20 June, from the crew dude

Hi all!

Well, from yesterdays' results, it seems that most people who attempted the task dropped out.  Hardly surprising, given that the rain came in more extensively than expected, really.

Retrieving Eric resulted in all of us getting very wet feet, and drying our shoes took all night using various nifty techniques.  We're all back raring to go now, though.  Today's weather seems to be a slightly better version of yesterday's, so I'm guessing maybe a 3-hr AAT??  We'll see what briefing offers.

Again, stay tuned!

Update 1200 - Eric's launched.  Task is a racing task (point-to point) of 218 km.  We had some minor problems with electrical noise (we think we've now identified the problem, but not in time before launching today) and will try to fix it tonight.  Yesterday's outlanding also got the wheel a bit muddy, but today, inconveniently, a water pipe has broken, necessitating shut-off of pretty well all water to the site, and we couldn't hose it out.  We hope the pipe will be fixed today.

Some rain now around the tasking area, will have to see if more eventuates.

Update 1450 - there's a bit more rain around the place right now.  No idea what it's like further north but the rain radar is starting to show a bit more in most places now.  Eric's stayed in the same spot for the last 15 minutes trying to progress further.

Update 1500 - Eric's abandoned the task and is heading home.  If he doesn't find lots of sink he should make it.

Update 1530 - he's back.  The glider's tied down now and we're trying to find the source of the radio problems and the interference.  The sky's total rubbish now, and anyone still flying - there are some! - will be in better air or about to land out.

I've removed "part 1" from the title as it doesn't seem to be all that relevant now.

There's a "summer solstice" part tonight; it's also Finnish Night so we can partake of Finnish grub and booze, and apparently there'll be a big bonfire just beyond the end of one of the runways, lit at midnight.  This is also the time of year when the day is longest, and in fact one could legally fly day VFR at midnight.  Not sure anyone will though!

Update 1630 - trying to publish this blog, and finding a data connection is v. hard now, I suspect there are a heap of people overloading the various networks.  It's pot luck now…

Update 1645 - according to the results thus far, a few pilots have actually got around.

Cheers