News

Day 4 New Year's Eve
All gone on the last day for a 2.5hour AAT for all classes. Conditions are forecast to be soft around Gawler, Stonefield and Waikerie, but we are expecting stronger conditions up North in the task area.
At briefing I heard someone say to IID "You've got this contest sewn up if you don't outland". Unfortunately that is exactly what he did - before he got to the start line :-(
We have a remote finish today at Stonefield. 9 gliders are then flying to Waikerie ready for the Nationals and 2 are flying back here to Gawler.

I will be blogging the Nationals on the GFA Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/theGlidingFederationofAustralia

Monday Day 3
4pm All home :-) Some congestion on the finish just like a real competition at last!!
Tonight we have "Not the final dinner" before we move to Waikerie for the Nationals.
All gone into a blue sky, climbs predicted to 6000' or maybe 7000' today so hopefully we will achieve more km flown than driven today!!
Special mention today of Rob Richter who changed a flat tyre on the tug after it had done one launch. He had the tyre replaced and the tug back flying again only missing one launch. With maritime replacement air forecast we were all pleased to see a quick turn around.

Sunday Day 2
9.45pm Last trailer back on field. thanks to Daryl Burton and Andrew Wright for going out to collect IUN. This after Andrew already went out to collect QC earlier in the day.
17.45pm All accounted for. Trailer heading off now for IUN 20km south of Burra. They will have a late night. Lots of stories of low saves and ridge soaring.
16.00 RY is back :-)
15.30 A1 is down too NE of Eudunda and there are radio reports of others at circuit height :-(
It seems the area around Eudunda is a bit soft and we have sent them there twice today...
15.00 LQ has just called inbound. We are guessing he got low and had to start his engine. He was 2nd in Open Class :-(
14.15 My hopes of getting everyone home today have been dashed, WQC is down near Eudunda. A1 also reportedly has no working vairo.
All gone on a 3 hour AAT. It is blue again with light winds and climbs to 4500' or so. Gates opened at 13.00 and 13.20 so we are expecting them back around 4.30pm to 5pm.

Windday
The temperature at Gawler was 30C at 8.30am and is now  24C at 1pm, with wind gusts of 30kts.
So the flying has been cancelled today. We are off to visit our sponsors at Malcolm Creek Winery in Kersbrook, then a BBQ and a swim at Temples. Should be better tomorrow.
Yesterday Tom abandoned the task and flew back to land at the airfield, however he was pleased to see that in doing so he beat the current National Champion Matthew Scutter who only scored one point!!!

Day 1 Friday

6.25 PV home that makes 3 in each class 50%
6pm IID, LQ, WVX, GZ and IZE home
LG and XB down in paddocks. PV still coming

4.55pm Hoping to hear first finishers soon.

4.15pm WQC is down near Rhynie - crew on it's way.

We have set a modest racing task for each class. We started launching at 12.30 but poor conditions led us to hold the launch until 1pm. We then held the gates until 2pm and 2.15pm waiting for better conditions.
QJ has landed back and decided not to take a relight.
Yesterday we had one pilot flying with his logger in Simulator mode and another who forgot to turn on his logger.
Just had a call to say A1 has outlanded before the start!!!

Practice day today
3.55pm All accounted for WQC is also in a paddock.
3pm Phil Ritchie in Mosquito RY is back
2.45pm Rob in Astir QJ is down - crew leaving soon
2.20pm IID is down safely 30km North - crew on it's way.

We have 9 gliders flying a 2 hour AAT task.
Conditions are blue with climbs expected to 5000'.
Grant Hudson is here from Waikerie doing registration and weighing for both the State comps here and Nationals at Waikerie.