Day 4

Day 4 and it is pumping! The winds are probably 8-10kts avg with gusts (cycles) up to 20kts, these are big cycles and you know you are in Forbes a premier thermal site because I would call the conditions, in the paddock at least, extreme. Dusties in view most of the time that look like small tornadoes gliders getting battered as they are set up and 40 deg + on the ground. So in the Sport class we are launching after the main field and watching the main field does little to inspire your views on towing safely. Watching the dusties rip through and gliders locking out. At one stage three gliders all get knocked off tow low (200’-300’) right beside each other in a dusty, it is no one that is tearing up dirt but it is obvious what it is. My first reaction is OK guys you’re going to have to just pull the nose in and fly out front to escape this monster. NOPE! This is a competition damn it, let’s try and get up in it. They start to dance with the devil and the devil doesn’t dance well at all.
One glider nearly tumbles but comes back for more, it is obvious that this thing is kicking like a prize rodeo bull but they persist, big surge, big sink getting smashed all the while barely in control. The one pilot hits the big surge as he turns cross wind, banks left to turn in it, falls out as he goes down wind and the glider pitches nose down accelerates and and barely gets almost level as it drives into the ground, from 150’. Well another dead pilot I think. Horrific to watch and completely unnecessary. Anyway turns out the pilot was unconscious for a while but wakes up and is keen to tow again. EEERRR! DUDE! look at your glider; obvious concussion. So the ambulance arrives and takes him off for a free helicopter ride to Orange Hospital. Trent Brown it was, and last I heard he is OK with a huge bruise and maybe some broken ribs.

I shut down launch for the Sport and Club classes until 3pm. It is too wild and pumping for our field. Once Trent is moved off the aerodrome, the Open guys start towing again. WE wait until 3 and make the decision to start towing at 4pm – no change to the task. 80km to Cudal. At 4pm we launch and and 4 off and I pop off in what seems like good lift, I look at the vario, oops 1100’agl, I was told we can stay on as long as it took because we are so late. Anyway I find a steady core at 300fpm and next I know the three tugs behind me are all losing their pilots as they ping off too, OH NO I think I hope these guys are not getting off because I did, as I am not sure just yet that this one is going to be the one. Pretty soon we are all in good cores and climbing out nicely ALL THE WAY TO 10000’ + (10000’ is the legal height here) That is over an 8000’ height gain, oh so sweet.

Things get a bit scratchy after I glide of 20k down the road and I get stuck scratching at between 4-5 grand. Meanwhile my team have all landed and got a flat tyre, I feel kind of bad because I had the driver (Laura) sitting out in the heat all day and now they have to deal with changing a tyre in the heat. OK I said I will dribble to the next town and find the pub. I need to get a little lift to get to the most convenient paddock to town so push over some small rocky ridges. The glider start to speed up as it gets sucked into something that really wants me to be a part of it. Slowly the glider starts to climb I wait, wait a little more and start to turn the way I think will give me the cores, one turn and I am climbing at 600fpm, 7 at times 8 it I lose it in spots, Sorry crew but I cannot say no to this. Not long later I am at 10000+ again and it looks like I have goal from 38km out. OH Yeh! I glide toward the turn point taking it easy and enjoying the view. The turn point is really just a spot on the course line we wanted the pilots to fly too to keep them closer to the roads, it is only 15k from goal. I hit another nice climb about 8k from the TP and cannot resist a little more lift, even though I don’t need it. The view in the horse shoe valley, (stark contrast to the surrounding flats) I have just come over is spectacular so I stop to ponder it some more, who cares about times when there are only three people in your comp, if only I had my camera – but I keep forgetting it in the hot and hectic paddock, it is just one more thing I do not need to worry about. A lazy easy glide to goal. LIFE IS GOOD!