Tough Day

The task was a bow tie we did last year to the NW. I learned my lesson last year about heading out over the green farm land and headed north instead towards the desert. It was hard to make any progress with the poor lift into a slight head wind. I finally just pressed forward to the north after the first start. I was flying with a few other people which really helps on days like this. I saw a few people over the farms to the west and they looked low. I ended up with just one other pilot after the first couple of themals. Conditions seemed to be getting a little better and we were flying well together. We were climbing well together and spread out on glide to increase out chance of finding lift. We went on a long glide and ended up low over the city of Maricopa which was the second turn point we would need to hit after we made the first. My new flying buddy found some weak broken lift and was turning trying hard to get back up. I was looking for places I could posibly land if I needed to as Maricopa looked pretty big and you couldn't just land any where. This turned out to be my down fall as I really need to focus on getting up in the weak lift not looking at landing options. I was some what happy with my day as no one made goal and lots never even got away from the resort. I still managed almost three hours in the air today. Happy to be getting lots of air time.

Hero to Zero.

I got very lucky yesturday and every thing was working for me. Today I got very unlucky and nothing seemed to work. I launched early and followed a group to the edge of the start circle. I was at the bottom of the stack and hit the lift first. Every one join's me in very crappy lift. No one is really gaining any height and they all run back to the resort. The water tower is close and always works but I don't want to risk going alone and landing so I head back too not sure if I'm going to make it. I find enough scrappy lift to make it back to the resort and spend the next fourty minutes making low save after low save. I finally give up and land after 1hr and 15min to take a relight. Every one is gone so I have some water before getting a high tow and head out on course. I find the day very hard and work hard for every mile. I get to the first turn point when I see my first glider of the day. It's Fiona and we fly together for the next few miles. She gets low and I head off on my own. It's getting late and the lift is really weak. I strech my glide out as far as I can before I land in famers field. Their is several gliders land around me. Fiona was able to make a couple of low saves and makes another five kms. Their is ten pilots between us. After such a late start I'm happy to make it half way around the course.

My best day ever!

They got a little aggresive with the task today as cloud base was still low and the lift wasn't great. Add to that they send us down the soft spot in front of the swamp again. I'm a good postition at the first start and head out on course. Linda helps me find a good climb just past town. I find a better core and get much higher than she does. I head to a desert area south of the turn point as the cultivated areas don't normally work very well. This desision pays off as I get a good climb and help save a few low pilots around me. I topped out and ran back north into the wind to tag the turn point and come back to the same thermal. I top up agian knowing It's going to be soft in front of me. I'm getting low just before the prision and grab some week lift to stay as high as possible. A bunch of pilots catch up to me and people are just hanging on every where. I spot several guy's getting up and run towards them. A few gliders are really low below us and Scott and Alex are on the ground in front of the prision. Their is now about ten of us taking every inch of height we get. If they didn't notice me here yesturday I'm sure they will notice us today. When the lift stops we all head straight south to get to some desert and better lift. I'm with the lead gaggle and they are flying fast. I'm a little behind and hit some lift I decide to turn in. I gain a quick 500ft while the rest of the gaggle runs for a dust devil just forming next to the freeway. They get to the dust and find a strong climb. I follow not far behind and hit a strong core before I get to them. When they see I'm climbing faster they all join me and climb up to base. We now head on course to a mountian 10km before the second turn point. We fly around the peaks until some one finally finds some lift. The lift is moving and the rest of the gaggle finds a better core and leaves me behind. I head to the turn point alone and find a strong thermal 200m from the turn point. I'm drifting away from the turn point and when I get a few hundred meters from base I decide to get the turn point and come back to my thermal. Turns out to be a bad choice as I don't find the lift when I come back. It's getting late in the day and I work what ever lift I can find. I head back to the mountain hoping it is still working as the course line heads out over miles with out any roads. The day is over and the lift is all but gone. I land at the base of the mountain right next to I-10. It turns out I no one made goal and I finish 6th for the day. This is my highest finish ever in a major comp. Hope I can keep it up.

Deja Vu!

First day is a triangle we did twice last year. I towed up early and climbed out easy with several other gliders. We hang out high over the resort before heading to the edge of the eight km start circle. I make it to the first turn point with out too much trouble then it get hard. We had a lot of trouble along this leg last year and this year is the same. With a low cloud base and week lift I strugle to make any milage. I'm low over the prison and get a week climb right next to it. I don't like this spot as the air space over a prision is restricted air space. I see two glider's climbing over the swamp but stick with what I have. This turns out to be a bad choice and I soon land with Mark D and Bruce. Not a bad start. Several comps I've been to I havn't gotten out of the tow paddock so I'm happy enough with my first day.

Setting up.

Tyler is such a big help!

Getting there is half the fun.

Well I don’t know if it will be half the fun but the flight was fun and very low stress. Traveling with a hang glider is not the easiest of tasks but every one at West Jet made it so much easier. They are so helpful and very service oriented. We arrive at the Calgary airport three hours early to help give them lots of time to deal with our very large bags. Dave from baggage spotted us just after we had arrived at the airport and went to get a ticket agent as the counter wasn’t open yet. He then went to customs and got a custom agent to come out to check our bags at the door and cleared them so we didn’t have to lug them through the whole terminal. Then the ticket agent saved the entire first row for us. It was great having a little extra leg room. It also gave us the chance to visit a bit more with a couple of the flight attendants. They were so friendly. Scott was a little bored so they put him to work doing the water service and picked up garbage after. Thanks to every one at West Jet for all your help and great service.

We got in a too late to set up Friday so we got our gliders set up today. The wind was a little strong at times so not every one flew today. Last year was the first year a comp was run in Arizona and we had sixteen pilots. This year seventy have entered. It’s great to see friends I have met in comps around the world over the last few years. Today we just hung out catching up with friends and getting ready to fly tomorrow.