Unfortunately altho the forecast was for a clearing and flyable day it was not good enough to set a task....
At 12 noon we were given about a 20% chance of it clearing enough for a task.
Rather than have the fleet sitting onthe grid for a maybe 3pm launch, the decision was mad to move straight on to the Quiz night at 7pm.
You guessed it some nice flying was to be had this afternoon. (this written at 5pm)However still not good enough to have set a task and got everyone away. Even tho ridge and wave are to be seen from the contest office (rats where is my glider when I have some spare time to go play in the sky)
Monday, November 13, 2006
Day 3 Dawns At Omarama
Day 3 Dawns-is it really Tuesday!
Yesterday was dramatic from a Contest Directors point of view.
Lets forget the screw-up in my production of the grid list. Was my subconscious anti Australian when I left our TransTasman friends off the list?
With afull complement of towplanes the launch was going well until one towplane had to wave off a Duo Discus (mechanical problem which was fixed within 15 minutes). We held the launch momentarily while the Duo landed back towards the grid was turned around and relaunched.
The Standard class were to be dropped on the Buscott Hillsto the North. After the first few gliders reported no lift we continued the launch with the remainders going to “Horrible” (the hill to the South). This lead to the dramatic high/low point of the day.
Local landowner rang to complain about towplane going over his house. Then a standard class glider landed at Wardells. Due to some miscommunication the glider was relaunched from Wardells which generated a visit to the Competition office by a hopping mad Landowner who had sheep grazing on the strip.
Certainly a salutary lesson for the gliding movement in how we can really upset our landout “hosts”. Some changes have been made at Omarama in an attempt to be better at handling our neighbours and their concerns. No glider is to be retrieved by either road or air unless the landowner has been contacted, or a rigorous attempt at such communication has been made.
Of course many of the pilots were out having a great day! Unfortunately some had to abandon the task but everyone arrived home safely. One competitor provided some good spectator ogling opportunity by arriving low over the side of the airfield and then landing downwind after a turn at around 50ft….The pilot is still flagellating himself for making a dumb decision to turn at low level rather than land across the field.
Now to the boring stuff:
Open task: Racing, Moven,Glen Lyon,Grampians, Otematata, Clearburn, Omarama 243kms
1st Theo Newfield/Alan Olgate ASH25 150kph
2nd Gee Dale/Texas Bob Duo Discus 142.8kph
3rd Ivan Evans LS6 137.2kph
Standard Task: Racing, Omarama saddle, Glen Lyon, Grampians, Otematata, Clearburn, Omarama 232.5kms
1st Bill Walker Discus2b 138.2kph
2nd Nigel Ackroyd LS8a 120.4kph
3rd Max Stevens Discus B 115.1kph
Club Class Task Racing Omarama Saddle, Glen Lyon, Pukaki, Omarama 150.2km
1st Trevor Mollard Mosquito 98.2km
2nd Landon Carter Std Cirrus 86.2kph
3rd John Robinson Pik20 78.1kph
We are on hold until 12noon to see whether we might get a task. About 20% chance at the moment. Interesting discussions about Aussie Competition experience with FLARM type devices, apparently they are down inprice to around the $600-700 level
Yesterday was dramatic from a Contest Directors point of view.
Lets forget the screw-up in my production of the grid list. Was my subconscious anti Australian when I left our TransTasman friends off the list?
With afull complement of towplanes the launch was going well until one towplane had to wave off a Duo Discus (mechanical problem which was fixed within 15 minutes). We held the launch momentarily while the Duo landed back towards the grid was turned around and relaunched.
The Standard class were to be dropped on the Buscott Hillsto the North. After the first few gliders reported no lift we continued the launch with the remainders going to “Horrible” (the hill to the South). This lead to the dramatic high/low point of the day.
Local landowner rang to complain about towplane going over his house. Then a standard class glider landed at Wardells. Due to some miscommunication the glider was relaunched from Wardells which generated a visit to the Competition office by a hopping mad Landowner who had sheep grazing on the strip.
Certainly a salutary lesson for the gliding movement in how we can really upset our landout “hosts”. Some changes have been made at Omarama in an attempt to be better at handling our neighbours and their concerns. No glider is to be retrieved by either road or air unless the landowner has been contacted, or a rigorous attempt at such communication has been made.
Of course many of the pilots were out having a great day! Unfortunately some had to abandon the task but everyone arrived home safely. One competitor provided some good spectator ogling opportunity by arriving low over the side of the airfield and then landing downwind after a turn at around 50ft….The pilot is still flagellating himself for making a dumb decision to turn at low level rather than land across the field.
