We got a 106km out&return task, south and back north to Quest along highway 33. It would be strong to moderate crosswind the whole task. I took the last startgate on the second, and had an OK flight until the TP where it was shaded from thick cirrus. We all slowed down and it was very difficult conditions for a long time. Slowly working back we got away from the currus, but it became late in the day. Finally I got back up to 1500 meters, and the next thermal was enough to get me on a final glide. None of the 6-7 other gliders made it in, but I had a easy 15km glide. Don’t know what happened to them. Olav took the start time before me, and had a 3 minutes slower time. Jon landed just north of the TP in the cirrus, and Olav Lien Olsen about 30 km on the way south.

It was windy, with a forecasted stable an low day. The start was delayed 30 minutes, and then we went ahead to start the 109km crosswind task. The tug pilot dropped me downwind off track, thanks a lot… I got up in weak lift together with some other struggling poilots drifting way off course, top of the lift was about 1200 meters. Taking the start gate I was pushing back into wind to get closer to the track and the rest of the pilots. The lift was very broken low down, and I had to drift back off course to get enything usable. I had no choice but to keep on pushing into the wind, but it did not work out and I landed about 20 km from the first TP. Life would have been so much easier if I had been towed upwind to fly with the rest of the gaggle. Well, it can only get better after this.

Olav Lien Olsen landed about 15 km before me, Olav Opsanger and Jon made goal. About 20 flex wings in goal, Paris Williams won the day.

Today the winds have died down significantly, there’s still a NE flow, and I guess we will get another crosswind task.

Yesteday it was too windy for any good flying, so Olav Opsanger and I decided to be tourists instead. We went to Kennedy Space Center to have a look at some of the stuff there. Unfortunately we were a little to late to get on the bus ride to see the space shuttle where it’s parked on the launch ramp. Some of the early equipment and the rockets are nice stuff. I would gladly have skipped a days flying to see the launch, but the launch window does not open until mid May.

Today looks flyable, it was grey and some rain this morning, looks unstable still but seems to be drying out. We did registration for the competition today, first comp day tomorrow.

Windy today, looks like thunder tonight. No flying so far.

Yesterday was pretty good, but we were a little unorganized and had no radios working. We set a 78km task. Olav landed 14km from goal, Jon landed near the first TP. I had two tows, and got of too late. Strong headwind going back. I aborted halfway and flew home.

Setup at Quest, we just leave the glider tied to the ground like this when we land. The next day you just hook in the harness and tow up again, very convinient.

Some of the locals have nice toys…

Yesterday we flew a triangle task around Quest, it was blue in the morning and we waited until 15:00 until taking off. Pretty good conditions but far between the good cores, cloudbase at 1600 meters. Tove picked up Jon at the airport last night, so the team is complete now. We went to get another rental car this morning, a Ford Escape with roofracks.

Today looks greyer than the days before, looks like a front is coming in over the area. Forecast is chance for thunderstorms.

It was NE winds today, which makes it a bit difficult to get up around Quest because of some large lakes to the NE. We had to wait for the XC course to tow up first, then we could take off. I had two tows, on the first I released at 500 meters into zero lift, and could not find anything after that. We had been towing through sink all the way and I mistook the better air for lift. Classic mistake.

I hung on the second tow all the way up, and found some weak lift to work with. It was totally shaded now, and I just flew around trying to keep upwind without getting anywhere. I could not get to cloudbase, but it was easy to stay up. I did not want to drift away without having any retreive, so I landed back at Quest. Olav and Olav is still flying, hope they make it back.

After having out flight rebooked to 06:40 from Oslo it became a rather stressfull Thursday night and Friday morning. Olav Lien Olsen met us at the Orlando Airport, after we had spent 2 hours going through immigration and lots of baggage checks, and drove us to the motel where we stay.

Yesterday we found and assembled our gliders. Both gliders were OK, I had one broken undersurface carbon batten. Looks like someone had stepped on it in the factory, think I can glue it.

We had pretty good conditions yesterday, and I towed up first at 11:15. Got too low on the tug a few times, and got the rope. I flew and dropped it over the airfield, glided back into the thermal and got up to cloudbase at 1000 meters. Olav Opsanger towed up later, his new glider was good. I had a nice afternoon flight towing up at 16:30 and flew a small out and return under some nice cloudstreets. Cloudbase was now at 1600, it was really good flying. Olav lien have been learning to tow here, and had his first flights on his own Topless 5. He had some problems making it go straight, but seems like it’s good now.

Quest air looks like a very nice plase, friendly people, loooots of space, and quite efficient towing arrangement. We got a sticker on the helmet, and pay 20 dollars per tow before the comp. Lots of dollys here, and they have special cars that will tow you on the dolly over to the south side of the strip if needed. At night we leave the gliders set up, just tied to the ground, so the next day you just hook in your harness and go up again.

The plan was to fly to Wallaby yesterday for the Wills wing party, but we had no roofracks on the car, and no retreive, so we stayed here instead. I was very tired at the end of the day anyway. It’s 6 hours time difference between here and Norway.

Weather today looks perfect, we were here at 07:30, and students and tandems are already towing.

Last weekend was the bi-annual meeting for the national airsports federations. Friday was a board meeting for the hang and paragliding section, Saturday all the representatives from the clubs meet, and Sunday is the representatives for all the different airsports. I was there Friday and Saturday. We did not have any big cases, and Knut, Christer and me remain on the board, with Øystein Krag coming in as a new member.

Sunday it was flyable, but I had to prepare some issues at work. I’m traveling to Amsterdam for some technical training this week, then go back to Oslo on Thursday night, and travel to Florida on Friday morning. Next report here will probably be from Quest air.

It’s been great weather the last few days here, sunny and warm for the season. Yesterday we flew at Ringerud in the morning and then Sundvollen in the afternoon. It was thermal activity at Ringerud, but just a little to weak to get up in the stable conditions. I borrowed the Falcon, and then Bjørn’s Litespeed later at Sundvollen. Both are fun to fly, the Falcon for the play factor, and the Litespeed for the performance.

Today it was lots of hanggliders at Sundvollen, great weather, but a little to stable. The CU’s were growing nicely, but only from the higher tops in the area. I got two flights again today. It looked like the air became more unstable during the day, and it’s been logged a few good (40-50km) XC flights from other takeoffs. Tomorrow should be a good day again, lets just hope it gets more unstable.

Me taking off from Sundvollen with Bjørn’s Litespeed

The HG2K video is now updated with a higher bitrate, and de-interlacing. Looks much better, but the file grew to 156MB. Download HG2K.avi