Gliding champs at Benalla

[Critical Reynolds No]

It's a bit hard to understand their website (must be a glider thing?) but can anyone rock up to have look? When is the best time to watch? Obviously weather dependent as the first day was cancelled. Any help advice etc would be appreciated. Thanks CRN

[DancingDog]

No reason why you can't show up for a look provided you don't get in the way.

Best times are of course when they're leaving and getting back. So around lunchtime and early evening with specific times varying slightly from day to day.

Take a handheld if you have one.

You can also live track each classes fleet here http://www.wgc2017.com/live!/tracking.aspx?contestID=25901

[Pinky the pilot]

Flew a Tug at the last Worlds at Benalla back in 1987. Had the time of my Life!!:E:E

Someone else is flying the same Pawnee there this time. Hope he has the same fun I had!!:ok:

[Andy_RR]

There's pleasure to be had tugging, apparently...

[Tankengine]

There are Pruners involved! ;)

[no_one]

Great watching it unfold liveish yesterday afternoon, via the trackers. The performance of these aircraft and pilots is pretty amazing.

The peculiar way that regulations are made in this country hasn't gone unnoticed by some of the visitors:
January 12th | US Soaring Team (http://ussoaringteams.org/january-12th/)


One notable quirk is a requirement for flashing yellow lights on all vehicles that drive onto the airfield. This curious rule comes not from the contest organization, the gliding club, or the Australia aviation authorities, but rather from the local town government. In the (dangerously) bright Victoria sunlight, a flashing yellow light improves vehicle visibility by a distance measured in centimeters (in some cases you have to look closely to determine that the light is indeed on). It would be interesting to hear how anyone arrived at the notion that this was a rational idea. But we get a strong sense that this battle was fought to a standstill long ago, and the mere fact that flashing lights make no sense no longer matters. It’s their airfield; we go along.

[no_one]

The video below shows some of the thermaling and how close the fly to one another....

http://youtu.be/4dMaYwImixc

(http://youtu.be/4dMaYwImixc)

[Andy_RR]

That's awesome! Does the FLARM give you audible when things are getting a bit too cosy?

Edit: Ah yes, I see it's beginning to shout frantically at 5:47

[Pinky the pilot]

There's pleasure to be had tugging, apparently...

Umm.. the Fun was had mainly when not flying the Tug!:E:hmm:

Heard from a reliable source that there was a bit of a coming together between two ASG 29's (?) a few days ago. Thankfully no-one was injured and both Gliders landed ok.

Haven't flown Gliders in many years bit I suspect that FLARM would be more of a nuisance when Gaggle flying. I remember once in a Regional Competition (way back in the mid 70's) sharing a thermal with about 15 Gliders, with the highest a/c being about 1,000' above the lowest in the gaggle.

I was about half way up, and clearly remember not looking at the instrument panel once whilst in that gaggle.

[catseye]

Seems there was a coming together of the nasty kind. Both parachute let down. :ugh:

[gerry111]

Two gliders in 15M Class WGC collided on 14th Jan 17. Both pilots are accounted for and OK. The pilots are Stephen O'Donnell (Australia) and Michale Eisele (Germany) The 15M competition for the day was cancelled.

(From WGC website.)

[Lead Balloon]

This recklessly dangerous activity must be banned by the government, immediately.

Or gliders must be fitted with flashing yellow lights, ADS-B and TCAS. The safety of air navigation demands it.

[Pinky the pilot]

What worries me Leadie is that somewhere, in some Government bureaucracy, there may be some clown who would actually hold such a view!:eek::hmm:

[porch monkey]

MAYBE??? I've got $50 that says there is at least 1, probably several....:eek::mad:

[The name is Porter]

No, they should broadcast traffic alerts, that'll fix it :ok:

[Squawk7700]

No, they should broadcast traffic alerts, that'll fix it :ok:

I heard centre give a traffic alert today, same altitude, with 30 seconds notice... problem was that by the time the guy answered the call and gave his position they had passed within a few metres :-) it was a great service and they didn't crash, but damn had to look after everyone out there all at once.

[Ixixly]

I was planning on stopping in at Benalla for work before I saw the NOTAM, could only imagine that traffic info "ABC, No IFR Traffic for your descent into Benalla...I do have about 120 VFR Paints though, would you like me to read them out for you?!"

[rjtjrt]

Gliders collide mid-air | The Border Mail (http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/4404360/gliders-collide-mid-air/)

[mary meagher]

There you go....that's why we wear parachutes when flying gliders, nice to have a plan B. especially flying comps. Eyes on stalks all the time, if more than 3 gliders at your level in your thermal, perhaps its time to move to a different cloud on track! But great fun. I always felt happy just to beat one other pilot, didn't have to win the whole thing.

[criticalmass]

Apparently the pilots "ejected" from the gliders. Martin Baker would love to have a "bang-seat" that light and small!

[gerry111]

I've heard a rumour that a GA PPRuNer was very generous in allowing the Southern Cross Gliding Club to park their Pawnee tug, CPU in his hangar at YCTM recently. (That was during a gliding competition there.) :)

[Fitter2]

Apparently the pilots "ejected" from the gliders. Martin Baker would love to have a "bang-seat" that light and small!

Look up NOAH system - although it's not MB.

Emergency Exit Assist System: NOAH ? DG Flugzeugbau Aircraft Manufacturing (http://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/en/library/emergency-exit-assist-noah)