Now to the boring stuff:
Open task: Racing, Moven,Glen Lyon,Grampians, Otematata, Clearburn, Omarama 243kms
1st Theo Newfield/Alan Olgate ASH25 150kph
2nd Gee Dale/Texas Bob Duo Discus 142.8kph
3rd Ivan Evans LS6 137.2kph
Standard Task: Racing, Omarama saddle, Glen Lyon, Grampians, Otematata, Clearburn, Omarama 232.5kms
1st Bill Walker Discus2b 138.2kph
2nd Nigel Ackroyd LS8a 120.4kph
3rd Max Stevens Discus B 115.1kph
Club Class Task Racing Omarama Saddle, Glen Lyon, Pukaki, Omarama 150.2km
1st Trevor Mollard Mosquito 98.2km
2nd Landon Carter Std Cirrus 86.2kph
3rd John Robinson Pik20 78.1kph
We are on hold until 12noon to see whether we might get a task. About 20% chance at the moment. Interesting discussions about Aussie Competition experience with FLARM type devices, apparently they are down inprice to around the $600-700 level
Day One - Still no results
No dear readers your computer is not broken. As at 9am Monday we are still battling some technical issues to get Day 1 scores out.
But it is sunny here at the moment, some high cloud is threatening but hey its Omarama. Of course we will go flying!
Roy
But it is sunny here at the moment, some high cloud is threatening but hey its Omarama. Of course we will go flying!
Roy
Omarama Day One Begins
Well the sky is full of gliders!
Most who entered turned up. Its so much better to have people enterrred and not turn up than try and enter late. A late entry(yesterday) got lost in the email....#$%^&*(.
With a South Westerly flow of 20-25knts the fleet has headed south first to Pisah for the Open guys and Naseby for the shorter wings.
Then they head west to Tarras then Two Thumbs.
For the long wings a task of 344/458kms.
Standard class lads have a task distance of 304/424kms
The Clubbies go from Naseby to Forks Stream for a task of 198/305kms.
The day has not been without drama. First a tow pilot who didnt want to sign a waiver, then a tow plane who wanted its rear tyre changed. All in all a messy start to the first launch with a delay of 45 minutes from the forecast 12:30pm launch. Roger Harris sprang into action and repaired the puncture allowing the Pawnee to join in the launch after about 14 gliders had launched. It certainly helped having 4 motor gliders self launch in the first few minutes.
Airways have been very supportive in giving us all that we have asked for in airspace terms as we expect a lot of high flying fibreglass.
So, its back to sun bathing and relaxation. Yea right....its listening to the radio and monitoring "ops normals" and preparing for the dreaded LO...Not lo and behold but land out. Not expecting any but we have heard a club machine needing a retrieve from across the valley.
More later......
Most who entered turned up. Its so much better to have people enterrred and not turn up than try and enter late. A late entry(yesterday) got lost in the email....#$%^&*(.
With a South Westerly flow of 20-25knts the fleet has headed south first to Pisah for the Open guys and Naseby for the shorter wings.
Then they head west to Tarras then Two Thumbs.
For the long wings a task of 344/458kms.
Standard class lads have a task distance of 304/424kms
The Clubbies go from Naseby to Forks Stream for a task of 198/305kms.
The day has not been without drama. First a tow pilot who didnt want to sign a waiver, then a tow plane who wanted its rear tyre changed. All in all a messy start to the first launch with a delay of 45 minutes from the forecast 12:30pm launch. Roger Harris sprang into action and repaired the puncture allowing the Pawnee to join in the launch after about 14 gliders had launched. It certainly helped having 4 motor gliders self launch in the first few minutes.
Airways have been very supportive in giving us all that we have asked for in airspace terms as we expect a lot of high flying fibreglass.
So, its back to sun bathing and relaxation. Yea right....its listening to the radio and monitoring "ops normals" and preparing for the dreaded LO...Not lo and behold but land out. Not expecting any but we have heard a club machine needing a retrieve from across the valley.
More later......
Omarama Day ZERO -1
Hello happy gliderfans
The Competition is starting in Omarama.
After some cold days (snow down to airfield level last Thursday) we have been rewarded by some nice sunny days.
Todays practice day saw some "boisterous" thermals with most pilots flying wave to Glentanner then to Two Thumbs. We heard some pilots over 16,000ft.
This evening it looks as tho we will have three tasks per day with
Open18 Metre class having 11 entries
Standard/15 Metre class having 15
and Club class having 5.
There will be a couple of late entries as rumour has it that two keen pilots are going to Weddings this weekend and one returning from a concert in Australia. Did I say keen. Surely a comp comes before a wedding and a straight flush.
The team is poised and ready to launch into action at 10am tomorrow with the first days briefing.
Regards
Roy.
The Competition is starting in Omarama.
After some cold days (snow down to airfield level last Thursday) we have been rewarded by some nice sunny days.
Todays practice day saw some "boisterous" thermals with most pilots flying wave to Glentanner then to Two Thumbs. We heard some pilots over 16,000ft.
This evening it looks as tho we will have three tasks per day with
Open18 Metre class having 11 entries
Standard/15 Metre class having 15
and Club class having 5.
There will be a couple of late entries as rumour has it that two keen pilots are going to Weddings this weekend and one returning from a concert in Australia. Did I say keen. Surely a comp comes before a wedding and a straight flush.
The team is poised and ready to launch into action at 10am tomorrow with the first days briefing.
Regards
Roy.
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