Just a few images while I have the time to scale down and upload them. I’ll post the full set in better quality when I get home.

This one is me after landing on one of the good days before the comp, I’m sitting on the longest straight road I’ve ever seen. It’s about 15 km straight ahead in the direction of the photo. It’s me and a billion Australian bush flies as you can see from the mosquito net. It is possible to see Gordon in the top right of the image coming in to land next to me. We have gone 170 km out and return here.

The view from the Hay tow paddoc, imagine this 360 degree around you and you have the scene. It’s flat

Setting up at Stanwell Park outside Sydney for a soaring flight. My new Litespeed in the foreground.

Forbes, NSW, Australia
The drive from Hay to Forbes is about 4 hours, we arrived at the caravan park where we live, and signed up for the meet. There’s around 85 pilots in the comp, 5 tugs and 2 trikes are supposed to tow us all up. The towing was OK for me, but I went early yesterday, some later people had to wait a long time to get off he ground. The top 20 pilots have priority, and can come to the front of the line whenever they want. It seems a bit unfair, but as long as one go early it might work.

Yesterdays task was 122 km with one TP and the last 40 km leg into the wind. It was light winds, and blue conditions. I got up OK, and flew around in the start area for a while waiting for the rest of the gaggle to get up. After crossing the 10 km start circle it was quite weak, so I went back and took another start time. It was 15 minutes start gates, and most of the gaggle I was with did the same thing. The conditions along the course was not so good, blue all the way, turbulent and weak lift. Around the TP a throth moved in with high clouds shading the whole area, this shut down the thermals, and almost all people landed in the area around the TP. I got up from 100 meters above the ground, but the thermal died, and I had to land. Our driver did not find us, as we all went down at the same time, and out of radio contact. Eventually we got home at 1:30, and left the driver with his car at the tow paddock, later today we learned that his car did not start, and he had to walk over 20 km to town. He did not show up this morning, and we only got into contact with him this afternoon.
Gerolf almost made it to goal at 117 km, Bethino at 110.

Today was cancelled due to strong wind, but not before we had set up in the 45 degree hot paddock. After rigging down the pool was the rescue to cool down, in South Sustralia its 55 degree, and it’s moving this way… A front with storms is supposed to move in tonight, and we can see big clouds building outside.

Hay, NSW, Australia
Todays task was cancelled, officially due to high winds. I feel that it was a combination of wind, heat, Gerolf leading and not wanting to risk bombing out, and pilots generally tired and thinking ahead to the next comp that starts in two days. It was 43 degrees in the shade out in the tow paddock today, and 40 km wind in the gusts. I wanted to fly, but it was actually quite OK when we did not have to set up in that heat. The conditions today seemed nice, cloudbase at over 3200 meters, and strong tailwind up high if we had to go far to the east.

Yesterday I got 30’th place, 50 something overall, I have had two bad days because of towing problems, and one DNF day when I lent my glider to Gordon. The comp have been good training though, with lots of hours in the air, and the glider is now quite competitive.
Gordon lost one place yesterday to Mike Barber who got to goal, and is now in 4’th. Andreas stays in 7’th place. Gerolf wins, Atilla second, and Mike Barber third.

We have the presentation night tonight, and then we leave for Forbes tomorrow morning before it becomes too hot, it’s a 4 hour drive NE. Now it’s off the pool to cool down, before we pack up our gear. I’m writing this from the software shop in Hay, I’ll try and compress a few photos later tonight or tomorrow and upload to these pages.

Total results, pictures, and more are at www.dynamicflight.com.au
Also check out the OZ report, for “who’s Davis fighting with today?”. It’s like a soap opera at times around the setup area.

Hay, NSW, Australia
Late last night we took Andreas and Gordonds gliders out to tow for testflights, I flew Gordons glider because he was still working with the repairs on the carbon backplate. The glider was OK, but a bit scary to fly as the sprogs was a little too low and the bar pressure went negative while flying fast. We had made some modifications to the outer battens on our gliders, and Andreas reported improved handling and glide performance. I made the same changes to mine, and it felt really good today, more stable in thermals, and definitively improved glide performance. We towed up around 20:30, and watching the sun set while thermalling a big smooth thermal is really great. We packed up in the light from the car and full moon.

Todays task was 151 km out and return, directly east, with crosswind from the north. I got off OK, and flew with Andreas for the most of the task, I lost sight of him a while after the TP, and had to work some really weak lift by myself. Some cirrus clouds moved in over us from the west as we started, and it was very weak conditions going back towards goal. Only 4 made it, I landed 20 km short, Andreas 10 km short, and Gordon 7km short in the middle of a 5×5 km paddock. We had to drive offroad with our Ford Falcon to pick up the glider. Gerolf got to goal, and increased the lead over Atilla who landed about 12 km short. Mike Barber got to goal, and is sniffing on third place.

Tomorrow is the last day, it will probably be a out and return or triangle depending on the wind. Saturday we drive to Forbes.

Hay, NSW, Australia
Today is rest day, as we have had 6 days of flying. Everyone seems to be quite tired, so it’s a good idea to have a day off before the two last days. My right hand is quite stiff and sore after flying the glider with a right turn in it for many hours. I finally got it sorted out yesterday, so now it goes straight. Seems like all Litespeeds come out with a right turn from the factory, it has something to do with the way the sails are made. The sprogs and consentric rings are set to compensate that from the factory, but some gliders like mine still needs some adjustments.

Gordon is fixing his glider, it needs new divesticks, otherwise it’s OK. The harness also broke from the deployment forces, he’s got a proto M2 harness, with a carbon backplate that broke. It was not properly reinforced around the load areas. Davis Straub had some extra carbon and epoxy stuff for the ATOS, and Mike Barber know how to fix the backplate. Yesterday Gordon borrowed Steve Moyes glider, and Zypy’s harness.

Yesterdays task was 265 km SW, to Hopetone in Victoria, pretty long task… It was quite windy at the paddock, but light higher up. It was alos quite stable, and totally blue until late afternoon when a few whisps formed. People started towing quite late, and I got up around 15:00. It was bumpy on tow up to 100 meters, and the totally calm sinking air all the way up, I towed all the way up to 2000 feet, when the tug pilot waved me off. I did not find anything until I spottet Atilla circling low over the SE corner of the tow paddock, glided in over him and got up to the inversion at 1000 meters with the rest of the gaggle. We drifted outside the startgate at 15 km, while working broken and weak lift up to 1500 meters. I was in the middle of a gaggle with 15 pilots, and we glided off on course. I got hit by some turbulence with full VG, and lost some height doing a 360 in sink to get back on course again. It was a long glide towards the gaggle ahead, and I arrived at the bottom, only to find sink. That was basicly it, went downwind over some waterholes and treelines that might trigger thermals without any luck, got a small thermal that triggered off a truck that passed on a road i crossed, but I was down to 30 meters, and could not drift with it into some ricefields. I landed around 30 km out, It felt unbelivable. It’s a small comfort that lots of people never got out of the tow paddoc. Some cheated and went back to restart after landing out near the towpaddoc, I could have done the same but I did not think it was allowed. (There’s a big discussion about this today, many pilots thought like me)

Nobody made it to goal, Davis came close and landed 17 km before goal, Gordon flew a little over 200, and Andreas 170 km. Gerolf and Atilla landed 30 km before goal. We got home by 1:30, so it was a quite good retreive. (We did blow a tyre though, not one day is boring out here. A new tires is only $90, wich is cheap compared to European prices)

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.