Jaca - Week 4 - Days 4 & 5

Day 4 is only mentioned in case anyone thinks I have forgotten one. In short Thursday was wet. A few went to brieing and were told that it was wet, while others got their information by looking out of the window.

Day 5 (Friday) was breezy and thermic. 776 towed beyond Stage 2 and climbed in weak wave to 7200. 775 was towed just below it and scuttled back. When 776 were just about to say nah,nah ni nah nah, the wave vanished and so 776 had to scuttle back. to Stage 1. For both gliders a battle with choppy thermals and vultures followed before it was decided the other pair should have a go. They weren't interested, which is quite annoying since we could have stayed up there.

Because the wind was westerly, it meant that anything in the Hecho valley and downwind was bound to be churned up. This was proved on the final flight which was towed to the smoother air in the Verdun direction where the thermals were more amenable.

After unsuccessfully struggling to get the tyre off the Duo's tail dolly, (it was flat), we decided to cut it off on the grounds that it seemed to be filled with Holt's emergency tyre gunge. After sawing it away we found it  wasn't, so why it was impossible to shift is a mystery. (It wasn't a two-piece wheel incidentally) We had taken this action on the grounds that Neumaticos stocked these things. We were just about to set off for Jaca to get a new tyre when a bright spark suggested we phoned them up first. They were out of stock. Merv is bringing another one out today.
JM

Jaca - Week 4 - Day 3

The briefing claimed it would be raining by 4pm but it might be flyable before then. Consequently we stood staring at the sky for a few hours, first outside the club-house and then outside the hangar without actually getting gliders out. Meanwhile we were entertained by helicopters in an exercise flying simulated wounded people to a temporary hospital on the south side. More staring at the sky followed until we concluded at around 1:45 that this was as good as it was going to get and that this wasn't good enough.
JM

Jaca - Week 4 - Day 2

Another sunny morning, slightly more relaxed start, gliders out and parked in front of hangars before briefing. so far this week Lasham have exclusive use of the airfield.

Wind from the South East, launching at 13:00, 775 went first to experience a very rough tow around the sky, eventually creeping over Stage 1, and finally releasing in lift under Cu forming in the valley. The Cu over the valley showed the most promise as substantial streets formed. Steady progress to the SE up to 8000', passing Oroel below and on the left. (Oroel is very imposing from the ground, less so from above), and onwards until Sabinanigo, then crossing the valley northwards, to get to fly above above the snow, working back towards Sant Cecilia.

776 followed a similar pattern, looking for wave but finding only the rotor.

After a change of P2, 775 launched again finding lift at Stage 1, but nowhere else, the climb exercise was repeated several times, before getting back with the assistance of airbrake to get down.
776 launched again, and narrowly avoided beating the tug down.

In the evening, the party was again guided to an excellent restaurant in Jaca.

MG