Before I launch into the description of the day, I'd like to tell you that we are very proud of the girls here today. Now I'd better tell you why.
Glider rigging started before 7am with bright sunshine. We started to rig about 8am.
At 9:30am Lisa, Lisa and I went to the briefing hall leaving the boys to ballast and grid the gliders. It's usual to grid before the 10:15am briefing if no rain is about. Grid positions are published early and since there is not much wind or strong thermal activity it seems safe to leave them on the grid.
The weather forecast was promising with cumulus, bases initially at 1000m, rising to 1500m. Light winds of 15kph and there is no sea breeze – oops I mean Maritime Replacement Air here (but the day does tend to die earlyish (5-6pm onwards) as the sun doesn't heat so well later in the day. Twilight starts early but goes for hours – it's a bit strange because the sun can still be fairly high.
They set a task of 298.8km for Standard class, just over 320 for 15m class and about 220 for Club Class. The tasks were essentially triangles but had an extra control point to bring all traffic over the finish line from the same direction.
This task took us near and through some airspace on the map, which made us all a bit nervous.
It's part of our routine now to go off after the briefing for the Aussie team briefing/discussion. Sonja takes notes for us during briefing and rebriefs us during this meeting. She could not clarify exactly how we needed to treat this airspace (D,E and F) so we decided to ask the organisation. Once again they were very friendly and helpful and took time to explain to me what we needed to know. I was able to get the correct information directly from the Contest Director.
The Contest Director Hans Obermayer clarified that only class D airspace infringement would attract a penalty. F is only active when IFR traffic calls (which should be in English), and then is deactivated. We need only keep a listening watch. E is no problem at all to enter.
The military airfield that has the class D airspace around it, can however be used for a "safety landing" with the correct radio calls.
While briefing me on airspace, Hans also advised that following the forests was the best tract and keeping clear of the place on the map that has what looks like irrigation lines (but are probably lots of rivers).
Following the Aussie team briefing, the girls talk tactics. We are flying here as a team and the girls have put a lot of time, money and effort into practicing and being coached as a team before coming here. This is why we are flying two LS4's in standard class rather than two better but different gliders. The aim this year is to learn about the site and perfect the team flying. Next year we'll win!
We need to be on the grid ready to launch within 30 mins of the end of briefing. Then we wait for the organisers to decide the atmosphere is ready to support 60+ gliders.
There is a minor panic on the grid when L2's IPAQ looses its winpilot turnpoint files and I'm hauled up from photographing the grid to activate the InfraRed Communications between L1 and L2's IPAQs. WE solved that one quickly only to find the battery in L1's handheld radio is dead.
They are already launching the grid when I take a car and drive back to the "bus" to get my Icom. We fly with the aircraft radio on the team frequency but a handheld radio monitoring the contest frequencies.
Two crises solved with plenty of time. Better on the ground than in the air.
Both girls are calm and settled (or at least appear that way outwardly) when they launch.
After launch, we look up to see a very, very large gaggle!
We retire to "Australia Base" to monitor the action.
There wasn't much action so Keith and Sonja went shopping for nappies (yes guys this is women's competition and our pee tubes are not as easy to deal with as yours are) and I went for a bike ride, all carrying our mobiles for news. We all agreed to be back well in time for the finish, but if the finish was premature, we'd be contactable.
Steve flew Helge's LS1-f "UX". Other flying is allowed after the competition starts, but loggers must be carried.
Steve had landed and we were putting away the LS1 when Ralf's mobile rang. Swaanje was 3.8km away.
We were very relieved when "SP" and "14" landed shortly afterwards.
We derigged and left the boys and Sonja to finish and close the trailers while we went for a debriefing session. We were a little concerned when the organisation asked for a backup logger for "14" (Lisa Trotter).
We downloaded the loggers and talked about what had and hadn't worked in the flight. We downloaded the traces ourselves and used Seeyou as an aid to analyse the flight.
The logger traces should be on this website so you can see for yourselves how well the girls flew as a team (Lisa Trotter's and Lisa Turner's traces linked here. Load them both into SeeYou and play them both at the same time for a great demonstration of team flying). We were surprised and delighted to see the girls at equal 7th place for the day. Go Aussie! You can read their comments on the flight elsewhere on this web site.
This evening we were entertained by a local sheep farm. They give talks about the farm and sold us lamb and vegetable soup. Since the sheep were Suffolk crossbred, we talked after (with some translation required).
Tomorrow is also supposed to be a nice day but Friday and Saturday might not be.
Just a short note for those interested in the logger files. We use Seeyou (www.seeyou.ws) to analyse the flights. There is a German map there and you will be able to see the airspace I've referred to if you download it. Turnpoints are available on the official website (www.dsmf2004.de) For those that don't speak German, use the menu on the left until you come to a page with files to download and download the zipped folder called kl4a_all.87. This has turnpoint data is lots of formats as described in the “readme” file.
Todays standard Class task was as follows (by turnpoint number only – the names are too hard)
Takeoff 061, Start 003AL3 (line 10m long), Turn1 087, Turn2 069, Turn 3 (control) 133, Finish line 137 (line 1 km long)
By the way, did I mention that we were equal 7th?
We are really happy with a good solid placing in the top 1/3. It's a great start for the rest of the contest.