:34 636
11 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 03:39:55 631

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Alvaro Figueiredo Sandoli Wills Wing T3 144 4634
2 Pedro L. Garcia Wills Wing T3 144 4445
3 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 4283
4 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 4121
5 Marcelo Alexandre Menin Wills Wing T2C 154 4042
6 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3978
7 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 3861
8 Akira Nagusa Wills Wing T23144 3655
9 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat 12.7 3641
10 Kevin Dutt Aeros Combat 13.5 3631
11 Guilherme Sandoli WillsWing T2C 136 3415
12 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 3393
13 Glen Volk Moyes RX 3.5 3364
14 Philippe Michaud Wills Wing T2C 144 3236
15 Patrick Pannese Wills Wing T3 144 3227

Sport task:

Name Glider Time Distance Total
1 Rod Regier Moyes Litesport 4 02:23:18 51.30 1000
2 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 31.46 615
3 Mitch Sorby Wills Wing U2 145 28.50 584
4 Richard Milla Wills Wing U2 145 26.15 552
5 Richard Caylor Moyes Gecko 170 24.28 522
6 Knut Ryerson Aeros Discus C 19.19 422
7 Attila Plasch Moyes Litesport 4 17.67 388
8 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 17.38 381
9 Danilo Lohse De Stefani Wills Wing U2 160 7.53 155
10 Phil Siscoe Wills Wing U2 5.00 105
10 Ken Millard Moyes Gecko 155 5.00 105

Sport cumulative:

Name Glider Total
1 Rod Regier Moyes Litesport 4 3718
2 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 3689
3 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 2987
4 Richard Milla Wills Wing U2 145 2632
5 Mitch Sorby Wills Wing U2 145 2140
6 Richard Caylor Moyes Gecko 170 2110
7 Knut Ryerson Aeros Discus C 1816
8 Ken Millard Moyes Gecko 155 1541
9 Danilo Lohse De Stefani Wills Wing U2 160 1374
10 Attila Plasch Moyes Litesport 4 918
11 Phil Siscoe Wills Wing U2 509

2019 Nationals (week 2)

April 25, 2019, 7:58:08 EDT

2019 Nationals (week 2)

Results for day 4, task 4

Bruce Barmakian|competition|Jeff Chipman|John Simon|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Phill Bloom|Tim Delaney|US Nationals 2019|Wills Wing T3|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/2019-quest-air-nationals-week-2/results

Task 4:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 02:43:32 987
2 Marcelo Alexandre Menin Wills Wing T2C 154 02:47:40 922
3 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 02:51:00 917
4 Philippe Michaud Wills Wing T2C 144 02:47:56 915
5 Alvaro Figueiredo Sandoli Wills Wing T3 144 02:51:18 912
6 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat 12.7 02:51:02 882
7 Jeff Chipman Moyes RX 3.5 02:53:35 863
8 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 02:56:40 847
9 Wolfgang Siess Wills Wing T3 154 03:03:09 804
10 Kevin Dutt Aeros Combat 13.5 03:11:24 801

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Alvaro Figueiredo Sandoli Wills Wing T3 144 3666
2 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 3647
3 Kevin Dutt Aeros Combat 13.5 3631
4 Pedro L. Garcia Wills Wing T3 144 3600
5 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 Pro 3360
6 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 3296
7 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat 12.7 3276
8 Guilherme Sandoli WillsWing T2C 136 3207
9 Marcelo Alexandre Menin Wills Wing T2C 154 3203
10 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 2908

Sport task 4:

# Name Glider Time Distance Total
1 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 01:34:28 38.23 1000
2 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 01:35:11 38.23 979
3 Rod Regier Moyes Litesport 4 01:38:31 38.23 934
4 Ken Millard Moyes Gecko 155 35.24 518
5 Knut Ryerson Aeros Discus C 27.66 441
6 Richard Milla Wills Wing U2 145 26.35 424
7 Richard Caylor Moyes Gecko 170 25.02 402
8 Danilo Lohse De Stefani Wills Wing U2 160 11.06 156
9 Mitch Sorby Wills Wing U2 145 5.38 87
10 Attila Plasch Moyes Litesport 4 5.00 83

