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World Gliding Championships Report

July 16, 2010 Day 11-12

 

On the second to last day of the contest we received a demonstration on how bad the flying weather can be in this part of the World.  It was so bad that total overcast and towering cu-nims were predicted for mid afternoon.  Closer to noon we were hearing thunder and experiencing occasional showers.  The sky grew dark and gliders were landing back out of a dead sky to be relaunched.  97 out of 104 gliders landed out including all 6 of ours. The 7 Standard class pilots that did finish the task all started in a 30 minute window of opportunity.   The tow pilots were the big winners of the day making numerous relights followed by hours of aero retrieves.  It was such an over-call that the task setter was given a public flogging the next morning by the site's Official Executioner, barely escaping beheading. As you can imagine, this was much applauded by the exhausted pilots and crews.m

                Today was very busy as our crews crowded into the office, anxious for news on their pilots. As we waited, our nerves were hardly put at rest by the line of glider trailers leaving the air field.  The air inside our office was stifling, and the building rain clouds only added to the humidity. When it finally did rain, it was a welcome change to those of us on the field. Or at least to everyone who did not go on a retrieve. The rain cooled us down, and almost everyone who was still at the airport was outside enjoying it.  Tomorrow is the last day of the contest, and we look forward to it, yet again with hopes of much better weather.

-Blair and Dick Mockler