On Saturday after most of the international pilots put their gliders together
they headed over to the newly created official LZ to get interviewed by the
assembled media and to get up the hill for the official opening of the launch
and the new Guayaquil Center for Free Flight, just a few minutes from downtown
Guayaquil. The opening was be presided over by the Minister of Tourism.

All the television networks were at the LZ and there were photographers snapping
pictures from every corner of the field. I couldn't move without hitting one.

Raul wanted us to split up with half the pilots going up to the launch and the
other half or so aerotowing behind his trike. I was borrowing Raul's Wills Wing
T2 144 (actually renting it) and I set it up right away and got ready to be
towed up. No reason not to go first.

The sky was overcast, as it is apparently almost all the time here. We are on
the Pacific coast after all. Cloud base was a little over 2,000' with thin black
cu's underneath the dark grey overcast skies. We had been told that this didn't
matter, there would be thermals without direct sunlight.

With television cameras spread out all along the runway. Raul towed me up first
long before the pilots up on launch took off. I pinned off at 1,800' and going
over to the hillside next to the launch found that there was indeed plenty of
light but sustained lift. The hills were covered with broad leaf trees that
reminded me off Australia hillsides. A few trees stood out, the big bare open
ones that are almost ready to release their "cotton" like balls of seeds.

After about half an hour Jeff O'Brien was pulled up and started wingovers above
the launch to the delight (or at least attention) of the camera operators there.
It looks like we'll have pictures spread out over all the newspapers and TV
stations over the weekend (before the soccer starts on Sunday).

The sky filled up with pilots and given the fluffy conditions we all played
around charging the launch and twirling about like guys who actually enjoyed
playing in the air and playing for the cameras. Jeff O'Brien could just not be
held back. No ridge lift, no winds, just thermals up and down the ridge as we
played just above the trees and then circled up to cloud base.

After a couple of hours Jamie was high and went out front toward the Mangrove
swamps. The river inlet was just a few hundred yards from the LZ and across the
first bit of the river low lying fields spread out throughout the Mangroves. A
dark cloud under the overcast was forming just over the LZ. When Jamie got there
she started climbing. We glided away from the hill to join her away and sure
enough there was 200 fpm back up to cloud base.

The LZ was filled with onlookers who had responded to the insistent TV ads,
eating local food, sitting under the Red Bull tent, drinking Red Bull or beer.
An enjoyable (media filled) day was had by all.

More on Sunday and then the Guayaquil cross country contest begins (and lasts
for two days). On Wednesday we head for Canoa and the Canoa Open.