Sport Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 3074
2 Rod Regier Moyes Litesport 4 2718
3 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 2606
4 Richard Milla Wills Wing U2 145 2080
5 Richard Caylor Moyes Gecko 170 1588
6 Mitch Sorby Wills Wing U2 145 1556
7 Ken Millard Moyes Gecko 155 1436
8 Knut Ryerson Aeros Discus C 1394
9 Danilo Lohse De Stefani Wills Wing U2 160 1219
10 Attila Plasch Moyes Litesport 4 530

2019 Nationals (week 2)

April 25, 2019, 0:20:37 EDT

2019 Nationals (week 2)

Counter clockwise around the Green Swamp

Belinda Boulter|Bruce Barmakian|PG|Steven "Steve" Pearson|US Nationals 2019|weather|Wilotree Park|Zac Majors

The forecast:

https://ozreport.com/seweather.php

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Surface wind 5 mph, southeast

HRRR 3, 2 PM:

Updraft velocity: 660 fpm
TOL: 5,600’
Wind TOUL: 6 mph, east
B/S: 10
Surface winds 2 mph south
A chance of cu’s.

The task:

No Leg Dist. Id Radius
1 0.0 km QUEST 400 m
2 SS 4.6 km QUEST 5000 m
3 11.7 km T50469 1000 m
4 28.2 km KOKEE 3000 m
5 45.7 km DIARIA 5000 m
6 67.3 km T98471 1000 m
7 78.6 km FAMISH 2000 m
8 93.5 km T47433 1000 m
9 ES 110.1 km QUEST 400 m

The replay: https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=2696#

The flight on-line: http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/2255169

http://wxc.fai.org/module.php?id=22&date=20190417&gliderclass=hg1

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:davisstraub/24.4.2019/17:39

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/ranking-hg-national:US

The narrative:

Steve Pearson, Zac Majors and Wolfgang Seiss let me borrow the Wills Wing TIII that is here at Wilotree Park and in Wills inventory. So I'm back on the TIII.

After the pilot meeting I go over across the runway to setup the glider. This keeps me from hearing that the task has changed slightly. A waypoint is added at Famish. The meet director, Belinda, forgets to call another pilot meeting at the launch site, forgets to tell the volunteers working the line to mention the task change to pilots, and doesn't have the safety committee review the task change that was made because of pilot input for safety reasons (which were bogus).

She does call a pilot meeting at the normal location but at least three of us are far away near launch and don't hear the whistle. She brings over the amended task board to the launch, but we don't see it. She doesn't even mention it to me. The small blank task board is not used to highlight the task change in the line.

Many of the pilots skip their launch spot given what happened the day before with so many relaunches. There are no cu's in the sky, but Larry thinks that they will show up (he's right).

We go through the list again and with evidence of good lift we all get pulled up. Numerous gaggles form with the lift working and soon a bunch of us head to the edge of the start cylinder as it's only a few minutes before the first start time. We hang in weak lift near the top of the lift at 4,000'.

Ten or so of us head out but don't go very far before turning in more weak lift. I can tell right away that this group is going to turn back and take the next start gate. We come back from 2 km out with 5 minutes to spare and take the 2:20 PM clock.

We're racing west along the north edge of the Green Swamp. The lift varies from 85 fpm to 300 fpm. Mostly it is less than 200 fpm. Pilots are jumping from gaggle to gaggle.

We've got a 3 km turnpoint cylinder at the northwestern edge of the Green Swamp. After finding 300 fpm on the northeastern edge we again find 300 fpm on the northwestern side and climb to 4,400'. It's after 3 PM. We find the first cu's, which then populate the western edge of the Green Swamp.

