Vågå, Day 1
Today looked good early, but it soon overdeveloped and became unflyable here. We drove to Bøverdalen in case it would calm down and we could get a late task back to Vågå, but the conditions stayed bad, and we had to cancel the day.
34 pilots have entered the competition, including one Austrian. Tomorrow is south winds, and hopefully more stable weather.
On Saturday we drove to Bismo, for some serious XC flying. It was good when we arrived, but switched to the back as soon as we started rigging. Knut got off in a brief launchable window, but did not get up. We de-rigged and drove to Bøverdalen where we got good conditions, and cloudbase at almost 3000 meters. We tried to fly back to Vågå, but it was 25-30 km headwind. Most people landed in Bøverdalen, Knut, Olav and me landed in Garmo, Finn got to Vågå, and Nils Åge flew to Tretten wich is 111km. That’s pretty good flying, he landed around 21:30…
Seems like Ruhmer won the Europeans. Results at http://www.hanggliding.at/fast/em2000.htm
Texas seems to be the place for XC right now. Dave Sharp flew 500 km with his ATOS yesterday, that’s a new World record for Class II (And 5 km more than the current Class I record, set by Tudor) Can I go please? :-)
Erik got a extended sledder from Ryggåsen yesterday, I did not set up in detoriating conditions.
(Now that put thing in perspective…)
I’m going to Vågå for the weekend, Saturday may be good if the forecast is correct.
Just in: Davis report from the flight;
http://www.davisstraub.com/OZ/Ozv4n135.htm
Some new pictures in the gallery, from the spring flying. Olav and I flew in Bøverdalen on Sunday evening, wery good conditions for hung-over pilots. We launched at 19:30 into big slow thermal and ridge soaring conditions. There were still thermals at 20:30, when I landed.
The european championships are not seeing the best conditions, so far it’s been only two tasks.
Looks like OK weather for a after work flight tomorrow.
I’ve uploaded the pictures from Algodonales into the gallery. Let me know if there’s errors.
Back in Oslo. I flew really bad the last day, and landed out between first and second TP. Got a little too low and lost the thermal that would have taken me back up again. It feels good to be back in normal temperatures again, but I can do without the rain.
We hope that Erik B made it back the 4000 kilometers with our gliders and equipment. We heard he had trouble with the water-pump in his car, and had to refill water every 17 km…
Pictures coming up in the gallery in a few days.
Algodonales, Spain
Day 6-7. The conditions were quite windy yesterday and we got a task into the mountains towards Ronda. Few pilots wanted to fly the task, but the organizers did not cancel the task. Gerolf organized a mutiny and only the English team took off to fly the task. There was no thermals, and a few pilots ridge soared a few kilometers to the first TP, and landed there. The winner got 21 points…
Today we got even stronger winds, and the task was cancelled. We took the day off and drove down to the coast near Tarifa. Swimming in the Atlantic was refreshing after the inland heat and dust. Lots of windsurfers, kitesurfers, and three hanggliders soaring over the windmills in the hills behind the beach.
The forecast for the last two days of flying is good, the wind is getting weaker and we’re supposed to get good climbs and thermals to well over 2000 meters. Today there was lots of cumulus clouds for the first time since we came.
Algodonales, Spain
Yesterday was not so good for me, got away early, too early as I landed after the first TP. Nils Åge got to goal, Olav and Erik B half way. Still we got over 2000 meter for the fist time in this comp.
Today was an eventful day, first the car was broken into last night, the car was empty anyway so nothing was missing exept Erik V’s dirty old windbreaker. At take off Erik found a broken webbing int the heart section of his glider after replacing a broken upright (again :-)). Then Christof Kratzner from Germany tucked and broke his ATOS in the air, he got out the chute and came down OK. I was flying over, and watched the whole decent. It was not a pretty sight. On the road to the HQ in La Muela there was lots of police and a dead paraglider pilot in the road. He was killed under landing.
Nils Åge made goal again today, he’s now at 9. place total. I flew better today, and landed near TP 2 after a long and difficult flight. Got a few low saves but could not reach the hill to soar up over the second TP. Robin and Olav also landed near the seond TP. Both Erik’s had broken hanggliders and could not fly, both are OK now and ready for tomorrow. I hope for a short task, as days are long. It’s 2 AM now, and we just had dinner!
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