2pm: Task cancelled. Big storm development over the mountains to the north (Pic de Bure) mean the task has been cancelled. Many pilots in the air will probably head home to the landing field in Laragne. What a massive shame.
1.30pm: OK, sounds like it's a big rush to get in the air. No wonder after yesterday's slow launch. Get up while the going is good. Aspres is also a much easier/friendlier place to launch from than Chabre. So all good in that regard. Although the clouds are said to be getting bigger already behind Aspres.
The task as detailed below is confirmed.
The launch window is open from 12.50pm to 2.30pm.
Start gates are at 2.15pm, 2.30pm and 2.45pm. Anyone taking odds on who will hang around to take the second start gate today?
The deadline for the task is 5.30pm. Quite early, presumably in an effort to beat the storms that are forecast for later on. The goal is a 300m cylinder - no physical line to cross today.
1pm: Launch is open and pilots are now taking off. Conditions are good and unlike yesterday gliders are getting off easily.
Tweet from the hill: 'Super quick launches in perfect conditions ... Very crowded over launch.'
View Task 6 in a larger map
12noon: A new provisional task, above, has been announced. 89.4 km via three turnpoints. Taking off at Aspres and landing back there too.
11.30am: A provisional 114 km task has been called
10.15am: Michael Steele, a sports photographer for photo agency Getty Images was on launch for the past two days. His photos are here. Jose Herrarte is the pilot against the clouds, but who is the pilot on the Combat? Post a name if you know. Getty Images sends pictures to media organisations around the world, so the pictures end up online (for example here, as a photo of the day) and in newspapers around the world.
9.30am: Weather forecast summary: Hot and sunny with thunderstorms. We still have the NW flow.
2pm winds at 1500m: 15 knots (30 kmh) NW
Aspres: WSW 5-10knots
Chabre: slack wind, virtually none
Valley breezes SSE up to 2,000m around Laragne. With storms from 4pm.
5pm: winds disturbed by cunims. Possible storms.
Max temp: 33C
Cloudbase at 2,400m – 2,600m
Chuckle went round the hall as a slide went up showing convective clouds at 5pm – basically everywhere, with lightning strikes all around.
Pretty much the same as yesterday: good, then storms later.
Tomorrow: Hot and sunny with less risk of thunderstorms.
Conclusion: We are going to Aspres. Pilots will wait at the main launch until it is decided what the wind is doing.
9.15am: Nice day outside today. But heavy weather remains from yesterday's task, which scored 1,000 points despite being stopped. Provisional results were posted last night, (on chabre2009.com) with official results expected later today.
3 comments:
The only Aeros Combat L I know of with a lilac stripe is Spanish pilot Pedro Luis Garcia Morelli. I think his pilot number is 53 in this competition. That is unless he has sold his glider since his trip down here to Australia over the summer.
Thanks a lot for the nice Google maps version of today's task course!! Are these available for the previous day's tasks? They help give a much better idea of the course and are way better than the versions posted posted on the official website after the task. Please do keep on posting them on the blog.
Great job on the blog overall, keep it up!!
Lorenzo.
Thanks to both. The maps are a bit rough cut but I will try and make ones for the other tasks when i get a minute and will post them on the relevant day posts. Keep watching!
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