The lift gets good. We head south and find 300 fpm, 300 fpm, 400 fpm, 300 fpm and 450 fpm in the next thermals to over 5,500', not quite cloudbase. Larry Bunner and I are working with each other to make sure that we find the best lift.

Larry and I head south to the cu's west of the turnpoint at the bottom of the Green Swamp. Those pilots who took the more direct route are down below us as we get nearer the turnpoint at 471 and 98.

Larry and I climb out at 350 fpm to 5,400' under the sweet looking cu's that we come to expect when we do the Green Swamp task. There are more in front of us and we are able to take advantage of them.

I'm cruising along at 5,500' over the Green Swamp when Larry comes back at me from the south and asks if I got the turnpoint at Famish. This is the first I've hear of it. He had just gone to the south to get the turnpoint. I'm quickly fiddling with my instruments to see how far away the two kilometer cylinder around Famish is. I get within less than a kilometer of Famish itself before turning back to parallel the course line.

I head out over the pasture lands, not the forest land toward little wisps. Down to 2,600' I work 190 fpm to 4,400' and then scoot back over the forest to get to 5,000' under some wisps. Based on the latest transmission from Larry who is near the turnpoint 8 kilometers away I should be able to find lift there and can leave at 5,000' to get to it.

Sure enough there is plenty of lift just north the 474 to 5,000' and that makes the glide into goal easy.

Controversy erupts when Belinda comes up with a way to score the day with a bonus for those pilots who made the Famish turnpoint. Only Bruce Barmakian and Kevin Dutt didn't.

2019 Nationals (week 2)

April 23, 2019, 10:49:16 pm EDT

2019 Nationals (week 2)

A funny shaped task at 90 km

Flytec 6030|PG|Rob Clarkson|US Nationals 2019|Volirium P1|weather|Wilotree Park

The forecast:

https://ozreport.com/seweather.php

Tuesday

Sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the morning.
Surface wind 6 – 8 mph, east

HRRR 3, 2 PM:
Updraft velocity: 640 fpm
TOL: 5,000’
Wind TOUL: 11 mph, northeast
B/S: 7.2
Surface winds 5 mph east
A slight chance of cu’s.

The task:

  Leg Dist. Id Radius
1 0.0 km QUEST 400 m
2 SS 4.6 km QUEST 5000 m
3 17.0 km T47433 400 m
4 31.5 km WALABY 5000 m
5 53.5 km DSROK 400 m
6 71.5 km T47433 400 m
7 ES 88.4 km QUEST 400 m

The Replay: https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=2696

The flight on-line: http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/2254486

http://wxc.fai.org/module.php?id=22&date=20190417&gliderclass=hg1

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:davisstraub/23.4.2019/19:09

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/ranking-hg-national:US

The narrative:

The wind is out of the east and we're back in the slot at the west end. There are no cu's and with the brisk enough we are probably getting some suppression of the lift from Lake Apopka. But we are not aware of it at first.

I'm 17th to launch and we've already had one pilot land. Tim takes me to the south of the field and I find strong lift, 400 fpm to 4,300'. When it peters out I head north east then east looking for the next thermal.  I don't find anything even in the smoke from the fire to the east. Kevin Dutt is right below me and he turns to go back to Wilotree Park for a landing just as I do.

Unfortunately I take out a down tube on landing, but fortunately David Lopez and Alex Skyride operate as a pit crew and get me back in line for another tow. It's probably been three years since I took out a down tube.

I get back in line but it's time for the sport class launch. Everyone has to wait for them. There is a fifteen minute interval after the end of the open class launch for relights, then pilots have to wait for the sport class to launch. The top three pilots have to wait as they all had to relaunch. There were many relaunches.

It's a long wait, but when we get up we find good lift to the southwest away from Wilotree Park. I climb to 3,800' at 240 fpm and take the fourth clock (out of four) at 3:24 PM (last clock is at 3:15 PM), more than an hour after the first clock. No one is able to take the first clock at 2:15 PM.

