Saturday

1230 First Launch

Open 2hr 30 AAT min 244 Max 473

18 Metre 2Hr 30 AAT min 202 max 383

The day looks iffy high cirus layer few Cu's and CB's forecast for later in the afternoon

2 stroke day

Well, three Pilots home, but all with engines!
Graham did the longest distance behind the finishers so far, Tom and David fired up fairly early.
The weather is really, really not good! Even the storms here have no energy!
Saw 4kts once today, average about 1.5 - 2. "Grey" holes about 40km wide with climbs to 3500'!

Message from Swaantje

Hi Kerrie,
I tried posting something on the team page but I am obviously a bit too stupid to get it right...
I hope the team will recover from yesterdays dreadful news. I looked at the pictures and really, I think you were lucky that nobody got killed in the accident. Thank God they finally gave you the 3 km finish circle! It had been successfully tried so many times!
Well, it can only get better! I hope the team and especially Lars recovers soon from the psychological impact and of course the truck driver from his injuries.
For the next days I wish you all better weather, good results and some fun - if possible! I am following the Aussie blog as good as I can and the comp on the official page!
Unfortunately I have no time to come visiting. So please say hello to all of them and good luck, especially to you and Tom.
Swaantje

New day

Tom, David & Graham all launched.
Open class gate opened at at 1309
18M class gate opens 1329
Climbing 1kt
Cirrus thickening
Met showing rain to NW on Danube

All pilots home safe

Difficult day with best L/D final glides.
This afternoon Lars had a landing accident at the airfield. Glider damaged but Lars is unhurt.

First Launch 1230 We have been told this is definit

It' not Raining

First Take off 1130

15 M 334k Racing Task

Open 379k Racing Task

Followed by
18 M 337k Racing tash

Task B 2Hr 30 AAT's all tasks

Claffey Capers

With yet another cancelled day Kerrie has started a blog on the link to the lower right to complement Graham's.

Cancelled

Today Wednesday has been cancelled, low cloud and rain

Tom's assessment of the day as he opened the curtain ... "it looks flat - not good like yesterday" (when a whole 2 people got home!)

Game on!

Well, what a day! 18m cancelled after launch, 15m on the ground. In Open we started towards a wall of rain and low cloud, somehow we got around that and found up to 2kts to cloudbase [about 2000']. After a real struggle and some best L/D glides [in some horrible gaggles] I found myself with Holger Karow, Georgio Galetto and the Poms just behind Michael Sommer. With so many World Champions around I felt pretty confident. The Danes turned right to a different cloud, it looked good but I stayed with the Germans. [The Danes were the only two to make it home!]
Just after getting into the last sector we all got low and then thermalled downwards from about 800' to 400'AGL as the lower gliders either started engines or landed one by one. The country was very Darling Downs-ish so I rolled the Nimbus straight towards a stubble paddock and fired up! After climbing to 2000' I shut down in lift and flew home with no problems - frustrating!! At least I was with good company and not a disaster day.
Perrrrhaps we fly tomorrow! [ A typical Hungarian dinner followed - about a kg of meat and potatoes and a few beers!]
Tom

Tom reporting 1.5 knots to 3000 ft

Launching

The first gliders are just launching

Tuesday 27 July

18 Meter on front of grid with 273 k speed task B task 2 hr AAT

Open Class 287 k B task 2 hr AAT

15 Meter 2hr 30 AAT B task 2 hr

Weather man said no chance of flying, but we are gridded for first launch 1245

We shall see

Day Cancelled

Grid sequentially dismissed from launching. By 1430 launching cancelled for all classes.

Day one, Take two

Today briefing for team captains was 0900 followed by official briefing at 0930h.

According to the Met briefing, we may have a small window of opportunity for flying this afternoon. This may prove somewhat optimistic.

Grid closes at 1230 with first launch expected at 1300.

We went through the weighing process towing out, so even if we don't fly, that exercise has been completed for the first time.

15 M AAT; 18 and Open racing task.

First Comp Day

Looks like rain.......maybe a small window of opportunity this afternoon. Briefing at 10.00

Day Cancelled

Raining today and possibly tomorrow....

Opening Ceremony 24th July - 7pm

In the beginning they gathered....

The music played.....

They danced for the crowd.....

And they followed the mighty symbol of flight.......

Change of weather

Saturday, July 24th

So here we are, having finished with the official practice days and poised to enter the competition proper. Today's weather change was very welcome after the stifling heat and humidity of the previous week. At 10 am we assembled in the hangar for official briefing. Tonight we will assemble in town for the opening ceremony. We wonder at this time what "plan B" will entail if the marching competitors are doused with copious amounts of sky juice- as this is highly likely!

Thursday 22 July

Another severe heat warning today 35 max forecast, thermals to max of 1600 metres at around 2 mt/sec.
Today is the first time gliders have ever tasked into Serbia.

15 M Task
3hr 30 AAT first leg 75k with 25k circle,then 93k into Serbia with 30k circle, then 180k to the north east to a 28k circle and home via Szatymaz which is the control point 10k to the north.Max distance 607 /301 min
18 M Task
3hr 30 AAT Similar areas to 15 m Max 591 min 287
Open Task
3hr 30 AAT Max 594 Min 284,again to same areas.

New Umbrella Girl Wanted

We all flew today, the weather forecast was trigger temp 33C, max temp 33C and storms!
Lars and Graham [without engines] stayed local in 2kt climbs, David and myself flew about 80km northeast under stormy overcast with indistinct bases. Most glider and instrument issues fixed.
Lots of competitors here now, caught up with Al Tyler from US who we met at Barron Hilton Cup, also the whole South African team and John Coutts from NZ/SA. Eric Heinennen and Antti Lehto are here [Finnish 18m team from Waikerie], Antti was the last Pilot of N4 at Luesse WGC! Ron Sanders is here, we just had team dinner!
Looks like poor weather for the next few days.
Tom

Lars prepares VW Graham in Mr Parker
David and Lesley, maybe our last day for a couple of days as rain forecast for the next two days

All four Flying

David first to launch in WK ,Tom in 4M after yesterday's de-rig and fix water ballast dump valve and the rig again, I hope we don't have to rig the Nimbus too often, is second airborne . Lars in VW has joined the team over town at 2000 ft. Lars has fixed Altir problem, it seems to work best with 12 volts rather than the internal battery.
Graham in MP is last off without use of turbo as Mark found a crack in the engine mount and spares are comming from Shemmp on Tuesday.

The day looks similar to the last few with Cu to about 5000 ft with 3-4 knot climbs.
We'll see how the conditions actually were in a couple of hours

Thursday PM
David and Lars up flying, Graham gets his glider on Saturday and Mark has been helping Tom with the nimbus. Thigger temp was 32 today and it is verry hot here like the rest of Europe.
The Flatland Cup finishes tomorrow so practice will get serious from then.

The Team will be in Szeged by July 15. More posts then