Part 5 - And then there were two ...

In our last episode ...
- the first comp week had 3 cancelled days & 4 comp days with speeds of 80-100kph in open class (ie CRAP for the uninitiated)
- the Aussie team was rocked by an accident involving one of its own








Sun 1 aug - forecast: high pressure ridge, W wind, airmass will become more & more stable, sunny day with good thermal activity, Cbs E & N.
Yep, more stable - so they tasked 'em further!
(wearing our sponsor's t-shirts - Shinzo kindly lent his Nimbus 4DM for Tom to practice)

Tom found some new playmates in the Yanks & Brits ...
"The organisers landed out ALL gliders today*1. Yesterday the forecast said "not suitable for cross country soaring" - most of us got home. Today the met said "more stable, so better!" It WAS more stable but NOT better! The first turn for Open class was in the middle of a hilly area with no landing possibilities for about 15km, thermals were 1-2kts [at best] to about 1500' agl in this area. I was almost the first there but had to escape 90 degrees to track for about 12km to get a climb [I was looking for a field to fire up over] The gaggle rolled me there but by the second turn I was in the top three. After some lucky low saves and a second Danube crossing I joined with the US team of Ron Tabery and Garret Willat and with UK pilot Pete Harvey as well. Ron was a little behind but with our info [to stay in 1 kt!] won the day and I managed 7th for 957 pts bringing me up to 19th.
Stats for the day: 37% thermalling, 1.1 kt avg, 87.7:1 overall L/D.
David had a bad run and you know about Graham*2. I was alone or in good company today so no scares.
Many 15M class gliders landed in Serbia and last heard crews were still waiting at the border to get in!
I hope tomorrow is shorter, over 6.30 today."
Fixed task, 438k, Tom 7th, 311k, 957 pts

1. Don't think a total landout has been achieved at a world comp since Benalla 1987!
2. On saturday Graham had a couple of close calls pre-start and an outlanding in a corn field 90m short of the finish ring. On sunday he decided to withdraw from the comp - so then there were 2 ...
(the Brit camp under an AN2 complete with pool!)



(Trailer convey ready for departure)







Mon 2 aug - some time in the middle of the night (0645) Schmiddy rang to say the day was cancelled - funny, we thought, it's sunny - you'd think they'd just cancel 15M class (who'd had all-nighters getting back from Serbia) ... when we finally awoke from our sleepy stupor we checked the WGC page - arrgghh - the cancellation IS only 15M class - scramble - fortunately we're finally getting organised - we debug, rewater & refuel at night so all we have to do in the morning is an engine run, quick wipe, weigh & grid.
Forecast: relatively high pressure system, dry air, max temp & Cu-developing temp close to each other, variable & usually weak wind
Unfortunately Tom didn't stick with his new playmates ...
"I had a reasonable run until I left a messy gaggle and got rolled. Climbs were better higher and I just didn't connect. Later I left a group again to go in a different direction and they beat me home by 15 mins! Today we MAY have tasked in Australia, the first day this is so."
Graham & Mark left to drive to Frankfurt & fly home early.
3hr AAT, Tom 32nd, 322k @ 97kph, 795 pts

Tue 3 aug - at briefing, the organisers actually apologised to 15M class for landing them in Serbia with the consequent retrieve difficulties - huge applause!
(car towing the cmelak - before that he used to fly to the grid - he doesn't do taxi!)
Forecast: cold front from the NW, more unstable, few Cu late afternoon, however, W of Danube thunderstorms possible from noon, wind will turn NW gradually
Tom says "Today was the fastest of the comp. I started late and was still with a good pack, SS, XXL and A at the second turn. After that the difference between 800kg and 850kg started to tell and I fell off the back, also slower on final glide."
Fixed task, 427k, Tom 17th, 110 kph, 819 pts - first time > 100kph - the winner did a staggering 122kph - wooo (pause) hooo!

We attempted to pay our accom - Laszlo (our landlord) really wants euro but neither banks, money changers nor machines give it - so we withdrew squillions of HUFs but then ... when we'd first arrived a few days earlier than booked, Laszlo (with no English) told us via his daughter (limited English) we could have the basement room one night (40E) then move into an a/c room upstairs (50E) - meanwhile Lars & Heinz were sharing a room - a few days later Laszlo asked us to swap with Lars so that Lars & Heinz could have separate adjoining rooms - we weren't keen to move up another floor (no lift) to a room with a single attic skylight (no windows) but did it to help Lars out - now it turns out that room is 60E not 50 - very difficult to negotiate with no common language! Meanwhile the Brazilians are also unhappy - one is Hungarian born so we're awaiting the results of his negotiations.

Peter Carey, Hungarian born Benalla member (who's been an invaluable assistance to Schmiddy re the Lars affair) organised dinner for us at the home of his friends, Willie & Kate - delicious paprika lamb hot pot with potatoes, pasta and salad, accompanied by home-made Palinka (rocket fuel) from home-grown fruit - sitting in their backyard under said fruit trees on a beautiful evening marred only by the number of bities & smell of anti-bitie stuff we had to use. Since the heatwave finished, the AN2 had stopped its regular spray-runs over the city.

Wed 4 aug - more rain, who would've thought?
Forecast: waving frontal zone (looks like a quasi stationary front) approaching, unstable air, chance of convective precipitation, cloudy, rain showers or thunderstorms possible, fresh NW wind in W
Cancelled for open and 18M
Rebrief at 1200 for 15M - they did 2hr AAT - Al Tyler from the (southern) US made it home for the first time this comp - his crew muttering something about "we've dern more marls on the ground than you've dern in the air!"

On Beryl's advice, we visited Morahalom, pretty little town about 20k west of Szeged - had a picnic in the park & whadya know, bumped into Beryl on her way to the hot spa.




Then to Szatymaz, the airstrip at the control point about 10k north - cute little A frame huts between the trees along a beautiful green grass strip which they were busy rolling while it was damp - why couldn't they roll some of the bumps out of Szeged? Home for washing, a swim & nana-nap.




Then the International night - great array of popcorn, cheese, salami, pasta, goulash, wine, punch & Pims - most amused at the corn chips & salza at the French table - hellooooo?









Thu 5 aug - forecast: relatively low pressure system, developing convergence line along the Danube with more Cu with lower bases, in other areas less Cu clouds with higher bases, rain showers or thunderstorms possible
With the high numbers, poor conditions & all that's happened (Lars, Graham), it's hard not to be spooked - I find myself turning into a worry wart wife - every time I look up & see a ceiling (not a wall - that implies vertical differentiation) - a ceiling of ridiculously long wings struggling to climb away from launch height or less, I imagine a shower of fibreglass, one of them with 4M on the tail ... just before start we get "Aussie base 4M, I want to lodge an official protest against IP2 - he was way too close" - so we lodged a protest - but at the end of the day after 40 mins stepping back & forwards thru the 2 traces round the time in question, the steward & Tom couldn't find the offending situation - we think Tom's logger's time interval may be slower than the other.
Tom's story: "Today went OK with an early start but I lost 25-30mins under 1000' about 30km from home just over the Serbian border."
3.5 hr AAT - Tom 31st - 333k @ 80.5kph - 553 pts

In our next exciting episode ...
- will our hero get to finish the comp on only 3 cans of avgas?
- how on earth are we going to derig the Nimbus now that Mark, Graham, Lars & Heinz are gone?