I glide 8 kilometers from the edge of the start cylinder down to 900' AGL just north of the Seminole Glider Port where I spot hang glider pilots turning. I climb out at 240 fpm to 4,900'. This makes it easy to get the first turnpoint at the intersection of highway 474 and highway 33.

There are a few pilots around and it is five thermals to get to the Wallaby 5 km turnpoint to the southeast. The first thermal is reasonable strong at 340 fpm to 4,300', but the rest of them are weak, under 300 fpm.

I turn around at the turnpoint to head west to the intersection of Dean Still and Rockridge and find 364 fpm to 4,300' drifting to the west. I can see pilots climbing in the distance and after a 10 kilometer glide get under them and it's 250 fpm to 3,500'.  A little over a kilometer further west I find 280 fpm to 4,500'.

I've got two flight instruments the Flytec 6030 and the Volirium P1. I'm noticing a significant different in the indicated distance to the turnpoint. Finally I figure out that I've put the turnpoint at the intersection of Rockridge and highway 98 in the 6030, but the P1 has DSROK. I know that that is the right  turnpoint and this hasn't caused any delays in my flight. I take the turnpoint at DSROK and manually select the next turnpoint on the 6030.

As I make the turnpoint I head into the headwind. The first thermal averages minus 35 fpm. After eight minutes of waiting to see if it will turn on I head out toward public roads to the east so that I can land with a manageable retrieve.

Down to 600' AGL I spot a pilot turning at just above my altitude a short distance to the north. I come in under him and climb out at 134 fpm drifting back to the west. I top out at 2,400'.

I spot Peter Kelley and Rob Clarkson to my north over edge of the Green Swamp. I race toward them and find lift before I get there. It's 180 fpm to 3,200'. They join me.

We move to the east a couple of kilometers to find 190 fpm to 4,400'. Leaving this lift it's a nine kilometer glide to the turnpoint at 474 and 33. My 6030 user fields go blank so I can't see my glide ratio over the ground among other bits information. It states that the wind direction is south west which is a bit confusing. The actual wind is about 5 mph out of the east.

There was a forecast for a sea breeze from the west late and it is definitely late, eight minutes after 6 PM. The user fields return as I get to the turnpoint. They show a north wind component of 3 mph.

I'm down to 1,400' at the turnpoint and head north along highway 33. There are plenty of open field to land in if needed and it appears to be needed. Peter and Rob are just behind me.

I pick out a huge field that I am familiar with just east of the Seminole glider port. I look around and there appears to be no wind in the field. I come in low at the north end assuming a southwest wind, but I am mistaken. It is in fact north east if light. Suddenly I realize that I'm going to eat up the whole field.

Just before I smack into the fence at the southwest corner I turn but hit the fence on the western side. I'm unhurt but there is enough damage to the glider that I won't be flying that one on Wednesday. First time in over 5,000 flights that I've hit a fence.

2019 Nationals (week 2)

April 23, 2019, 9:25:33 pm EDT

2019 Nationals (week 2)

The preliminary results for day 3, task 3

Bruce Barmakian|competition|Corinna Schwiegershausen|Davis Straub|Fabiano Nahoum|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Konstantin Lukyanov|Phill Bloom|Raul Guerra|Roger Irby|Tim Delaney|US Nationals 2019|Wills Wing T3|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/2019-quest-air-nationals-week-2/results

Task 3:

# Name Glider SS Time Distance Total
1 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 14:35:00 02:40:29 88.43 958
2 Pedro L. Garcia Wills Wing T3 144 14:35:00 02:40:45 88.43 944
2 Alvaro Figueiredo Sandoli Wills Wing T3 144 14:35:00 02:40:46 88.43 944
4 Kevin Dutt Aeros Combat 13.5 15:15:00 02:35:04 88.43 901
5 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 14:35:00 02:56:35 88.43 862
6 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 14:35:00 02:58:54 88.43 852
7 Corinna Schwiegershausen Moyes RX 3 Pro 14:35:00 02:59:28 88.43 846
8 Guilherme Sandoli WillsWing T2C 136 14:35:00 03:15:02 88.43 782
9 Roger Irby Wills Wing T2C 154 14:15:00 03:29:18 88.43 778
10 Konstantin Lukyanov Moyes RX 3.5 14:15:00 81.69 622

