Frya Cup 2009, Day 2 and 3

Day 2 was blown out, some pilots freeflew and reported turbulence and some wave conditions.

Day 3 seemed to be a good day at Frya, but the first pilot at takeoff reported strong tailwind, and we relocated to Heidal where conditions seemed better and it was cleary launchable. We set up and got a task via Otta, Fåvang kirke and to goal at Frya, 74km.

It was less thermals than usual in Heidal, and some of the first pilots struggled to get up, and some landed. I saw Nils F hooking a nice thermal to the right of the ramp, I took off and glided straight into that thermal. We got to cloudbase at 2600m with good timing, and only had to wait in the cold for a few minutes before the start gate.

I had a good run to Kvam, having Nils Aage a little in front, and Johannes just below me. Olav Lien had gone left and quite far into the mountains under some good clouds. I spotted a clodstreet from Kvam and after thermalling up at the start of the street I could fly straight maintaining altitude until after Harpefoss, where I could hop 45 degrees and continue under the next street towards Kvitfjell.

When I passed over Frya my instrument became very quiet, the display was blank, and I could not turn it back on. I remembered I had not charged it since Bassano, and in the -10 degrees air it did not have enough power to keep working. Shit… I glided towards the last TP, hoping it would turn back on in warmer air, but it never came back to life.

I turned around and had a long and slow glide back to Goal. Landed downwind and took out one upright just to complete the day. I was first in goal, with Nils Aage and Olav Lien a few minutes behind. 6 or 7 pilots made goal.

I’ll post some pictures later.

Frya Cup 2009, Day 1

1. of May is the date for the first competition in Norway each season – Frya Cup. The forecast was fairly good, and the conditions turned out to be quite nice. I got up early and drove to Frya on Friday morning, it was sunny and nice. At takeoff we quickly set up the Falcon for Benedictes first flight from this site, she had a good takeoff and nice flight flying through some weak thermals.

I have sold my RS4 to Jan Erik Gjerland, since I want a smaller glider. The RS4 was just too big for me, and I spent too much energy to steer it in thermals and traffic. I would have to add too much ballast to make it handle well, so Ive ordered a RS3.5

Arnt is not here, so he borrowed me his RS4, but Olav took the speedbar off it to replace the one he broke in Bassano, and I had to borrow a round speedbar from Nils Fauske. I did not have a vario mount that would fit this, and no one had one to lend me.

The solution was duct tape, and the result was not good :-) When I took off I could not see or hear the instrument, and the instrument did not receive the GPS satelites.I thermalled up with the rest of the crew and took the start by following Nils Aage closely, but when I discovered the GPS did not work I turned around and flew back home halfway to the first TP.

Nobody made goal, it got shaded at the last TP in the end.

FAIL
FAIL - How not to mount a Compeo+

BBQ at night, still early spring and cold at night.

BBQ at Enden camping
BBQ at Enden camping

Olav brought a carbon speedbar today, but the weather is a bit windy, we had some huge lenticularis clouds over takeoff this morning. Looks like a canned day.