Task 4
Day 11
Just read through the comments sent in to JJ’s Blog yesterday. Firstly, on behalf of the team, thanks for the congratulations, great to know there’s great support out there. And the story below….
The morning was grey with around 80% alto stratus cover, it was looking pretty doubtful with everything on hold until 12. Then it was decided we were meeting on the hill at 1.30. The sky was clearing, the winds weren’t too strong….pilots were beginning to smile.
The task was set to Baan Baa to the west with 5 x 15min start gates. The Aussies met and decided on strategy, general consensus was not the first start gate and go with a good sized gaggle. The team was all pretty quick to launch and we all took the second start gate. Personally I was keen to leave, those gaggles over launch were all over the place. ……Game on.
Heading towards Boggabri Gap climbs were low with the gaggles moving on fast at around 1550m. This saw the team split up as we all headed for the climbs closest to each of us. As we got closer to the Gap the climbs got lower and more spread out and things started looking a little dire. Shortly after Craig, Craig, Brain and Heike were on the deck in the newly named Buggerbry Gap. They weren’t alone, around 50 pilots ended up in the same area including Steve Ham and Russel Ogden.
Meantime Andrew had ended up with a gaggle taking the higher country to the north, calling climbs to 2000m he seemed to be doing just fine. I was heading to the forest just north of the Gap, it was shading out, I went in low and found a climb over a rock with another pilot and climbed out. Later I heard unconfirmed reports of someone else doing the same and landing on that rock… James was still on the east side of the Gap and eventually found a climb over Michelle Baptist to make the crossing.
Conditions to the west of Gap were tricky, the sky was filling in with high cloud, the climbs were slow and with the carnage at Boggaabri we were left with fewer gaggles. Going to the south of the Square Forest it became obvious the winds were more cross and it was easy to drift north of the course line. This was Andrew’s demise, his gaggle had continued around the north of the Square Forest and coming around the corner to get into goal it was pretty tough going into the head wind. He landed shortly after. I landed about the same time.
After crossing the Gap, James got a couple of great (relatively speaking) climbs and was just about 1km behind me and into wind when he called a tantalizing 1 up. I wasn’t going to make it to him….but so close. James took that climb and made goal. Very well done! Around 25 others made it as well, the only chick was Kari Castle who had been flying with James.
After I landed I saw one and then two gaggles of around 15 pilots fly over the top of me, those later starts seemed to have the advantage. Louise Crandal confirmed this on the way back, she had left in either the last or second last start and had a fairly easy and quick run.
A disappointment of the day was not seeing the leading pilot Petra in goal and then hearing from her team mates that she had basically bombed. How cool would it have been to see her win!
When we landed we got the news from Pete abut the incidents on the hill. Being a good manager he had kept everything to himself. Two mid-airs with three reserve deployments, a gyro flying around very close to the pilots, and a free flyer with a broken leg. Apparently there was discussion about canning the task so the rescue helicopter could get in. No updates on what was posted in the comments by Rob as yet.
This morning it’s raining, JJ thinks we might sneak in a task tomorrow……..
-Viv
Just read through the comments sent in to JJ’s Blog yesterday. Firstly, on behalf of the team, thanks for the congratulations, great to know there’s great support out there. And the story below….
The morning was grey with around 80% alto stratus cover, it was looking pretty doubtful with everything on hold until 12. Then it was decided we were meeting on the hill at 1.30. The sky was clearing, the winds weren’t too strong….pilots were beginning to smile.
The task was set to Baan Baa to the west with 5 x 15min start gates. The Aussies met and decided on strategy, general consensus was not the first start gate and go with a good sized gaggle. The team was all pretty quick to launch and we all took the second start gate. Personally I was keen to leave, those gaggles over launch were all over the place. ……Game on.
Heading towards Boggabri Gap climbs were low with the gaggles moving on fast at around 1550m. This saw the team split up as we all headed for the climbs closest to each of us. As we got closer to the Gap the climbs got lower and more spread out and things started looking a little dire. Shortly after Craig, Craig, Brain and Heike were on the deck in the newly named Buggerbry Gap. They weren’t alone, around 50 pilots ended up in the same area including Steve Ham and Russel Ogden.
Meantime Andrew had ended up with a gaggle taking the higher country to the north, calling climbs to 2000m he seemed to be doing just fine. I was heading to the forest just north of the Gap, it was shading out, I went in low and found a climb over a rock with another pilot and climbed out. Later I heard unconfirmed reports of someone else doing the same and landing on that rock… James was still on the east side of the Gap and eventually found a climb over Michelle Baptist to make the crossing.
Conditions to the west of Gap were tricky, the sky was filling in with high cloud, the climbs were slow and with the carnage at Boggaabri we were left with fewer gaggles. Going to the south of the Square Forest it became obvious the winds were more cross and it was easy to drift north of the course line. This was Andrew’s demise, his gaggle had continued around the north of the Square Forest and coming around the corner to get into goal it was pretty tough going into the head wind. He landed shortly after. I landed about the same time.
After crossing the Gap, James got a couple of great (relatively speaking) climbs and was just about 1km behind me and into wind when he called a tantalizing 1 up. I wasn’t going to make it to him….but so close. James took that climb and made goal. Very well done! Around 25 others made it as well, the only chick was Kari Castle who had been flying with James.
After I landed I saw one and then two gaggles of around 15 pilots fly over the top of me, those later starts seemed to have the advantage. Louise Crandal confirmed this on the way back, she had left in either the last or second last start and had a fairly easy and quick run.
A disappointment of the day was not seeing the leading pilot Petra in goal and then hearing from her team mates that she had basically bombed. How cool would it have been to see her win!
When we landed we got the news from Pete abut the incidents on the hill. Being a good manager he had kept everything to himself. Two mid-airs with three reserve deployments, a gyro flying around very close to the pilots, and a free flyer with a broken leg. Apparently there was discussion about canning the task so the rescue helicopter could get in. No updates on what was posted in the comments by Rob as yet.
This morning it’s raining, JJ thinks we might sneak in a task tomorrow……..
-Viv
posted by JJ at 10:12 am
5 Comments:
Great to heear that you all got a flight in, shame about the flukey conditions. Well done James!
Well done to all the Aussie team with a special congrats to James, Viv and Andrew. You've all shown an amazing degree of patience both in your flying, and to sit in Manilla for two weeks and only fly four times. Hope you get a good last day tomorrow.
Viv, let's see you take that last step up to the top of the podium tomorrow :-)
Phil
thanks for running a great blog , makes me wish I was there
Rod Burgoyne
Big cheers from Melbourne - we're watching and are very excited!
This proves my long held theory that - weather conditions are inversey proportional to the number of pilots intending to fly. It's a pity as Manilla usually turns on great weather. Good luck to all today. Stay safe in those big gaggles.
Paul
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