National Gliding Competition

[wrecker]

Below is an extract from a letter sent to Lars providers in the London FIR... PPruners might like early notification





I write to advise you that there will be a Gliding Competition originating from Lasham airfield (EGHL) between 8th Aug to 16 Aug 2009.The period of the competition will be the subject of a NOTAM valid for the above period.

The period of activity will be from 0830UTC until Sunset and will involve up to 100 gliders on task.
The competition tasks will be weather dependant but will range in length from 75nm to in excess of 350nm.
The tasks will be set between various points on the UK Landmass south of 53.00N. The tasks will be set in Class G Airspace.
The gliders will fly at heights of between 500ft above ground to the top of the convective layer, will not observe quadrantal rules and may fly in cloud.

Tasks will be notified on a daily basis to Low Flying Booking Cell at RAF Wittering and to Swanwick (Mil) ATC Supervisor.

I shall endeavor to notify you directly when a task impinges upon your immediate area and to this end it would be helpful if you could advise me of preferably a contact e-mail address or fax number to enable rapid dissemination of information.

Should you require any further information on the day, Lasham Competition Control can be contacted on 01256 384900 or direct to me on 07836 284096

If I can assist with any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours faithfully,

[mary meagher]

Gliding Competition THIS WEEK!

Well, chaps, we've got one notammed right now, but not so many gliders: Shenington Gliding Club is holding a Regional Competition with up to 30 gliders: Saturday 4th July was scrubbed, so we had a big party; Sunday we flew a lovely triangle, last two days were a bit too stimulating to venture forth. We have hopes for the rest of the week, ends Sunday.

Come on over and enjoy the fun! But just now, please, no arrivals by air unless we are already expecting you. Saturday night is the Barn Dance.

Cheers!

[1800ed]

I flew past Shennington on Sunday afternoon, I took a wide berth because of the NOTAM. But I didn't see many gliders about, two popped out of nowhere closer to Oxford though.

[englishal]

tasks will be set between various points on the UK Landmass south of 53.00N.

Thanks for the heads up but how exactly do we avoid them though, other than flying above the convective layer which might not be possible or fly N of 53N !? They could be anywhere S of 53N, up to any altitude and in cloud. Will the daily Notam give points they are between that day or will it be a "general" notam as in the letter?

Ta

[ProfChrisReed]

Thanks for the heads up but how exactly do we avoid them though

There's no realistic way of NOTAMing the actual tasks, so en route the field might be anywhere. By then the hope is they're fairly spread out - if it's a weakly thermic day, look out for big gaggles (which should be visible some substantial distance off).

I guess the only real point of the NOTAM is that there will be intensive activity near Lasham around the start time in particular - the worst case is all 100 in the same thermal, in which case I (although a glider pilot) would not get close at all. I'd guess there would be a period of an hour to 90 mins when the air around Lasham is white with circling aircraft - though when that period would be won't be known until maybe an hour before.

As they finish it will also be rather busy round Lasham, with most finishers flying in a straight line towards the airfield at speeds between 50kt and 100+kt. My guess is that the bulk would be spaced out over an hour or so, assuming a 3 or 4 hour task.

In between those times you won't see anything but training flights and local soaring at probably less than the normal density.

Sorry not to be more helpful - that's just how gliding competitions are I'm afraid!

[Fitter2]

There's no realistic way of NOTAMing the actual tasks, so en route the field might be anywhere. By then the hope is they're fairly spread out - if it's a weakly thermic day, look out for big gaggles (which should be visible some substantial distance off).

However, the competition will have a website, which I will for the convenience of the interested publish on this site. Once tasks are set, they will be put on the website (normally a primary task for each class, and a secondary shorter task in case the weather develops more slowly than forecast). The one actually to be flown will be noted at time of launch.

This will at least give the general area, although as there are either three or four groups (the regionals may be split into two groups) the task area may be quite large.

Not totally indicative of where you are likely to meet a glider, but better than nothing.

[Vino Collapso]

Thanks for the heads up but its Class G airspace.

[bad bear]

wimps

The tasks will be set between various points on the UK Landmass south of 53.00N.

Back in the good old days, when sex was safe and flying was dangerous, a "real" man went from Lasham to north of Edinburgh in a Lasham comp (1959) and that was his second flight that day !!


b b

[Fitter2]

Third, actually, although the second was only a 20 minute tow and fall down.

Impossible to do (as he did it) now even with double the glide angle performance due to airspace and different rules.

