Last Practice day

The last few days have produced picture perfect weather and the cold wintery conditions have been shunted aside. Thick coats have been exchanged for Tshirts and shorts and everybody is enjoying the sun. We were unable to post the task yesterday as Lynne and I had to make the trip into Hämeenlinna to buy batteries for us and the Dutch team. We finally figured one of our batteries could not hold a charge and that this had been the problem all along. Chris had a nice flight yesterday and today a short task has been set, he is about 50km out just past the first turnpoint. Spot tracking is accessed from the top left corner of the JWC2009 results page http://www.jwgc2009.fi/results.php

Google Earth http://www.spot-tracking.com/files/jwtracking.kml

GoogleMaps http://www.spot-tracking.com/files/jwtracking.htm


Tracking does not work in Windows Explorer you will need to download a copy of Mozilla Firefox to view the tracking.

The opening day task we have been warned will likely be a long one with grid opening at 8:00am and tasks ready for pick up at 8:30. There will be a short opening ceremony before briefing tomorrow morning and launching is planned for 11:00.

Practice Day 1

We had the first practice day yesterday and a 357km assigned task was called. I started out with Nathan Johnson, an Australian I met while I was there in the winter. We are both flying LS-4's so we are going to team fly as best we can. I got about 1000ft higher than him after the first leg so we split up shortly after the first turnpoint. I flew with a gaggle of French, Austrian, Czech, Lithuanians among others and eventually got ahead of them. Going into the second turnpoint I met back up with Nathan who must have had a real good run. We flew together on the third leg until I again gained a good bit of height on him. I was ahead of everybody at that point and did not see anyone until I landed. I was the first home and the flight felt good. I came in 7th for the day and had the second best unhandicapped speed. A few of the big teams did not put in scores. The winner flew at 105km/h in an LS-1f. Today we should have a task again but I have my official weighing at 11am so I will not be able to make grid time. I will take a launch later but will probably take it easy to rest up for the first official day.
Scores

Mid Summer Festival

The airport at Räyskälä was buzzing last night. Most if not all the teams have arrived and last night marked the start of the Finnish mid summer festival. This celebration started at 13:00 sharp, until Monday corner gas stations are one of the few places to buy forgotten supplies of staples like milk and more important beer. Since our arrival the weather has only cooperated sporadically and the start of mid summer festival failed to coax the sun out from behind the pouring rain and clouds. However at 22:40 when we set out to join the festivities at the airport it had started to dry out and the night light did not look too different from the light of the morning 12 hours before. Along the normally quiet route to the airport we had to negotiate parked cars and crowds of people making their way to the bonfires that were burning along the shores of the numerous lakes. When we arrived at the briefing hangar the newly constructed bar was conducting a brisk trade. We immediately ran into our friends from team USA and team Australia and got to know some of the British team who are our neighbours at the cottages we are all staying at. Shortly before midnight everyone trekked out to the centre of the airport to gather around a huge bonfire, members of various teams gathered around the bonfire attempted to catch a small rabbit that seemed to be drawn to the flames. No matter how many attempts were made to apprehend it the rabbit would escape into the bush and shortly after make its way back to the edge of the fire.

Räyskälä (pronounced Rouse - as in house – Kala) is home to about 1,000 glider pilots, power pilots and parachutists. There are over 150 trailers in the trailer park and the airport restaurant Café 26 is also the main information hub. There are a number of TV screens that show current satellite, weather and airspace information and high speed internet is also available. The other popular meeting places are the saunas in the campground. I have been told flights are sometimes cut short to make the 6:00 pm sauna.

The flying prospects don’t look too good until Sunday but we have been promised an improvement by the weatherman and we are expecting some reasonable conditions for the start of the contest. We still have a few last minute weighing issues to deal with to get the handicap corrected. From Sunday we should be ready for the main event which starts Wednesday, June 24. During the contest I will try to report the events as they unfold and I will publish the Spot Messenger URL for those that would like to track the contest live.

Last Day Jannen Kisat

The first four days of this regional type contest were cancelled due to rain or unsoarable conditions, but the last two days have produced very nice looking skies. The competing ships vary from a Twin Astir to a two seat Nimbus. Yesterday was a 327km zig zag, Chris experienced battery problems we think it was the battery fuse, we should be able to tell if our diagnosis was correct after today's flight. The task is a 345km flat triangle. At time of writing Chris is at the last turnpoint with a number of other gliders approaching and leaving the turnpoint so he should have company for the ride home. I expect him within the hour. Some of the competitors have been issued with Spot Messengers and Chris has his own so we are able to keep track of him during the task.

The next two days promise more rain so we will be into the Main event practise period before we see any more flying.

Day 1 Jannen Kisat

We finally had a flyable day today. There was a 325km assigned task set. I started out but had battery troubles on the second leg. I decided to come home before the battery died so did not finish the task. I think we sorted it out and tomorrow should have some good weather to test it out.