Cumulative:

Name Glider Total
1 Kevin Dutt Aeros Combat 13.5 2836
2 Pedro L. Garcia Wills Wing T3 144 2827
3 Alvaro Figueiredo Sandoli Wills Wing T3 144 2758
4 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 2669
5 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 2654
6 Guilherme Sandoli WillsWing T2C 136 2422
7 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat 12.7 2416
8 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 2382
9 Marcelo Alexandre Menin Wills Wing T2C 154 2301
10 Patrick Pannese Wills Wing T3 144 2297
11 Akira Nagusa Wills Wing T23144 2175
12 Konstantin Lukyanov Moyes RX 3.5 2137
13 Fabiano Nahoum Icaro Laminar 14.1 2119
14 Raul Guerra Aeros Combat C 12.7 2118
15 Davis Straub Wills Wing T3 144 2047

Sport Task 3:

# Name Glider Distance Total
1 Rod Regier Moyes Litesport 4 19.58 257
2 Mitch Sorby Wills Wing U2 145 15.34 219
3 Ken Millard Moyes Gecko 155 6.77 145
4 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 5.00 129
4 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 5.00 129
4 Attila Plasch Moyes Litesport 4 5.00 129
4 Knut Ryerson Aeros Discus C 5.00 129
4 Danilo Lohse De Stefani Wills Wing U2 160 5.00 129
4 Richard Milla Wills Wing U2 145 5.00 129
4 Richard Caylor Moyes Gecko 170 5.00 129

Sport Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 1853
2 Rod Regier Moyes Litesport 4 1660
3 Richard Milla Wills Wing U2 145 1614
4 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 1564
5 Mitch Sorby Wills Wing U2 145 1375
6 Richard Caylor Moyes Gecko 170 1144
7 Danilo Lohse De Stefani Wills Wing U2 160 1021
8 Knut Ryerson Aeros Discus C 911
9 Ken Millard Moyes Gecko 155 869
10 Attila Plasch Moyes Litesport 4 405
11 Phil Siscoe Wills Wing U2 404

2019 Nationals (week 2)

April 22, 2019, 10:19:28 pm EDT

2019 Nationals (week 2)

100 km, FAI triangle

James-Donald "Don" "Plummet" Carslaw|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|PG|US Nationals 2019|weather|Wilotree Park

The forecast:

https://ozreport.com/seweather.php

Monday

Sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the morning.
Surface wind 6 mph, northeast

HRRR 3, 2 PM:

Updraft velocity: 640 fpm
TOL: 5,600’
Wind TOUL: 9 mph, north
B/S: 10
Surface winds 6 mph east
No cu’s.

The task:

No Leg Dist. Id Radius
1 0.0 km QUEST 400 m
2 SS 4.6 km QUEST 5000 m
3 41.9 km CHIN 10000 m
4 77.4 km BARON 3000 m
5 ES 105.7 km QUEST 400 m

The Replay:

https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=2696

The flight on-line: http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/2253551

http://wxc.fai.org/module.php?id=22&date=20190423&gliderclass=hg1

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:davisstraub/22.4.2019/17:56

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/ranking-hg-national:US

The narrative:

We move the launch from the northeast facing direction to an east facing direction further west in the east/west slot runway and delay the task half an hour to start at 2:30 PM. There are no cu's as forecast. The wind is light out of the east.

I launch 24th and find light lift to the south of Wilotree and climb slowly to 3,600' with a couple of other pilots. Pilots who left this thermal early before getting as high as we did and head to the northwest have to land back at Wilotree Park.