That, and many other achievements including inventing the mirror carrier landing aid, and being on ETPS Course no. 1.

Lt. Commander H.C.N.Goodhart was a remarkable chap.

[BackPacker]

I was flying to Berlin last year when there was a similar competition "in the area". Bremen Info had warned us about the glider competition "at this airfield" and the airfield was also in the NOTAMs, which I had read. My route took me about 50 kilometers north of said field so I thought I was in the clear.

Surprise, surprise, when I saw a stream of 50+ gliders crossing my track, same altitude. Fortunately so many that they were easily spotted from far away. Climbed above the bottom of the few Cu-clouds that were about and I was in the clear.

But the thing that struck me most was that Langen Info didn't know about the task set for the day and the route that that task would mean. They only knew about the starting location. Or, at least, they only gave us the starting location as part of the FIS.

And of course none of the gliders carried transponders, so Langen had no idea on where the pack was, or how high. If only 10% of the gliders would have a transponder, in contests like this, then this makes the pack very visible on radar and PCAS/TCAS.

So I hope that the contest organization will inform the FIS (sorry, Basic) providers in the area (not just the LARS providers as suggested in the OP, but London Info as well) of the actual tasks set, the actual starting time and the estimated maximum altitude of the gliders, so that they can inform others.

And yes, transponders and/or Flarm in gliders is a separate discussion which is already running in a separate thread.

[bad bear]

If only 10% of the gliders would have a transponder, in contests like this, then this makes the pack very visible on radar and PCAS/TCAS.

Yes, you would know that most of the other gliders are ahead of the ones with transponders (loosers) as the drag from the aerial is significant. The ones with transponders would also be the ones without radio or electric varios at the end of the flight due to their battery being flat.
The reality is

they were easily spotted from far away

if pilots do what you did and look out properly. Well done on reading the stuation and changing your level
b b

[Fitter2]

So I hope that the contest organization will inform the FIS (sorry, Basic) providers in the area (not just the LARS providers as suggested in the OP, but London Info as well) of the actual tasks set, the actual starting time and the estimated maximum altitude of the gliders, so that they can inform others.

The Competition organisation has a dedicated airspace liaison official, who informs LARS providers, London info (and any other appropriate interested parties, such a Salisbury Military, Brize, and so on) of the actual tasks as soon as they are set, and likely launch time based on forecast met.

Start times are at pilots discretion once all gliders have been launched. The task groups are widely spread along the task route, although as has been pointed out, in difficult soaring conditions there is a tendancy for faster pilots (who typically start later) to catch up but then 'drag' slower pilots with them in a 'gaggle'. A circling group of gliders is easier to spot from a distance than a single one flying in a straight line.

How much of the task iinformation is passed on by a Basic Service Provider is not under the control of the organisation. Contrary to some impressions, modern gliders are very visible on primary radar, having carbon-fibre spar booms which have a high radar cross-section. The NATS radar traces from the day of the unfortunate incident in the Abingdon area recently show this.

[gpn01]

Originally Posted by englishal

Thanks for the heads up but how exactly do we avoid them though, other than flying above the convective layer which might not be possible or fly N of 53N !? They could be anywhere S of 53N, up to any altitude and in cloud. Will the daily Notam give points they are between that day or will it be a "general" notam as in the letter?

Ta

Lookout, lookout and then lookout some more.

It's now well into the soaring and Glider competition season and fellow aviators may wish to check out some of the other events (Welcome to the British Gliding Association).

Now, did I mention lookout?

[cats_five]

On a decent gliding day (crisp cumulus with nice firm dark bases and tops like cauliflowers) estimating the maximum height you will find gliders at is easy - it's cloudbase.

BTW if you have the turnpoints will they mean anything to you? BIC? LAS? GAY? EDG? NOS? If that's meaningless maybe you should download the BGA turnpoints.

PS on a good day the Cu are arranged in streets, and gliders often fly along those streets rather than in a straight line from one TP to the next.

[Fitter2]

BTW if you have the turnpoints will they mean anything to you? BIC? LAS? GAY? EDG? NOS? If that's meaningless maybe you should download the BGA turnpoints.

We think of everything. The task is given to FIS providers and other interested parties in plain English relative to points on the CAA 1:500,000 Chart, and put on the website as a map with major airspace boundaries (LTMA, Birminghan CTA, Salisbury DAs, Lyneham and Brize) shown.

Short of providing a working prayer breakfast, I think we are as helpful as reasonably practical.

[englishal]

Thanks for the info chaps....

I'll open the eyes once N of 53N !