Getting ready for the Worlds
The GFS/XCSkies forecasted good lift and a few scattered clouds at 9,000' with a 10 knot north northwest wind at 4,000 (about launch height) for Tuesday. It looked like I might have a chance to launch off the upper north side unlike last year. I didn't want to follow in Mart's path and crash on that side when the wind was actually west.
I went up in one of the vans/shuttles at 11 AM while others took their time and came up later. The wind was coming in at a nice rate from the north northwest straight into launch so I set up at the highest point which I knew was the best north launch.
Only ten or so of us were setting up as the rest of the pilots stopped at the launch down below and set up there assuming that the north wind would over power any thermals coming up the south side.
The winds on top started switching around to west but they would always come back to north northwest, so you just had to wait less than a minute for a good cycle of north wind. I let a few pilots launch in front of me before I was willing to try my first foot launch in six months.
I had seen Jean Paul in his AIR ATOS VR take a nice smooth thermal out away from the cliff to our right about fifteen minutes earlier so I went to where he went and found that same nice lift. It was a smooth thermal to over 8,000' and cloud base. I could see another twenty pilots setting up down below at the north launch.
I headed out toward Apres, 25 km to the north with Warren in tow. The idea was to do an out and return, but I didn't really have much for retrieval, as Belinda was relaxing. It was a glide over to Beaumont where I found some ratty lift that I stayed in a bit too long. Warren kept going but I wasn't that excited about going to Apres, so headed back flying around the valleys and find just as strong lift, but not nearly as ratty. I'll have to remember that.
Curt and Louise are here as are Conrad and Anousha. Curt had a little zipper accident a few days ago. You can read about it in Steve's blog. Curt is on his honeymoon with Louise.
Gerolf is here and feisty as ever re the sprogs issue. Apparently the CIVL Bureau went off and on its own after the CIVL Sprogs Workgroup, which was actually tasked with the job by the Plenary, came back with a general agreement on how to proceed, that the Bureau thought should/could be improved. That's why you see it (the Bureau's version) being walked back now (see article above).
We should see more sprog action in the coming days. I'm enjoying the controversy as always. I was the first one to get my sprogs measured by Dennis and, of course, everything is right on stock (within the error measurement, which appears to be quite large). Some pilots are being told to adjust their sprogs up to match the manufacturer's recommendations (or certified configurations).
There is controversy about how to make the measurements (with or without opening the zippers), where to make the measurements (for or aft on the sprogs), how much the lateral angle needs to be controlled, how these measurements relate to the measurements that are made by the manufacturers and at certification testing, how to deal with the Certification Statements and the prototype statements (it is acknowledged that there are indeed problems with the Sporting Code).
But we are having a great time and I haven't seen anyone lose it yet over this issue.
http://OzReport.com/1245187577
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