We head northwest toward the first turnpoint, a ten kilometer cylinder around the Chinese airfield. It's still six minutes before the first start gate. We find 200 fpm and then 300 fpm. I leave the start cylinder four minutes after the window opens as I climb to 4,400'. There are about eight guys higher and in front of a few of us behind.

We are doing a bit better behind finding better lift and keeping an eye on the gaggle in front. The lift is poor, less than 200 fpm, and the lead gaggle is getting lower and lower with each thermal.

I veer off to the south a bit just northwest of the lumber yard and south of some greenhouses to find much better lift at 300 fpm and climb to 4,700'. The lead gaggle is far below and soon out of site to the north.

I take over the lead as the lead gaggle struggles and head out on my own toward the turnpoint. I've been out here before so I have some idea of what to look for in order to get back up as I come down from my commanding height.

It's a nine kilometer glide before I find 170 fpm by the Kokee turnpoint and I can climb back to 3,000'. A six kilometer glide and I come over apparently from the smell, some chicken coops just east of a prison (so many of them in Florida). I'm down to 1,400' and looking at a possible landing field just past the prison, but I find little bits of lift and hang with them.

I average a little over 100 fpm to 2,000' which gets me past the prison and the field next to it. I'm familiar with the fields ahead having climbed out of them on a previous flight. They are the last fields before the river which is surrounded by trees. Our optimized turnpoint is just on the other side of the river. I'm too low to cross it.

I see a small bit of smoke in the trees next to an open field and get to it at 600' AGL. I take the 254 fpm to 4,500' where we all get together at the turnpoint. I relinquish my lead at this point.

Now it's sixteen guys racing toward the three kilometer cylinder around the Baron turnpoint to the east northeast with seven guys in front. We race ahead and stop for 200 to 300 fpm about every five kilometers. Five or so guys at the top of each thermal.

As we pass south of the prisons, Phil Bloom goes out in front, with Pedro, Nene and me just behind him getting higher. I lead out to get over Phil who has lost a lot of altitude as we approach the turnpoint. I lead out again with Raul and Bruno just behind racing for the turnpoint. We get the turnpoint and head south.

Those behind us see us plummeting and take a line further to the east also heading south. Bruno moves to the south east to get in the lead with Jonny and Kevin Dutt behind him as they work weak lift from low. Bruno lands.

Raul and I work 25 fpm for twelve minutes to climb from 2,200 to 2,700' as we drift in an eight mph north wind toward Wilotree Park and goal. I lead out as I'm familiar with the area. We work 100 fpm and 55 fpm climbing to 2,800' and drifting south.

I come over the nursery on the north side of highway 50 west of Mascotte but I don't find much. Raul spots a vulture climbing and climbs with him when I turn east to head for the chicken coops and possible landing area. Down to 600' AGL I find a little bit of zero sink and start working and searching for the better core.

The guys to our east are finding better lift. Kevin Dutt gets out ahead and continues on a long glide into goal. The pilots who took the second clock are able to come in fifteen minutes later and score well despite poor leading and arrival points.

It's almost 6 PM. I find the area of better lift over the possible landing field and slowly climb out drifting slowly to the south. I climb at 120 fpm to 3,700' topping out at 6:22 PM with a 6:1 glide to goal. I'm not in the mood for landing short. It's an easy seven kilometer glide into goal for the last guy to make it to goal at 6:28.

2019 Nationals (week 2)

April 22, 2019, 10:18:12 pm EDT

2019 Nationals (week 2)

The preliminary results for day 2, task 2

Bruce Barmakian|competition|Fabiano Nahoum|Glen Volk|Jeff Chipman|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Phill Bloom|Tim Delaney|US Nationals 2019|Wills Wing T3

https://airtribune.com/2019-quest-air-nationals-week-2/results

Task 2:

