Day Four, Circling with My New Best Friends
Monday, August 2, 2010
Day four is on the scoresheet. This was the first time that I have flown a task that clearly was going to be for distance and not speed as the task was definitely over called. We had a task that sent us west across the Danube, north along the Danube river valley then back east until we landout. In fact, the contest organizers managed to landout the entire fleet in all classes today. The 15m guys are in Serbia!
... okay, a few day delay but I figured out the problem with my Blog ... needed to create some space.
Part of my pre contest scouting included a clear understanding that flying in the Danube was problematic; so, if you have to cross the Danube, get high and make sure you can glide across. Today's weather was getting us to just around 3000' as we approached the Danube. Then, as we start the crossing, we only got to 2500'. We dribbled across to the higher ground on the other side taking three 1 knot thermals to get there. We rounded the turn then I realized the next to turns were norht along the Daunube River! Geez!
About half of the fleet was together and we went from 1 knot thermal to 1 knot thermal up the river valley. Finally, we head east to the final turn. Two positives: 1) we are going down wind and 2) we are heading to higher, dryer ground -- 200 feet higher ground.
As we get to the "high ground", it is after 5 o'clock and my flight computer is telling me that it will take 2 more hours with a McCready value of 2 to get home. Clearly we are going for distance now as there is no chance of getting home.
Me and my best new friends (half of the 18m Class) grind around each thermal then fan out looking for another. We find another, come back together, climb slowly and then fan out again. Each climb is lower than the last.
Finally, the gaggle splits into two groups. My group heads out and we find no more thermals. I soon land in a nice hay field. I meet the locals, try to communicate and someone is called that speaks English. He is a soldier that worked with the American Troops in Sarijevo. He as delighted to meet me and tell the others that I was participating in a World Championship Glider contest just 45 km away in Szeged.
Laslo gave me a ride out to the main road where I patiently waited for my wonderful crew to come and get me. Chris Carter was now part of the team. I simply can't say enough about how great it has been to have Gary here to crew for me and the wonderful job he as done.
When we arrived at the glider, there was a car in the field next to the ship. A family was standing there -- Mom, Dad and their two small children. We greeted each other with hellos and smiles. I pointed to the little boy (about 5 years old) and motioned for him to get in the cockpit. A big smile grew on his face as he looked to his parents for approval. He loved it and was thrilled to sit there with the canopy closed. Next, it was his big sister's turn. She was about 8 years old and even more excited than her little brother.
Mom used here cell phone camera to take lots of pictures of them both. Dad helped us clean the glider and put it away. Trying to explain that we had started in Szeged then west to the Danube, etc. and finally landing here in this field was easiest done with the task sheet. They seemed to understand the task map. I asked them to keep the task sheet. I wished I had written my email address on it but I didn't think of that until we were gone.
I have never flown a task like this before. We knew from the start that we were going to land out, the question was simple where. And, I have never flown from thermal to thermal with half of the fleet before. The contest organizers managed to landout every glider in every clas--probably not a first but certainly not the norm.
The guys that went to Serbia have a much more exciting tale to tell. Al Tyler ended up in a field that required a 4 wheel drive tractor to extract the glider. He spent a pleasant evening at the police station with the Chief of Police. No trouble, just some place to stay where folks were awake while he waited for his crew to make the border crossing and find him.
My stats are below. -- WE
