Jaca - Week 3 - Day 5

The day was late to start and with the wind swinging round to the (unusual) south east, nobody knew what the day will bring, not even the locals, who when asked by our esteem instructors where is the best area to launch, answered "over there to the east...and maybe the bowl to the south....possibly down to the west...or maybe the home hill to the north will trigger something..".

And so it was, a very confusing but very productive day. Mike (Truelove) and John were the first to brave a launch in the Duo and after a high tow and promising start, climbing up to 7000 (heights all QNH) in rotor/thermal/wave (nobody was sure..), fell down to 4000 and soared locally for an hour and a half.

Richard and Bob in the  DG were not so lucky (or smart) and after releasing below 4000 came down within 15 minutes much to the dismay (or delight??) of the rest of the group on the ground.

Ayala and Bob were next in the DG, releasing at 4500 into a gaggle of vultures and straight into good wave (or thermal or rotor, nobody was sure..), climbed up to 7000, running a line east-west, just to the south of the airfield. They then jumped north to the next bar, expecting huge sink but found excellent lift in what looked like a north-south wave bar...as said already, it was a very confusing day..

They run that great energy line almost to the snowy peaks, but then on turning back found the line has collapsed and the leg back into wind was more interesting...at one point low over the valley found a wonderful 10kts climb to put them back on glide home.

Next was Jon with John S, staying for 2 hours mostly in rotor (thermal/wave/ridge) and Richard and Bob in the DG definitely (maybe) finding wave to allow them a run east up wind towards Jaca.

Last flight of the day took off at 16:30 with Mike Truelove and Bob in the DG and together with Mike Rubin and John S in the Duo, were still soaring at 18:30 in complete 8/8 and finding the time for an aerial photo shoot, watch this space.

Dinner was a rustic affair in a tiny bar somewhere in the Echo valley, and was rounded up in a typical gliding tradition with many landout stories (oh and much beer).

Today, Saturday is our last day and the wind is much the same but stronger. Expecting more interesting flights and stories and more arguments over the type of lift we were climbing in.

Ayala