# Name Glider SS ES Time Total
1 Kevin Dutt Aeros Combat 13.5 14:30:00 17:44:36 03:14:36 947
2 Glen Volk Moyes RX 3.5 14:50:00 17:59:14 03:09:14 926
3 Jeff Chipman Moyes RX 3.5 14:50:00 17:59:23 03:09:23 918
4 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 14:30:00 17:49:30 03:19:30 905
5 Pedro L. Garcia Wills Wing T3 144 14:30:00 17:49:50 03:19:50 896
6 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat 12.7 14:30:00 17:49:55 03:19:55 886
7 Marcelo Alexandre Menin Wills Wing T2C 154 14:50:00 18:04:05 03:14:05 864
8 Alvaro Figueiredo Sandoli Wills Wing T3 144 14:30:00 17:55:56 03:25:56 861
9 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 14:50:00 18:05:51 03:15:51 857
10 Fabiano Nahoum Icaro Laminar 14.1 14:50:00 18:06:43 03:16:43 845

Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Kevin Dutt Aeros Combat 13.5 1935
2 Pedro L. Garcia Wills Wing T3 144 1883
3 Bruce Barmakian Aeros Combat 12.7 1843
4 Marcelo Alexandre Menin Wills Wing T2C 154 1818
5 Alvaro Figueiredo Sandoli Wills Wing T3 144 1814
6 Jonny Durand Moyes RX 4 Pro 1807
7 Phill Bloom Moyes RX 3.5 1802
8 Akira Nagusa Wills Wing T23144 1800
9 Glen Volk Moyes RX 3.5 1771
10 Patrick Pannese Wills Wing T3 144 1748

Sport task 2:

# Name Glider Distance Total
1 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 27.06 900
2 Richard Milla Wills Wing U2 145 22.70 803
3 Richard Caylor Moyes Gecko 170 20.80 749
4 Rod Regier Moyes Litesport 4 20.11 726
5 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 20.07 724
6 Danilo Lohse De Stefani Wills Wing U2 160 17.60 624
7 Mitch Sorby Wills Wing U2 145 17.54 621
8 Knut Ryerson Aeros Discus C 16.19 553
9 Ken Millard Moyes Gecko 155 15.07 491
10 Phil Siscoe Wills Wing U2 6.59 177
11 Attila Plasch Moyes Litesport 4 5.00 142

Sport Cumulative:

# Name Glider Total
1 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 1724
2 Richard Milla Wills Wing U2 145 1485
3 Tim Delaney Wills Wing Sport 3 135 1435
4 Rod Regier Moyes Litesport 4 1403
5 Mitch Sorby Wills Wing U2 145 1156
6 Richard Caylor Moyes Gecko 170 1015
7 Danilo Lohse De Stefani Wills Wing U2 160 892
8 Knut Ryerson Aeros Discus C 782
9 Ken Millard Moyes Gecko 155 724
10 Phil Siscoe Wills Wing U2 404
11 Attila Plasch Moyes Litesport 4 276

2019 Nationals (week 2)

April 21, 2019, 10:42:08 pm EDT

2019 Nationals (week 2)

We stick together

John Simon|PG|US Nationals 2019|weather

https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=2696#

The forecast:

http://ozreport.com/seweather.php

Sunday

Sunny, with a high near 78. Light northwest wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Surface wind 8 mph, northwest

HRRR 3, 2 PM:

Updraft velocity: 700 fpm
TOL: 5,600’
Wind TOUL: 11 mph, northwest
B/S: 8.8
Surface winds 10 mph northwest
Chance of cu’s.

There is a strong inversion and no chance of cu's.

The task:

No Leg Dist. Id Radius
1 0.0 km QUEST 400 m
2 SS 4.6 km QUEST 5000 m
3 40.1 km Fantasy of Flight 1000 m
4 87.6 km Avon Park 22000 m
5 ES 100.0 km Lake Wales 400 m

http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/2252178

At one o'clock, there are no cu's and a pretty brisk wind out of the west. I'm scheduled to launch ninth, but will all the help I'm giving to the meet director I'm not ready, so opt to launch at the end of the line. John Simon has already told me that he is launching last so as to not have to wait around for an hour in the start cylinder, so that helps me make my decision to wait.

