A day unlike any other !!
Montag, 18.12.2006 12:54
Two days before yesterday, december 14th, over 35 flight above 1000 k were made and registered on the OLC in Africa.
Seventeen, no less, of these flights started from Bitterwasser ! Two were over 1300 k (1368 and 1352 to be exact), and one was a 1250 FAI pre written triangle, the noblest of all tasks… And some of the “patrons”, I mean the pilots used to flying from our pan every year, said they had never seen such a good weather, so constant over such a wide area. The bases went up to 5300, the strength of the thermals averaged 4ms, but the convergence line didn’t work the way we normally expect. So then, what did the trick ? Well, it was the early start. The gliders were on the pan by nine and the first take-offs were soon after. And immediately the pilots could climb to 3000m in blue thermals. Most of them took the direction of the high ground to Gamsberg and Golschau, so as to use the convergence later. Convergence there was, but a tricky one, with holes in it down to Hemmeringhausen where some rain awaited the late starters. But the way back up was a dream, and the day seemed not to want to end. Most of the long distance runners landed a few minutes before the limit. To top it off, two pilots made their Palm/tree flights, which means they flew their first 1000k FAI flight We did take a photo of all of them, after the morning briefing. Elation was the word of the day, and all we can say is that the story does not end here. The seed is planted for the “unimaginable”1400 k flight ! Because the psychologic barrier has fallen down yesterday. There will be other such days in Biwa !
Jean-Renaud Faliu, CFI.
Published first in Bitterwasser
