2013 WGC Argentina
Good report – Diez
by Bill Elliott •
WGC2013 report – 12 JanuaryYesterday’s weather turned out just a bit better than the pessimists expected, but still fell well short of what the optimists had hoped for. The wind did increase, but only moderately – pilots reported about 55 kph (30…
Official Rest Day
by Bill Elliott •
Himlen er helt dækket af cirrus, og den officielle ‘Rest Day’ er blevet kaldt. Det trænger vi også til, efter 6 dage på stribe med 5-6 timers anstrengende, (meget) varm og hektisk gaggle-flyvning. I går umuliggjorde, for langt de fleste, et tiltagende kraftigt cirrus-dække og 55kmt direkte modvind i sidste sektor, og og vej hjem, […]
No fly day
by Bill Elliott •
The flying day was cancelled this morning at 0745, due to a forecast of an all-day overcast. The Team will spend the day resting, shopping, and being thankful we’re not in Brazil.
Learn the code
by Bill Elliott •
I own a cell phone. It sits in my sock drawer most of the time, because there is no cell coverage where I live. When I travel, I usually remember to take it with me, and I find it to be a very handy item at glider contests. I am not into texting.That p…
Finish follies
by Bill Elliott •
It is tempting to describe the behavior of the pilots in the vicinity of the Finish Ring as amusing, if it weren’t so dangerous.
In my previous post on the topic, I left out the “other” penalty to which pilots are subjected when all they want to do is to get on the ground, get out of the way, and relax for the first time in five or six hours.
I am referring to the “hazardous flying” penalty imposed for crossing the airport boundary at a height of less than 15 meters above the ground. The airfield abuts a busy highway, and it makes sense that you want to have some clearance between you and the cars and trucks passing by.
Two days ago, a pilot was praised for performing a low-altitude 180° turn to a field landing short of the road. Think about that for a moment: Last minute decision. Low altitude turn. Field landing. Praise.
It happened again today. I heard that four gliders wound up in that field. Tomorrow, the pilots will probably also receive praise for being “safety conscious.” In my opinion, they were conscious more of their score than matters of safety.
I also heard that another pilot received both finish penalties: for finishing too low and for crossing the road too low.
So let me get this straight: the pilot who makes a desperate final glide to a safe landing in a familiar place gets two penalties, while the ones who make similar desperate glides that end in a dangerous maneuver to a sudden arrival in an unprepared place are the heroes.
Got it.
Kl. 20:00
by Bill Elliott •
Felipe landede ude ved en flyve plads i Tres Arroyos ca. 45 km syd for Chaves og blev hentet hjem i flyslæb, så hans hjælpere kunne slappe lidt af Ole og Jens er ude og hente Morten og DP og vi venter dem snart hjem, så vi kan få argentinsk lam fra grillen i aften Der er […]
Kl. 18:10 – DP udelandet
by Bill Elliott •
Morten (DP) er netop udelandet, men kun 13 km her fra, så han kom langt. Der er kørt mange trailere fra flyvepladsen, så Morten har nok klaret sig helt ok. Felipe (ZB) er længere bagud på ruten og har meldt, at han nok kommer til at lande, men vil prøve at nå Tres Arroyos flyveplads. […]
Kl. 16:30 – Siesta
by Bill Elliott •
Mens vi venter holdes der siesta i Camp-DK… Ole og Jøns holder siesta Morten og Felipe er ude på opgaven og gik hhv. 14.38 og 14.57. Vi har ikke hørt så meget fra dem, men de kæmper hårdt mod blæsten og Morten har vendt første sektor. Imens er Fernando (Felipes Argentinske bror) ude og gøre […]
Photo from today’s grid
by Bill Elliott •
Tom
