Setting the West on Fire
No, California is not on fire again, but the competitors at the 18 Meter Nationals are setting some pretty impressive speeds on the first contest day. Before we get to that, lets talk about the operation here. Right before the Memorial Day weekend, I drove ZO and my car to Nephi because of scheduling issues. I called Bruno Vassel and he was very accommodating. Even when I got lost in Albuquerque, he set me straight and got me on the right track. I showed up early in the morning and the staff was very helpful in finding a spot for my trailer and a place to park my car. They also gave me a ride to catch a van for the Salt Lake City airport. That was just the first of many stories of how Nephi is one of the best and friendliest soaring sites in the west.
I cannot talk too much about the flying during the practice days since ZO was giving me many headaches with oxygen systems, tail water ballast issues and a flat tire on the grid. Like any contest, friends poured out of the woodwork to offer help, equipment and sage advice. We are all very lucky to be in a sport that is so friendly. Thank you John & Brenda Seaborn, Jim & Kathy Lee, John Murray, Geoff, Ted, Bif Huss, Pete Alexander and of course Bruno Vassel. Bruno allowed me to work in the hangar during a hot day to complete the work in a much more hospitable environment.
Now let’s talk about flying. The weather forecast was not very promising but it looked like we could get in a short day. Storms and over development were promised by early afternoon around the task area. Bruno and his task advisors set us out on a Turn Area Task that began at SW Start, Kanosh Canyon, Pine Peak, Drum Mountain, Delta Municipal airport and finally back home. At launch time you could see storms brewing to the south but they were still out side the task area. Our CD, Marshall McClung, sent a number of the 18 Meter boys up in the air to see if they could stick. The clouds were certainly inviting but the lift still had not developed sufficiently to keep everyone loaded with water airborne. A few of the early launches returned for relights. After a short delay the launch began again in earnest. Soon the 18 Meter field was launched but the weather looked bad for the Sports Class that was launching last. Marshall made the correct decision to cancel the Sports Class launch and sent the 18 Meter ships off on task.
The gate opened as soon as the rules would allow. We are doing a modified FAI rules contest for the 18 Meter Nationals, so starts are different than a normal SSA contest. We are using a start line vice a cylinder, and you cannot start out the top. However, after the gate is open, you can go below an altitude set by the CD (today it was 10,000ft) and then climb as high as you like before going thru the start line. In Nephi we can have a start altitude around 14,000ft. The “tag up altitude” allows the start to be fair for the last competitors on the grid. Soon as the gate opened up, a 15 ship gaggle emerged with Rick Indrebo and John Seaborn in the lead. The first leg to Kanosh Canyon was fast and many of the leaders went to the back to take advantage of the higher terrain and better lift. Rain had started to work into this area and caused some of the later starters a little trouble. When you made the turn to Pine Peak the terrain looked like something out of a SciFi movie. A large area of flat sandy surfaces with just a small amount of civilization evident. There were just a couple of rocky hills that might generate a good thermal so some of the pilots got slowed down here. Heading to Drum Mountain, you had to be very careful of a restricted area that was very close to the northern edge of our track. One pilot fell victim and suffered a major airspace violation. This leg ROCKED! A cloud street or convergence line had formed and I had a really nice run. Along the way I happened to pass B4 (Bruno). He tried to tell me my gear was down but I did not hear him for all the noise in the cockpit. Yes, I really did fly the 2:30 task with my gear down.
Heading to the last turn point, rain entered the equation again. With enough altitude, any problems with the scattered rain showers were easily mitigated. However, the fun was not over as you approached the field. Local winds were 25 gusting to 30 mph out of the east which made for a stiff crosswind. Gliders were landing on the dirt tow plane runway to avoid the runway lights on the paved surface. Another option was a new east west dirt runway that had 9ft fences at both ends. White tape was placed on the top of the fence to make the ends readily identified. It was much preferred to the runway. Unfortunately, some pilots chose to use the runway when the winds appeared to lessen and suffered some minor damage to their ships due to a ground loop. Everyone returned safely to the tiedown area and got prepared for a great Italian dinner in the hangar. Stories were told, friendships renewed, and Papa 7 Brewery was in attendance out the back door of the hangar.
So, the first day of the 18 Meter Nationals are in the books. In third place is Dave Coggins with Andy Blackburn in second. John Seaborn burned up the task with a 173.04kph (that’s 107mph!) over a 440km run. I don’t know if that is a local record but in Florida that is supernatural. The reining 18 Meter Champion, John is continuing to show the skills that have made him no stranger to the podium.
That is all for tonight. Stay turned for another great contest on the west coast.
Cheers,
Rich Owen
ZO