FAI European Gliding Championships 2009 - 15m, 18m, Open Class
June 27 - July 11 2009 NITRA, SLOVAKIA

Competition - 10th Jul 2009

2009-07-10 13:21:19

While waiting for briefing under a leaden sky, a few words about this site before I shut up shop and leave for home tomorrow.

It was not possible to insert pictures, so I hope you enjoyed the ones in the photo section, which tell a better tale than I could.

It took a while to learn the program but I hope the news was adequate and informative once it was up and running

. While up on the tower catching the arrivals to pass to you, I was not on the field so unable to collect pilot stories to add and I also wanted to avoid favouring one nation or another with a story when I couldn't write about them all.

I would like to put on record my personal appreciation of the kindness and helpfulness of all the Slovak staff. A small, close-knit team, led by the indefatigable Vladimir Foltin and Dominic. And, a special mention for Arthur, working hard on the tower every day, spotting gliders zipping by as I was head down typing, catching the trailer numbers as they left the field behind my back and faithfully recording them all, till the last were counted home.

2009-07-10 12:01:02

Yesterday was a day when the forecast betrayed us.

Officially, there would be no thundery storm activity and the pilots were promised a shower-free ride for once

. Take-off was very exciting with so much at stake for leaders and contenders and especially after two days on the ground.

For the first time, all quarters of the compass were brilliant with cloud streets and hopes were high.

But then, one person landed in the middle of launching, which had already been held up soon after it began by the brief visit of a police helicopter! (Not NOW, please, I thought).

Someone else called to say that the glorious sky we were loooking at with awe was not giving the high values it promised.

To top it all, showers were appearing on course and finally, very heavy rain with thunder and lightning flashes afflicted the field as the last finishers were coming in.

So, the first gliders back had mostly used their engines and late-starting pilots were particularly heavily penalised. Win some, lose some. They took their chances... The results table tells the story better than I can.