Briefing Over and Stories ‘Bout Long Retrieves! Updated!

Tasks today are 3.15 AAT’s for all classes.And…a bit shorter.

15 m. between 388 and 587
18 m. between 394 and 636
open between 372 and 619.
Grid time is 12.30 first launch to be expected at 12.50!

Briefing is over ..
The CD Ken called yesterday… “Challenging,” but…in spite of the weather, pilots showed they belong to a WGC. “Surely you will not forget this day easily.”

Intros continued and today TC Eric Napoleon from France introduced his team, and so did TC Uli Gmelin with his big German team: two more pilots as Susanne is the current female WWGC champion [in the picture below] and Michael Sommer the current WGC champion.

The winners were as said this morning.
On the operational side, the CD mentioned that the landings were good on run/taxi way 33, but some pilots landed too short. So LONG landings are important, also when you have to wait longer to go back to the tie down area. Safety for pilots in a landing has priority!!
He also explained the difference in sunset time and finish line closure. Later receipt of log files will be not “punished.” They take this all in consideration. GOOD on them.

Weather;
There is a “weaker “high pressure system…
–the day will definitely start BLUE!
–trigger temp. will be 35C
–max. temperature up to 39.5C
–max. altitude 8000 ft MSL
–sea breeze not expected before 7 PM, with a possibility of isolated thunderstorms
–wind from the SE 5 to 10 knots

A great picture of one of the gaggles yesterday; click on it two times to enlarge!
Courtesy Matthew Gonitzke

The last pilots coming back from a retrieve were the Canadians. They went to sleep at 7 this morning. The story by a Swiss pilot who only landed about 20 km out on a locked ranch will be written down soon by one of the retrievers. VERY interesting. So stay stand by!

The San Antonio Astronomical Association is here today, just outside the SSA tent where they set up “solar viewing telescopes.” So if you are interested, visit / meet them behind the “6 o’clock HAPPY HOUR” tent under a brown small marquis.

 

Gaggle Talk;
—The SSA tent was very busy this morning and lots of people were taking their new bought polos and t-shirts to their cars.

—All vendors are a doing good business as I see on this weekend day.

—Katja, the web guru from Finland, left this morning again after a week visit to Uvalde. Did not know a week could go SO fast, barely had time to talk to her.

—Met this morning Leonardo Brigliadori’s grandchildren. Leonardo was the CD in Rieti together with Giorgio at the 1987 JWGC  and 1988 WGC. He did a LOT for Italian soaring. His son Ricardo flies in 18 m. So here is Ricardo’s wife in the picture together with Kiki and their beautiful children.

 

 —The apron in front of me gets fuller and fuller by incoming planes for the weekend.

—Wes and Kay, my landlords, are JUST wonderful; they just arrived with homebaked cake as a Saturday morning snack…what about that?

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