Thanks to Gary Carter for sharing this video of a Gulfstream taking off this morning from the runway used for launching the 15 and 18 meter classes.
Tag Archive for 2012 WGC Uvalde
Incident at WGC 2012
by Bill Elliott •
A midair collision between two 15-Meter class gliders happened at around 15:30, about 30 km southwest of Uvalde. Loius Bourderlique of France (glider FB) was able to fly back to Uvalde and land safely. Peter Hartmann of Austria (glider PC) b…
15 m.returns home after incident.
by Bill Elliott •
At 17.15 the first voices on the radio announced their 10 k. Can’t be possible?! But…than ….I heard 15 m is cancelled cause of a mid air. Pilots both OK. Have some details but prefer to give you the official news later. All 15 m. pilots are coming back now! 18.00 ; To not get you too…
All Safe
by Bill Elliott •
Since this is being widely reported elsewhere and to reassure everyone ….There has been a mid-air collision between two 15m gliders on task. Both pilots are fine. One landed back at the field and one bailed out.Australian pilots are not involved and …
[Video] WGC 2012 Pilots’ Meeting
by Bill Elliott •
This video is a collection of clips from the 14 and 15 August pilots’ meetings.
Gena Tabery, On the Fly: Teamwork
by Bill Elliott •
The United States team operates at a disadvantage, compared to other countries, because United States contest rules specifically forbid team flying. Most U.S. pilots have not flown collaboratively with a teammate until they reach the world competition …
Dan & Walts Weather
by Bill Elliott •
Stratus in the morning has given way to widespread cumulus with FEW sky covering over the the entire Uvalde tasking area. By 1530CDT some contestants were rounding the turnpoints in the Hill Country northeast of Uvalde. Cloud bases were around 7000 fee…
Gena Tabery, On the Fly: Teamwork
by Bill Elliott •
The United States team operates at a disadvantage, compared to other countries, because its contest rules specifically forbid team flying. Most U.S. pilots have not flown collaboratively with a teammate until they reach the world competition level, and they cannot adequately benefit from the advantages of sharing information in flight. This spring many members of the U.S. Soaring Team met in Chilhowee, Tennessee for a week specifically to work on team-flying strategies, coached by former 15-meter World Champion Brian Spreckley. The team met again in Uvalde for the informal practice period prior to the official practice week.
Absent from both of those training periods were Open Class pilots Dick Butler and Ron Tabery: Mr. Butler was still finishing his Concordia glider, and Mr. Tabery had work commitments. While the rest of the U.S. team pre-practiced in Uvalde, the Open Class team met up in Kerrville, Texas, to work the tough hill country area away from onlookers eager to catch a glimpse of the Concordia. They also wanted to work on team flying. Both Mr. Butler and Mr. Tabery are known for their individualism, and it was a matter of great speculation as to how well they would take to working together as a team.
All doubts have been put to rest. “Dick is my mentor,” says Mr. Tabery. “There is no one else in the U.S. I would rather fly with.” As for his part, Mr. Butler says, “Ron and I think very similarly. I admire his decision making greatly.” Taciturn on the radio when flying alone, the Butler-Tabery team has astonished their teammates by the amount of consultation and conversation while racing. “Those two are like girls at a prom,” says 15-meter teammate John Seaborn. Mr. Butler has joked, “I’m afraid our teammates are going to kick us off the U.S. frequency if we keep on talking like we have been.”
Other countries very greatly in the time spent training for a world championship. The German team is famous for their organization, and before each championship they spend two weeks training in St. Auban. This year they spent additional time in Uvalde prior to the official practice period. But as is true for other countries, not every team member can get away from work obligations to attend such extended training. And they are flying unfamiliar aircraft. One team member reports that he had flown his new Quintus M exactly twice before it was shipped to the U.S.
The entire Australian team flew at Uvalde last year in the Pre-World competition, and several members of that team had extended practice periods here before this WGC. David Jansen came to Uvalde at the beginning of July and spent the entire month flying here. In contrast, the South African team had no formal training as a team and also have new planes to contend with. Laurens Goudriaan reports having flown his JS-1 four times before arriving in Uvalde. However, that team has the advantage of two sets of brothers who have flown together for years. Similarly the Belgian team does not train, and they are flying ships they had flown only a few times before this competition.
The British team, also flying new planes, goes through no formal training. “But we are familiar with each other and have flown together before. We fly cooperatively,” says Open Class pilot Peter Harvey. The Polish team has no organized training period, but Open Class pilot Wiktor Kozlik reports that at their national competition, they are assigned a partner with whom they will fly at the WGC, and they fly their national competition with that teammate.
The Italian team does not organize a training period for their pilots, but their pilots traditionally have flown with their teammates. Says Katrin Ghiorzio of her husband, 15-meter World Champion Stefano Ghiorzio and his teammate Thomas Gostner, “Thomas and Stefano always fly together as a team.” They fly several European competitions before the WGC. “But this year,” says Mrs. Ghiorzio, “so many of our European contests had bad weather and rain, and they could not fly. And the conditions here are so different, the practice was not helpful.”
The French, who appear to have more group cohesion that almost any team on the field, devote at least one week each spring to training at the national center at St. Auban. Other than that, says Open Class pilot Sylvain Gerbaud, “We prepare for competitions by flying competitions.” And when he says flying, he means team flying.
Long Racing Tasks
by Bill Elliott •
All US Team pilots have started. Today’s cumulus field is even and widespread and covers the entire Uvalde task area. Task distances today: 15m: 618k, 18m: 652k, and Open Class: 685k. Based on their start times, we expect …
12.40 …day 12…with one day to go here in sunny Uvalde.
by Bill Elliott •
12.36 ; Tuggies drive to the launch area, for the 12.40- first- launch, on day 12 from the possible 13. Another long day ahead!!! 12.40 ;the first gliders are behind the tugs on both run/and taxiway. DAY 12 has started!!!AND ….nearly NO DUST!!!!!! Thank you to Richard, who organized this! A huge difference with yesterday when…
