Hay, NSW, Australia
Another interesting day in Hay, a hangglider competition is always an adventure. Today was a little windy, with a little high cirrus clouds. There was some discussion about calling the day, but eventually we got a task 116km NW. Around 15:00 pilots started towing and some was getting up. Gordon towed up, got hit by a dustdevil and tumbled the glider. He deployed the parachute, and it opened 10 meters over the ground. Gordon game down without a scratch (Exept for a torn trouser leg due to dragging in the wind) The Litespeed took the tumble without breaking, and he only bent the 2 right divesticks.

I lent him my glider since he is fighting in the top 3, while I have nothing to loose but a flying day. It’s always better to get in the air straight away after a incident like that, he seemed to have the nerves under control. I packed up his glider, and spent one hour in the free big swimmingpool they have here in Hay. Good for stiff neck and shoulders. So far I’ve been over 20 hours in the air, some of it have been pretty hard flying.

The conditions today looks like a booming day, cloudstreets at 3000 meters all the way to the first TP. The last 40 km of the task was upwind so it might be difficult at the end

Hay, NSW, Australia
It have been two interesting days, yesterday I was hit by a dustdevil right after take off on tow, the tug went one way and I went the other way, I locked out and the weaklink broke at about 90 degree roll, 30 meters above the ground. That is not a good position in that height, but I managed to get the glider flying again before impact with mother earth. Had to land downwind, and broke the VG side upright of course. I fixed the glider but by then it was so late that I only got 40 km out before I had to land. The task was 136 km.

Today the towing went good, I got early up but the lift was broken and weak. The task was 166 km NE, I had to work hard to stay up the first 60 km, while Gordon and Andreas reported good lift and crusing along cloudstreets that I could not reach. After about 60 km it became better, and I pulled on speed to try to catch up with a gaggle of gliders a few km ahead. The conditions were good, I had a few very good climbs to cloudbase at 2800 meters. At the end we had to cross some ridges and a lake before goal, I was confident that the ridges would provide lift and from cloudbase there I would reach goal. That did not work, the lake seemed to dampen all thermal activity, and I had to land just after crossing it 20 km from goal. I’m still happpy with it, it’s not every day we get to go so far. I landed near a farm, and walked to the house, they let me use their big radio so I could get contact with our driver, and give him the coordiantes to pick me up.

On the way home our Ford P.O.S rental car ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere, 40 km from the nearest station that might be open. It has a 80 liter tank, and a range of 340 km. It drinks gas, engine oil, and transmission fluid. It’s cheap though, only $36 pr day.

After waiting 30 minutes the next car came by, a truck, the driver took Andreas to the station and drove him back again after taking off his trailer, pretty helpful and friendly people the ozzies.

Weather looks to be changing, it’s windy outside now, and some high clouds moved in in the afternoon.

Hay, NSW, Australia
Yesterday was the first comp day, the task was around 130 km, with 2 turnpoints, last leg was headwind. It overdeveloped around us quite early, and lots of people flew through rain. I had a really bad day in the tow paddock, had to release at 100 meters during the first tow because of a misunderstanding between Bill Moyes who was towing, and the ground crew. I broke the weaklink on the second tow, and was at the end of the queue again. By the third tow the whole area was in shadow from the storm approaching, and I did not get up. My release broke during the last tow, so I could not try again, frustrating day especially since the flying was quite good, Gordon made goal, and Andreas landed 7 km short in strong headwind.

Today was a little better, but far from perfect as I broke 3 weaklinks and was the last one to climb out and get on course. I had to carry my glider back from each failed tow, and that really tires you out in 40 degree heat. The task today was a 110km out and return, I catched up with the rest of the field as they came back from the TP, since they started a hour before me I should have slowed down a little but I was too tired to make any good descisions by now. I missed the last thermal that would have takem me to goal, Gordon took it just as I flew on, he tried to tell me on the radio but since my headset broke down yesterday I could not hear him. Another technical problem to fix tonight… Had I made goal with that thermal I would have been among the top three today. Atilla won the day, Gerolf second, Gordon and Andreas were among the 8 that made goal.

Weather looks fine for tomorrow, we had thunderstorms today, one sat right over the TP and made it exiting to take it, Andreas came out of a cloud with lightning and rain, but there was some good lift there :-)

Hay, NSW, Australia
Yesterday seemed pretty good from the morning, we wanted to fly south to Denilinquin and then turn around and fly against the wind back to Hay, a task of just over 210 km. We towed up and got off around 12, it was good flying south, 30 km wind 45 degree cross from behind. I climbed in my biggest smoothest 6 m/s ever, but most thermals were around 2 m/s. We turned around at the border of airspace and tried to fly into the wind again. I got really airsick and had to land 65 km from Hay, around 5:20, it was either land or puke in my helmet in the air. Gordon landed next to me one hour later, and Andreas made it all the way to Hay after almost 8 hours in the air. He’s radio battery went flat when I landed, we did not know where he was and spent 4 hours driving to Hay, Denilinquin and back looking for him. There is no GSM coverage outsde the towns, so it hard to communicate when the radio is dead.

Today was windy in the morning, and it overdeveloped into violent thunderstorms, a lightning strike set fire to a paddock just outside town, but it was put out before it spread. The comp starts tomorrow, and about 85 people had signed up before the briefing tonight. Moyes is here with 3 tugs, but they could not set them up in the bad weather. I hope the weather gets better tomorrow, and we can have a task in good conditions.

Hay, NSW, Australia
We have been in Hay for two days now, the first day we got all towing gear sorted out, and did a few tows late in the afternoon. Paris is here with the new Wills glider, fiberglass curved tips, and the new airfoil uprights. It does not look like a Fusion anymore, and according to Paris it does not fly like one either.

Yesterday a front moved in while we were getting ready to tow, by the time we got up it was totally overcast and little wind. Andreas got away at first tow and went 97 km west, Gordon and I used two tows, and got away almost 2 hours after Andreas, we landed 58 km out at around 19:00. Some of the French team arrived yesterday, and some Australians today. There was no flying today as it was thunderstorms this morning, we spent the day making adjustments to the gliders.

By now it’s 16:00 and cleared up, the Americans went to do some late tows, there’s some cumulus development. We’ll go to dinner instead.