The results.

The Forbes Flatlands started off with a bang on Saturday, but first the good news.

Gerolf and Attila (with me sitting in) called a 188 km task for the open class to the southwest in light of the forecasted 10 knot winds out of the northeast. The sport and club class were sent 89 km to the south (as the wind were supposed to clock around later from the north). They would launch an hour later to get the heart of the day.

The RASP forecast called for cumulus clouds, and we did get a few wisps near launch but that was all. The winds around launch were as forecast but dropped off quickly as we headed down the course line.

We had an hour and fifteen minutes from the launch open to the first start time and I got off early just to get out of the heat. Pinning off at 1,500' AGL I found reasonable lift and it was no problem climbing to cloud base at over 8,000' MSL. The elevation here is 761 feet.

After that first climb the lift was broken and not all that much fun to fly in. But I had a half hour until the start gate opened and there were twenty or so pilots milling around at cloud base with me.

We drifted toward the edge of the 10 km start circle waiting for the start time and I was getting lower. Scott Barrett wanted to wait to the second start time but when I saw a bunch of pilots leave I decided that I didn't want to stay in this particular air any more and headed out, even though I was maybe a thousand feet below the top guys.

This turned out to be a great move as I headed down the course line while a large group of pilots headed north of the course line to the right side of the gap through the ridge line to our west. They got lower and lower as I followed a Russian pilot to their left. He found good lift and soon we were the lead gaggle and high.

Our luck continued for the next 80 km as I was able to stick with the the lead gaggle that turned into three pilots. I'm flying the Moyes Litesport 4 (a king posted glider) and I wasn't noticing any great disadvantage. It seemed to glide with the topless gliders and I had an easy time of it in the thermals.

Fifty four kilometers into the course I found absolutely smooth 1,110 fpm. This was great fun to thermal in and it attracted the rest of the lead gaggle.

Just before West Wyalong the three pilots in front of me went out and found bad sink. I came over the Russian and we worked poor lift for eleven minutes from down low. This allowed the gaggles behind us to catch up. Now we had to chase them.

There hadn't been any clouds since the start circle but a small one appeared at the turnpoint 145 km out. For the most part we were just flying along straight and hoping to run into something. Every now and then we would spot a pilot turning and join them. I continue to be amazed that we are able to find thermals without any indicator of where they are over this flat plain.

By the time we made the turnpoint 145 km out, it was getting late in the day, after 5 PM. The lift was beginning to get weaker, no more 1,100 fpm thermals, so we were working lighter stuff longer. Pilots were bunching up and there were maybe ten in the vicinity so that helped with searching for thermals.

We slowly worked our way to the south southwest until about 15 km out we found a good thermal. I was just with Federico and the lift was the best we had seen since the turnpoint. I climbed until I was sure that I had goal and headed out leaving lots of pilots just behind.

The goal had been moved 300 meters up the course line, which I knew, but I was still surprised to see it when I was still pretty high. Six or so pilots were at goal and then ten of us came in at about 20 minutes after 6 PM, having started at 2 PM.

Pilots dribbled in until the last one, Pablo, came in at a few minutes before 8 PM. There is no goal closing time (other then sunset).

Jonny Durand took a late start gate but got stuck nine kilometers out and had a slow time. Scott Barrett got low 31 kilometers before the turnpoint and had to work weak lift for a long time to get back up, so he also was slow.

Attila, Robert, Michi and Gerolf all took the second clock and had fast times. 

I was very pleased with the Moyes Litesport. It handled very well, no slow response like on the first day. It has a slight left turn so I preferred turning right. I didn't notice that I couldn't glide as well as others, so maybe I can. It handled well in thermals.

It was easy to fly with full VG which I did often. The VG had a very marked affect on the bar position and there was light bar pressure at full VG. It was a pleasure to fly with the bar stuffed.

Now for the bad news.

As I twirled up in a nice thermal over the tow paddock, I noticed a glider below me, but still high. I saw the green undersurface of the glider and the wings folded up like a cheap suit. It was at least five seconds before the parachute was deployed. The ride down was very slow and the landing soft. The Russian pilot walked away from his Aeros glider.

Meanwhile there was dust devil carnage in the launch line. A dust devil happened right in front of Michael Williams and he and two other pilots who were hooked in were pulled up and flipped over. One pilot had two people trying to hold him down and they had to let go.

The pilots were okay and apparently the damage to the gliders can be repaired here in Forbes.

The final incident had greater consequences. Steve Elliot came off the cart crooked and things went from bad to worse as he augured in. He was helicoptered to Orange and eventually to Sydney where the prognosis is not good. I'll update as I find out more.