The pilots that we pulled up before us stick and we get towed up at 40 minutes after the launch window opens and twenty minutes before the start window opens. At almost 300 fpm we climb to 5,000' a few minutes before the start window opens and take it high at 4,800'. I'm not the highest pilot but high enough to not be disadvantaged by launching so late. Almost everyone takes the first start clock.

With no cu's everyone relies on everyone else. We jump from group to group and climb up in a friendly fashion not cutting each other off. We climb to 5,600' before the Fantasy of Flight our first turnpoint with lift averaging 300 and 400 fpm in the last thermals before we cross interstate 4.

We've got twenty to thirty pilots sticking together and using each other to find lift as we move over Winter Haven. The distance between thermals is less than 5 km. We are flying over built up areas with just a few landing areas but with plenty of lift we don't consider the ground below.

Lots of lakes below, of course, but not many indicators of lift with the light winds. Just south of Winter Haven we climb at 300 fpm to 5,100'. I'm near the top of the gaggle now after playing catch up the whole flight. I head off with Bruno Sandoli and one other pilot. We are soon in the lead overall.

There are mostly open fields ahead and we are 23 kilometers from the edge of the 22 km turnpoint cylinder around Avon Park to the south. We expect to find lift quickly and perhaps get away from the rest of the gaggle.

This doesn't work out. We glide for twelve kilometers without finding a bump. I see Sandoli turning to the west and down to 1,600' I go under him, but find only sink. I head further south as I don't see him head north and start rising and down to 800' AGL find 50 fpm to 1,600'. I stick with this for 15 minutes then it improves to almost 300 fpm climbing for the next ten minutes to 4,300' over possible landing areas.

I go from being in front to being behind. But it is quite exciting to be so close to landing and being able to climb in weak lift for so long.

There are a couple of gaggles just ahead hovering around the turnpoint at the cylinder edge. I'll have to work some lift to be able to get high enough to come in to goal behind them.

Thirty pilots in goal.

2019 Nationals (week 2)

April 21, 2019, 9:14:50 pm EDT

2019 Nationals (week 2)

The preliminary results

Bruce Barmakian|competition|John Simon|Roger Irby|US Nationals 2019|Wills Wing T3|Zac Majors

https://airtribune.com/2019-quest-air-nationals-week-2/results

Task 1:

# Name Glider Time Total
1 John Simon Aeros Combat C 12.7 02:37:01 990
2 Kevin Dutt Aeros Combat 13.5 02:36:57 988
3 Pedro L. Garcia Wills Wing T3 144 02:36:57 987
4 Zac Majors Wills Wing T3 144 02:37:03 981
5 Akira Nagusa Wills Wing T23144 02:37:20 972
6 Bruno Sandoli Wills Wing T2C 144 02:37:24 970
7 Bruce Barmakian Moyes LS 3.0 02:38:07 957
8 Marcelo Alexandre Menin Wills Wing T2C 154 02:38:19 954
9 Alvaro Figueiredo Sandoli Wills Wing T3 144 02:38:34 953
10 Roger Irby Wills Wing T2C 154 02:38:19 946

Sport Task 1:

Name Glider Time Distance Total
1 Richard Westmoreland Wills Wing U2 145 02:08:47 52.28 1000
2 Richard Milla Wills Wing U2 145 41.31 692
3 Rod Regier Moyes Litesport 4 40.81 687
4 Mitch Sorby Wills Wing U2 145 30.45 542
5 Adam Smith Wills Wing U2 145 17.02 376
6 Danilo Lohse De Stefani Wills Wing U2 160 11.95 319
7 Richard Caylor Moyes Gecko 170 11.73 316
8 Ken Millard Moyes Gecko 155 9.33 275
9 Knut Ryerson Aeros Discus C 9.12 271
10 Phil Siscoe Wills Wing U2 8.99 268