@MassiveLib yes of course. The basic thing is that it is a race. The meet director sets a number of turn-points that we must fly to and also a goal. The winner is the fastest person around the course. If you don't get all the way around the course, your score is based on how far you get. Our flights are tracked via GPS and a computer program works out the scores at the end. It does get more complicated because there are extra points for being in the lead at any point (the leader is taking more risk because there is no one ahead of them finding thermals) and also some races have start gates like in a boat race. The parameters are decided by the meet director and it depends on the weather conditions. Right now I am in Spain and today flew a competition race where there were start gates... video to follow! I hope that explains it, let me know of you have more questions
I’m in the midst of my H1 training and look forward to progressing to this level of fun! I always come back to your videos because of the video quality, commentary, and locations!
@JRudd thank you!! Sometimes it feels like that training will never end, but keep at it and you'll be flying high above those mountains before you know it!
I know you have an emergency chute but at 9,000 feet and the occasional violent thermos you experienced flying through the mountains, do you take pause while in flight and think about how fragile and vulnerable your airframe is (false sense of security)?
10,000 A long time... Anoxia a bit, do you think ? Other than that an exciting spectacular flight, I'm happy watching you but will keep to lower key flying.
No, pretty sure no anoxia involved. I can tell when it starts to get hard to breathe. This was just the result of rough conditions, strong thermals and a lot of excitement!
There is something strangely addictive about the vario tone. Especially, when it starts beeping at a rapid frequency. The vario at 12:10 was off the scale 😂
The vario noise is a very subjective thing. 6030 users tend to hate the noise I have - they are used to much slower beeps. But I love it! Especially when I can make it sing like this...
Actually it makes the more rapid noise when there is a transition... so the stronger the transition (in speed of lift) the more rapid the noise. If I were to settle into a 10up for a long period, then the beeps would slow down a bit. I think. This speeding up of the beeps helps to centre in the strongest bit.
Was jumping out of my seat when you were white knukkeling from 11:30... absolutely screeeamen! Epic, epic, epic Last video's serenity in Scotland and this one in the ballistic Austrian Alps. So so privileged. "Lets get this next turn point" howling
Amazing scenery! Your in-flight narration says more than your vario 😀 Also I’m impressed by your mature decision to cut the flight short given the circumstances. Good luck!
Thank Joseph - in all honesty that is the only time I have ever cut a flight short like that. But I really did feel unwell and spent 1.5 hours derigging with lots of sitting down!
That's luvlea! I'd be intrested in seeing the trials & tribulations of your preperations and travel issues to these places and your accommodation arrangements also who picks you up if you don't make it to the finish?
I think I need to go Greifenburg again. The nice mountains of East-Tirol are imho the most beautiful in whole Austria. They also have the advertisment: East-Tirol - Your Mountain-Tirol. And I think that is justified… thanks for the video. Greetings form Kössen.
Thanks once again Darren. It is so interesting watching your flights in the Scottish highlands, while we float about in West Oz, catching some great flying two days either side of the winter solstice!
An old guy called Tomas Suchanek gave me some top secret advice once. It was 'stay high', and 'don't glide so low'. Maybe you need to work a bit more on mastering those techniques? 😂
I do try, but my mentor isn't as helpful as your old guy Tomas. My mentor actually flies off and leaves me on the hill when I'm otherwise engaged, instead of waiting to instruct me around the course. I know, hard to believe right! 😝
I don’t know how you guys fly over those areas without a bail option. It’s the worst feeling in the world when you sink alarm is starting to scream at you and you know you can’t turn back at this point😅 “C’mon, give me a thermal…please “ 😂
I could have landed at any point safely... the bigger issue was the retrieve. Though having looked in that valley on google afterwards, it was a driveable track, even if it was 5 miles from the nearest road!
Brilliant and so much better than when pilots add music. It will be 5 years since I last flew but intend to go back to Algo late summer for some thermal therapy.
Warms me Scottish blood to see you flying over the beautiful country. Congrats on making that leg to goal! Been meaning to ask for some time: is there anything special about the selfie stick you use on the glider? I know you have the 360 camera too but it's the stick I'm wondering about. Keep up the great videos! Jim (Mac)Lawrence
Thanks Jim! Yep, my selfie stick is invisible. You can make your own just by using any stick with the correct thread in the ends (standard camera thread) and then painting it with invisible paint. I did this - I bought a metal stick with the thread in the end, fitted it to my mount and painted it with the invisibility paint. The paint is hard to get hold of to be fair. Works perfectly.
Bishop was where I had my first high flight on a Moonraker 77, in 1978. I had a seated harness I'd never done a hang check in. When I lifted off, I discovered I could rest my chin on the base bar - seated... I didn't turn before I landed ☺. And we carried up the front in those days.
