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09.03.2011
2011 Colombian National Hang Gliding Championships - day 4


Results here:
http://danielvelezbravo.wordpress.com/

We are up on launch before 9 AM. There are three layers of clouds. The cirrus
almost completely covering the sky dome, thick mid level clouds over the
mountains to the east for the most part but scattered around, and cu's popping
below us and on the hillsides both east and west. Bits of sunlight here and
there.

There is no wind on launch as we setup. By the time the gliders are up and we
are ready to fly if need by, there is a 3 mph wind on the north launch coming
right in. The sky has opened up a little, and we can see sunshine in the valley.
There are cu's around us and the cloud base is about launch level.

At 10:15 they have a task but as they watch conditions, they change the task at
11 AM, for a 11:45 AM start. While the sky was mostly clear to the west at 10
AM, by 11 AM there are dark thick clouds on the ridge to the west. It looks like
rain.

The wind stopped coming into the north facing launch around 10:30. It is mostly
coming from the east 90 degrees cross to the launch. Every once in a while it
comes up for a few second. These are just like the conditions that I launched in
on the second day. I'm not encouraged.

The task is to head south for 37 kilometers to the small hills on the other side
of the valley, then to head back north on the western flanks of those small
hills to goal near Roldanillo, but to the east. After launch opened at 11 AM,
there was plenty of sunshine out in the valley, and it looks like the idea was
to get away from the western mountain range and  fly in the valley.

A wind dummy, Mitch, and then Daniel launch when puffs of wind come up the
launch. Raul is up next and there is a launch director. Raul stays ton launch
for fifteen minutes as the wind almost all the time comes from the east, due
cross. The launch director tells him if the conditions are launchable or not and
mostly they are not.

A local pilot wants to launch and Raul lets him in. He launches cross hill into
the cross wind. Mike says that he has seen this guy launch tail wind. He gets
away with it. Maybe the rules don't apply to him.

Finally the breeze comes in a little bit for a few seconds and Raul gets off
followed by Mike, and David. Then the launch comes to a stop again and pretty
much that's it for the launch and launchable conditions. I have already put my
harness away and packed up everything but the glider.

Suddenly the wind switches and comes up from the south straight up the much
shallower launch that was mowed yesterday. The back of the ten pilot line turns
around and all the pilots in line other than Claudia get off the hill in strong
winds. Claudia doesn't launch and then it is over. The launch director closes
the launch as the wind switches to the west.

The wind picks up and then the thunder sounds and the lightning appears, and we
hunkered down after turning our gliders to the east as the downpour is upon us.
Twenty five to forty mph winds drive the rain under the glider and we try to
protect ourselves and our gear as best we can. This goes on for about fifteen
minutes.

Yesterday is also rained hard after I left the hillside (after the task was
canceled) but it cleared up and the wind came up strongly on the north launch
and pilots had great flights after the rain. Today it looks like maybe no flying
after the downpour. We'll see.

Mike Glennon was in the air near launch when the downpour hit us. He was heading
south and the wind picked up for him. He was soon in a rotor with the ridge to
the south and had to come back and land just north of Roldanillo. Raul and David
were nearby.

I'm assuming that the day is invalid as there was not enough launch time to get
all the pilots off in forty five minutes.



http://OzReport.com/1299701639
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