Hello Race Fans:
Yesterday was another no fly day with much clothes washing and general tinkering with the gliders. I believe that the Glide Omarama Duo took one flight in the rain and then that was it for aviating. The racing pilots have been regaled with the following words describing the weather here right now: “never”, “worst ever”, “unbelievable”, etc. We are still awaiting Giorgio Galetto, Oscar Goudriaan, and Michael Sommer who are due by late Monday. These arrivals will then fill the 18 pilot field.
But finally, after 5 straight days of terrible to no soaring weather, the odds broke in our favor today and every GP pilot got into the air for some task area reconnaissance. Before the daily 10 a.m. airfield and weather briefing the sky already had cu’s popping over the Dingle Ridge and Ahuriri Valley to our west and northwest, and lenticulars filling the sky to our North and Northwest at high altitude. Pretty auspicious!
Yesterday was another no fly day with much clothes washing and general tinkering with the gliders. I believe that the Glide Omarama Duo took one flight in the rain and then that was it for aviating. The racing pilots have been regaled with the following words describing the weather here right now: “never”, “worst ever”, “unbelievable”, etc. We are still awaiting Giorgio Galetto, Oscar Goudriaan, and Michael Sommer who are due by late Monday. These arrivals will then fill the 18 pilot field.
But finally, after 5 straight days of terrible to no soaring weather, the odds broke in our favor today and every GP pilot got into the air for some task area reconnaissance. Before the daily 10 a.m. airfield and weather briefing the sky already had cu’s popping over the Dingle Ridge and Ahuriri Valley to our west and northwest, and lenticulars filling the sky to our North and Northwest at high altitude. Pretty auspicious!
The forecast was for moderate to good thermals to about 6,000 feet MSL with the chance for wave with winds aloft from the north at between 20-30 knots. If the winds backed to the northwest, the wave chances would be better but getting into it might be tough.
Since we have officially taken possession of our Ventus TM for the duration of the contest, Team EY will now assume the name Team TM. This seemingly simple switch takes a little bit of getting used to at a contest in a rented ship. As a racing glider pilot, my call sign back in the states automatically flows from my lips. So it is no wonder that with a towplane Mike Tango towing a glider Tango Mike and the pilot thinking he is Echo Yankee… well you can see some confusion on the grid today can’t you? All went well after the initial “who’s on first” routine ran its course.
Team TM took their time getting on the grid and were among the last of the GP pilots to launch. Part of the delay was that we were one of the first pilots to have their glider adorned with sponsor logos. In addition, each pilots name goes on the glider over the wing and behind the cockpit. It’s all pretty “Posh” (Brit for “fancy”) by glider pilot standards. No one is taking all the fussiness of this new racing format too seriously, with much joking and asking me if I was the Tim McAllister I think it is kind of cool myself!
Since we have officially taken possession of our Ventus TM for the duration of the contest, Team EY will now assume the name Team TM. This seemingly simple switch takes a little bit of getting used to at a contest in a rented ship. As a racing glider pilot, my call sign back in the states automatically flows from my lips. So it is no wonder that with a towplane Mike Tango towing a glider Tango Mike and the pilot thinking he is Echo Yankee… well you can see some confusion on the grid today can’t you? All went well after the initial “who’s on first” routine ran its course.
Team TM took their time getting on the grid and were among the last of the GP pilots to launch. Part of the delay was that we were one of the first pilots to have their glider adorned with sponsor logos. In addition, each pilots name goes on the glider over the wing and behind the cockpit. It’s all pretty “Posh” (Brit for “fancy”) by glider pilot standards. No one is taking all the fussiness of this new racing format too seriously, with much joking and asking me if I was the Tim McAllister I think it is kind of cool myself!
Back to the flying…
For what was supposed to be a day we could “squeeze” in between bad weather patterns, there were an awful lot of smiles on the faces of the pilots, local and international alike, at the end of the day. Many radio calls were heard today to the effect of “it might not be the best ever, but it was pretty easy x-c flying!” Pilots were heard to make position reports from all four corners of the Mackenzie using a combination of thermal, ridge, wave and convergence to explore the area.
For what was supposed to be a day we could “squeeze” in between bad weather patterns, there were an awful lot of smiles on the faces of the pilots, local and international alike, at the end of the day. Many radio calls were heard today to the effect of “it might not be the best ever, but it was pretty easy x-c flying!” Pilots were heard to make position reports from all four corners of the Mackenzie using a combination of thermal, ridge, wave and convergence to explore the area.
The day was pretty much a piece of cake if you patiently worked with what the weather gods gave you. The only exception to this was the only Kiwi in the field of GP pilots, Ben Flewett. A local pilot and very much one of the favorites to win this GP with his local knowledge, Ben came out of the gates flying swift and sure until his wheels hit the ground early in the day.
After getting an early launch, Ben was leading and advising some other GP Pilots on the niceties of the task area when he landed out on the road in Haast Pass – the transition from the northern end of the Makaroa Valley into the Landsborough River Valley. After landing on the road in the pass and getting some German tourists to help him push off the road, he and his glider were none the worse for the wear. Everyone else who he was leading got out of the hole and went onto have a pretty good day of flying after that.
TM was, at the moment of the landout, working some ridges on the east side of the upper Ahuriri Valley, when, after flying through some “daggy bits” (Kiwi local slang for rotor wisps – and is a reference to the clumps of dirt-like substance on the backs of the local merino sheep), contact with the wave was made. From there it was an easy run to Mt. Cook, back to the Ahuriri, a probe into the Upper Hunter River Valley , then a run back North, then over on to the Benmores for some practice rock polishing and ridge running in the Ventus at max gross weight, before letting down into Omarama. All in all a very nice and uncomplicated flight.
Tomorrow’s weather looks to probably hold for us before Monday’s likely washout. The good news from the weather progs is that the 2nd practice day (Tuesday) on out looks to be good flying weather. The horses and jockeys are about to be on the track for real… Stay tuned!
See Ya! Tim/EY/TM
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