Tuesday 23 June: cancelled

All the pictures from launch today are in this Flickr set

3.30pm: Too windy. Day officially cancelled.

3.15pm: Just come back down from the hill, where it is now gusting 60 kmh, average 47 kmh. The day has not yet been canned, but it looks like they might have to de-rig and come down, unless something dramatic happens soon.

10.45am: The most recent reading, taken at 10.40am, from the weather station on top of the take off hill shows the wind is 27 kmh average, 37 kmh max, 15 kmh min.

Forecast says wind will drop for the next two hours, then pick up later.

Under the rules the maximum wind speed for take off is 37 kmh.

The organisers have decided, ‘There is a possibility of flying today’. So, pilots are heading up the hill, they will set up, and then a task may be set, if the weather and wind plays ball.


9.40 am: Using the temperature trace France Meteo is making a dedicated forecast for the comp each day. It’s just been delivered to the pilots.

For today, there’s a strong north wind decreasing at altitude. Up to 2,000 m, possibly as strong as 20-30 knots (1 knot = 1.85 km, so 40-60 kmh). At 3,000 m it will be 10 knot, about 20 kmh.

The wind might drop off in the middle of the day, but will pick up later again.

No storms, 1/8 cumulus cover.

So, windy again. As a result a rebrief has been scheduled for 10.45 am.

For tomorrow they reckon it will be a good day for hang gliding, with 10 kmh south wind on take off.

8.40am: The results are in. This is a photo of the temp trace, taken from the computer screen. Click to see it bigger.

7.30am: The organisation has the use of an ultralight (motorised hang glider) each day to make a temperature trace. He is a pilot from St Hilaire, France, and went up this morning, taking off from the Laragne campsite just after 7am. He makes his way to 2,500m. He is still in the air but initial readings show a fairly strong inversion. Brian and Mark, the comp scorers, are mulling over all the computer equipment just now and will publish their findings in a respected academic journal near you later this morning.