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Sunday 26 July 10:00 Pilot Briefing : The first day started with the weather forecast and then the following task was given by the contest director.
Start Aachen – umspannwerk 1st Turn Point Wershofen/Eifel, Segelfuggelaen 58.3 Km 2nd Turn Point Breitscheid/Dillkrei 101.3 Km 3rd Turn Point Werdohl-Kuentrop 73.2 Km 4th Turn Point Langenfeld-Wiescheid 60.5 Km 5th Turn Point MarkerWindrad 65.0 Km Finish Aachen – umspannwerk 1.7 Km
Girding for First Contest Day 13:25 Take off We towed out at 13:25 and towed to 600 meters. The wave off came after a minute or so after we flew through a thermal and naturally in sink. We turned and returned to the thermal and climbed to about 900 meters, then off to a CU that had 3 or 4 other Planes circling. We work that to about 1600 meters and then headed nearer to the gate 6-Km away. We only found sink on the way and were down to 1300 meters 5 minutes before the gate opened. Expecting the day to continuously get worst, we want to leave as soon as the gate opened. So we continued to try to find a workable thermal, only 0.5 m/sec was found. So a couple of minutes after the gate opened we started at about 1400 meters, hoping to find better on the way.
In the Gaggle before the Gate 14:07 Through the Gate Start Aachen – umspannwerk To: 1st Turn Point Wershofen/Eifel, Segelfuggelaen 58.3 Km
Heading out from Gate to Wershofen About 12 Km out we worked the first thermal, with about 7 other planes. Flying around the gaggle was also a Husky, filming the action for a German TV network. At about 1500 meters we left the thermal, again on the way to the first turn point. Conditions were about ¾ cloud cover with base at 1600 meters, expected to 1800 meters later in the day. This thermal had 1 to 1.5 meters/sec integrated. We flew on to Dueren-Huertgenwald, a sailplane field about 20 km from the Start point. At this point, we had difficulty finding a workable thermal, and was down to a couple of hundred meters about ground several times. At least 20 minutes was spend before we found a small tight thermal, that finally delivered a 1 to 2 m/sec thermal to 1500 meters for the next thermal at 41.2 Km from start.
We continued along course, with Dolphin flight through an occasional thermal, to the next thermal 52.8 Km out, short before the first turn point. ( later we found we had flown direct on the line of a restricted area, that would have cost us the day, if we had entered any further – that is flying with a data logger !)
15:17 at 1st Turn Point Wershofen/Eifel, Segelfuggelaen To: 2nd Turn Point Breitscheid/Dillkrei 101.3 Km After this turn point we were able fly without circling for about 38 Km before we circled in the first thermal since the first turn point.
The Rhine River near Moenchsheide This leg of the flight was the best of the day, as we averaged nearly 100 Km/hour, and were feeling very good about our chances in the contest, on the first contest day.
16:20 at 2nd Turn Point To: 3rd Turn Point Werdohl-Kuentrop 73.2 Km We took a thermal short before the turn point at Bad Marienberg. Just north was a restricted area, which required care to avoid. ( Later data from the logger showed that we had flown right on the edge of the restricted area. Entry would have meant zero points for the day.) After the turn, our course took us directly over the city of Siegen, which is home for me in Germany. This leg was familiar territory for us and the flight continued well.
Eisernhardt Sailplane Field, Siegen and the Siegen Bridge After Siegen, as we approached the city of Ople, we were meet with clear blue sky ahead and no signs of continued thermal activity. From Ople on to Werdohl we found two weak thermals and were able to climb to about 1200 meters (MSL) and arrived at Werdohl at about 900 Meters and joined the gaggle of about 15 sailplanes in the area.
Near Werdohl searching for lift
17:35 at 3rd Turn Point To : 4rd Turn Point Langenfeld-Wiescheid 60.5 Km Scratching around just west of Werdohl, we managed to get 900 Meters (MSL) and since the elevation here was 320 Meters, that gave us 600 meters AGL. The area was hilly and not very good for out landing fields, so we decided to continue on with Radevormwald Sailplane Field as our goal. The field was about 25 Km away with a ground elevation of about 150 Meters, but with hills and wooded areas on the way. Gliding along, hoping for lift for about 10 or 15 Km, we felt a small bump and tried to work it. A half turn with 0.1 m/sec and sink on the other half and the altimeter drifting slowly downward, the flight was surely coming to the end. At a little under 200 meters AGL, a field was chosen and flown over to enter a downwind leg. The chosen field was changed on downwind for one with an better surface which could now be easily seen and we landed directly next to the autobahn in a packed earth dirt field with an 70 meter high windmill on one side.
Outlanding above Luedenscheid 18:00 Outlanding- its over for today We now begin participating in the favorite pastime of pilots that do not return to the airport. Setting on the ground, with the eyes searching the sky, for perhaps the sight of another sailplane in the sky. All the while hoping not to see one, when we have just proven beyond any doubt, that conditions were impossible to support any sailplane flight. And like what nearly always happens at times like this, sure enough two competitors are spotted, circling 600 meters overhead and then continuing on course. And then the next plane, a little deeper, and continuing on. Or, wait a minute, is he turning back? Sure enough, he is flying over our field, and turning downwind - we will have other pilots to past the time with us and to verify how unflyable the conditions are now!
Four November dropping in to say Hello 23:00 Plane in trailer Now ready for the 2 hour drive back to Aachen, not much to say for now.
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