10 Oktober 2015

Day 7: 60km around 1 tp


Tony Armstrong won the day to Lake Moogerah, but even though Attila didn´t get to goal, he will still win the comp ahead of Jonny. I had a hard day in the strong wind and didn´t dare going into locked gate road too low, flying back to reach a decent landing area on a turf farm (short cut lawn). 

08 Oktober 2015

Canungra day 6: 50km/h wind, day cancelled

Finally I feel like I have arrived in the right timezone! We went up to the SE Beechmont take off, the Durands´ home site, but it was gusting up to 50 km/h with low clouds racing over our heads, so meet director Davo cancelled the day. Chances for tomorrow are better, and we might even fly a really long task. Also for our last day on Saturday the forecast looks great! Not quite the record of 8 tasks flown in 8 days like last year, but still a very good year in Canungra!
Last night we had the classic "Red Faces" night where everybody tries to embarrass themselves with a funny show act. Davo won big time with his "Vegemite show". He showed all the different things you can do with that brown yeasty stuff that Aussies love on their breakfast sandwich - an acquired taste in my opinion, I just can´t cope with the smell of it... Davo brushed his teeth brown with it, smeared it into his face, on and under his arms and on his hair - soon I had to hold my breath, as the stench was overwhelming! Suddenly Rangi jumped up with a slice of bread and brushed some vegemite off Davo´s shoulder - and started eating the bread. It was a funny show, and Davo won the Red Faces by a great margin! It´s great to have fun and time to socialize - Linda, Shirley, Judy and some others had prepared the third dinner of the week, really great food for all the pilots and their drivers. The flying here is great, because it´s very technical. You have to change tactics several times a day, going from hills to mountains to flatlands, from convergence into headwind sea breeze. But the main asset of this place are the people who make it all happen - my friends for half of my life! Thanks to you all for your efforts, for some world class flying, for a great time in the best place in the world - Canungra!






07 Oktober 2015

Task 4: 101km to Palen Ck, border gate and Maroon Dam

Results here!
At briefing this morning, I got advice on how to fly better from a cheeky Kookaburra, the funny laughing bird of Australia. One of my favourite animals - they are brave and fast enough to eat snakes and even the notorious funnel web spiders!
His advice was good, as I got to fly over the goal line as 3rd pilot today, just after Paris and Attila! I thought Paris would have won the day, having gone ahead of everybody else all day, but as there are no leading points in this scoring this year, Attila, Glen and Jonny got more points as they had a faster flight time with a later start gate. 
It was great to see my team mates Nils and Craig also happy in goal after a great, scenic flight. Good task setting!


06 Oktober 2015

Day 4: Tailwind on Beechmont and 60km to Rath

Results here!
Most of the time on Beechmont today, the wind was from the north - that means over the back. I´ve been waiting 1,5 hours in my harness to finally get some air I could lift off into. Poor Zupy waited in the boonies in front of launch to take great start photos. At least he was accompanied by a few snakes ;)
The first lift was quite rough and broken, but on the way to Palen Creek we found some smooth thermals up to 2000m, so our wait had been rewarded!
I flew with Adam Stevens, Guy Hubbard and Paris Williams most of the way, just in the end made a mistake and landed 3km short of goal. Craig was the best of our team today, he made goal as one of only 6 pilots and was 4th of the day, moving up into 13th overall, Im in 10th now and Nils is in 7th place!
Attila won the day and took the overall lead ahead of Blenky and Johny.


Day 3: tailwind on Tambo


 After the last difficult, slow day from Tambo, it looked a bit better yesterday. The alternate launch pilots got off and up, but when main launch was getting ready, the sea breeze kicked in and it wasn´t possible to take off anymore. We all packed up.
Nils, Craig and I headed for the coast and I had my first surfing lesson - luckily the waves were small and friendly, and I had two experienced guys looking after me.
The wild life here is always fun, in the evening we have possums visiting us, in the morning kangaroos hop around the garden ;) 

Hope today will be a good flying day from a site where we all can take off in time!

04 Oktober 2015

Day 2: 88km around 2 turnpoints

Today we launched of Mt Tamborine. Conditions were more stable, blue and light lift, with sea breeze moving in early afternoon. Not ideal, but flyable.
I got to fly a lot with Craig today. After lots of flight training in Europe, he has improved a lot and has beaten me today. It was great to see him climbing fast and making good decisions. Jonny won the day with the furthest distance, but nobody made goal.
Tomorrow might be another Tambo day. Scores here!

03 Oktober 2015

Canungra Classic 2015

Results here
A family of the cutest little wallabies welcomed me at my friends place in Canungra when I arrived after a long trip around the world. I didn´t sleep al that well due to a major jetlag, and I was really glad that Jonny Durand had testflown and approved my glider, so it was no worries to just go from the airport straight to take off - Craig Taylor arrived at the same time in Coolangatta as Attila and me. Turned out I had been really lucky, as the day before the customs guys had been on strike and immigrations from overseas took many hours...
At the opening barbecue, I was glad that Judy, Linda and Shirley also catered great food for vegetarians! So good to see many friends I didn´t expect to be here - Paris Williams came over from NZ, Len Paton is here, Adam Stevens, Flocky, Trent, Blenky, Glen, Barnsey, Lisa, Attila... where do I stop? Lots of legends, and lots of really good friends - so much fun to fly with you guys!
The first comp day started with a Beechmont flight of 70km around Boonah T (Coulson) to scenic lake Moogerah. Having bombed out at that site for the first time ever last year, I was a bit nervous - luckily it was much easier getting up, and the height was plenty to go over the back on course. Thermals were more organized than the day before, so it was a pleasant flight.
Half of the 52 participating pilots made goal, also Nils and Craig from my team got there, with Nils even beating me by 3 minutes! The Euro training worked for them I guess ;) Blenky won the day ahead of Attila, Glen and Paris, I got in as 10th just 5 minutes after the first pilot.
With Alan we have the best driver you can imagine - he flies paragliders, knows the area, and is extremely helpful for his team!
Looks like good weather for the whole week, organizer Davo is already dreaming of some record flights on the last 3 days... we will see!