12.40 ; First launch as said before at 13.00. Confirmation again at 12.50. Day 10 is about to begin!!!
Sarah jumps on her tug starts her engine and as ladies go first she is the first to go to the grid. 2 Other pilots/tugs line up to let her pass by,  with behind her the rest of the tugs.
10 In total again. Ready for day 10…..AND……while I am holding on at my laptop cause of the wind…..

Day 10 is a fact at 12.59.

One tow from the taxi way and then 3 open class self launchers. Great they watered the launch area yesterday, it clearly helped, but not for long. Still dust ..but at least less!!! Gliders and tuggies do not seem to have ANY problem with this wind up to gusts of 24. To the S and SE it looks like a thicker lay of cirrus is coming in but still clouds under it. Clouds form closer to each other as well, a bit of overcast.It cools off a tiny little bit now here at the field.It does n’t look like a straight forward day, somebody just  called it in USA slang,”a shitty day” , let’s wait and see how the pilots are going to fill in their AAT’s?!
3 Self launchers behind each other again…. nice view.[13.18]

 

start for 15 m. opens at 14.32
start for 18 m. opens at 13.56
start for open class opens at 13.53

People came back from the launch area totally sand blasted. The last pilots even had to stop for a minute as the glider pilot could not see the tug in front of them.

16.00 ; So…the “start-game”  has been  played by the pilots.Here are the results.
Open class was open first at 13.53. The first pilots to leave left at 14.14 and 14.24 and those pilots were the Aussies!!!Brad went first to “snif ” and Bruce followed in 10 minutes. Over the last days we will see more that team- mates , also from other classes… if possible , help each other to the TOP.
ABOUT an HOUR LATER  at 15.08/.09/.10, the last 10 pilots left. Amongst them, the French, The Germans, Team USA and the UK, Denmark,Italy  and Brasil. Looking forward to see  what’s going to happen now!!!

In 18 m. also an Aussie leaving first David Jansen at 14.11, the last at 15.04 at this stage,  as sending the times should happen as late as possible as well, part of the big game. For that reason I will give the times on the last days also later . 18 Pilots are not yet counted for!

In 15 m. all pilots have departed and the times between the first and the last are 14.14 and 15.14, so exactly one hour. Dave Leonard [USA] was the first and David Bauder from Germany the last.

 

16.30 update ;All 18 m. pilots are now counted for as , “departed”. The last French pilot  left at 15.19
10 Pilots left at or after 3PM.

GAGGLE TALK:

—TV network NEWS 4,  is here at the field and making a shot of the tent. And are talking to some local guests in it.

—Roberto saved me …..as I got all pictures I got, I copied scattered on my screen and I wanted them in a folder!!!! No worries for him, he fixed it in a minute!

—a gentleman just offered to pay lunch for me , as a thank you for all the good writing. Very kind of him, but I had lunch already.

—It was great !! Nice to finally get to meet my faithful correspondent
who is our “Eyes & Ears @ WGC 2012” !! Thanks to you & WE for posting
it. Sure seems that Ritz is an “International Version” of Speedy Bond !!!

—from locals I got the next invitation for all to come to their Great Leona Egg Hunt  ” a tall tale”. It’s on August 17 and 18 at 7.30 PM in the Janey Slaughter Briscoe Grand Opera House in Uvalde Texas.
Reserved seating 15,- premium…10,- mezzanine and balcony.
Tickets available at Herby Ham Activity Center100W  North Street
info at 278-9571 .Have fun!!!

Some more pictures from the PARTY.