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 2nd
World Air Games 2001 - Gliding
15 June 2001 - Special Report by Lillo Lillo will be the place of the Gliding Event of the World Air Games, including the 2nd WAG Championship of the World Class (also 3rd World Championships of the World Class), and first World Championship for the 18 metre class. The competition will run from 24 to 30 June, but some pilots have already arrived on site to make training flights. Alvaro de Orleans-Borbon gives his first impressions of the airfield: "...in a nutshell, Lillo is a farming town, about 3.000 people, with a sparkling brand new 700m (2500 ft) asphalt runway, a friendly airport bar & reverberating briefing hall, a hangar & workshop, and very little else, deep in the Castilian La Mancha region, where time stopped and Don Quijote still roams free. The countryside and its weather looks somewhat similar to Waikerie or Hobbs, less extreme but more dusty. After an exceptionally rainy spring season, effectively blocking access to most of the aerodrome, the local gliding club members just moved in, and are cheerfully working hard to finish the aerodrome and prepare a minimum of services - and I mean real HARD, e.g., I saw them spending a weekend handpicking & shoulderhauling rubbish nonstop on the still grassless glider parking lot (the aerodrome was built on compacted former disposal landfill), doing so 8 hours non-stop in 37 degrees C, some 98 F. Please remember this when you'll judge the state of completeness of the Lillo facility... In other words, come equipped for full shadeless self sufficiency, and prepare to fight dust, or Vrsac type teflon-sticking mud if we get the standard dose of WGC rain. If the weather is OK, you'll love it - but in La Mancha I've also seen it hyper stable, 42 degrees on the ground and still some 25 at 3,000 agl, not a leaf rustling anywhere, grounding even the local super soaring storks...
... The day after I arrived, I went to the airport (only about 1 km SW of Lillo - get a bicycle!) and was completely alone. It felt somewhat eerie to self-assemble the ASH26E, ground check it & line up on the runway, call blind on 123.37 and take off, never seeing anybody except a distant shepherd and some hundred sheep - see the above picture. I flew locally three hours, cloud base 3,000 agl. The next days I did three more flights, always dry thermals, one a 300 km flight mostly between 400 and 1300 m agl, very very hot..."
17 June 2001 - Special Report by Lillo Official training days have started in Lillo. The first tasks set were 309km for the World Class and 474km for the 18 meters class. Subject to confirmation, Alvaro de Orleans (ESP), with his self-launched 18 m class glider, won this first training task at an average of 115 km/h.
The above photo shows the PW-5 World Class Gliders lined up on the Lillo runway (photo courtesy of the organisers). For more details and pictures, visit the web site of the Aero-Club of Lillo-Toledo : http://www.aeroclubdetoledo.com/
Today is the 5th practice day. Almost all competitors have arrived. The technical checks of the gliders have been proceeding smoothly during the last few days. The meteorologists promise a good day with dry thermals up to 3900m in the plane and Cu with a base at 4700m in the mountains. Polygon training tasks have been set for both classes: 368.7km for the World Class and 567.2km for the 18m class, with shorter alternate tasks for both in case the thermal activity started later than the expected time. The alternates were not needed; launching started punctually at 13.30 h, and the weather seems to have been as good as predicted. PRELIMINARY RESULTS, 20/06/01 (practise day) - World Class :
PRELIMINARY RESULTS, 20/06/01 (practise day) - 18m Class :
World Records flown in the World Class. At briefing today there was a big round of applause for the German pilots Axel Reich and Thomas Wartha, who yesterday broke the existing World Class world records for the biggest triangle distance and the speed over a 500km triangle. They flew a triangle of 536km at a speed of about 81 km/h. The records are of course subject to homologation by the National Airsport Control and the FAI.Today they are trying for the 300km triangle speed record, and there are rumours that the Polish team is going for 560km ! At a Team captains meeting yesterday evening, there was a secret ballot on the proposal of the Organizers to use Saturday, June 23, as an additional competition day, since it has been decided that only small delegations from each WAG site shall be sent to the opening ceremony in Seville. The IGC Bureau had, by e-mail vote, agreed to this rule change as required by the Sporting Code, with the proviso that the Team Captains must unanimously agree. Although a big majority was in favour, unanimity was not achieved. The competition will therefore commence on Sunday, June 24th, as planned. The period of seven days is sort for a gliding championship, but if the weather continues to be so reliable as it has been, this should be sufficient. The weather forecast for today: Blue thermals up to over 4000m, starting at 1330h in the plane. Tasks of 337km (World Class) and 536km (18m class) were set. The first take-off was at 1330. Meanwhile, nice-looking flat Cu clouds have appeared over Lillo, and climb rates up to 6m/s are being reported.
More World Records in the World Class. On Friday there was another spate of world records: the German pilots Axel Reich and Thomas Wartha flew a 300km triangle at a speed of 101 km/h. Their distance record flown the previous day was broken by Sebastian Kawa and Zbigniew Nieradka of the Polish team, who flew a triangle of 560km. It was a very good day, with a Cu cloud base of 4800m. 15 pilots flew the training task in the World Class, and all got home. The highest speed was 107km/h (Jan Hald, Denmark). In the 18m class there was one outlanding (out of 16 starters). The highest speed was 142km/h (Steve Jones, Great Britain). Today is the first competition day. There is some high cloud, but enough heating to reach a convection height of 2700m. At the time of writing, towing is in progress. The tasks are: 300km in the World Class and 405km in the 18m class.
On the first competiton day yesterday, 24 pilots of the World Class landed in Lillo after completing the 300km task. The last to arrive -- Thomas Wartha of Germany -- landed at 21.30. According to the inofficial results, the winner of the first day was the only female competitor, Sarah Steinberg of Great Britain, with a speed of 77.0 km/h. Sebastian Dubreuil of France was second with 73.4 km/h, and Luis Fernando Improta of Brazil came in third with a speed of 73,0 km/h. The 18m class had less luck with their task (503km): all landed out. Except for the few motorized gliders, this meant some long retrieves, with some teams returning just in time for breakfast. The inofficial results :
There are 8 different glider types flying in the 18m class (not counting the different versions): LS8 (3), ASW27 (1), DG600 (7), Ventus (7), DG800 (2), LS6/18 (4), ASH26 (2), LAK17A (5). Today the tasks are: 337km for the 18m class and 195 km for the World Class. There are no high clouds, and the forecast is blue thermals up to 2800m (3300m in the mountains).
26 June 2001- First Report of the day On the second competition day there were no outlandings. Sarah Steinberg of Great Britain won the day again in the World Class with a speed of 96.54 km/h, followed by the Polish pilots Sebastian Kawa (96.09km/h) and Zbigniew Nieradka (95.52km/h). The first three in the unofficial total scores (subject to there being no protests within the official protest time of 14 hours, are Sarah Steinberg (GB, 1610 points), Luis Fernando Improta (Brazil, 1486 points) and Sebastaina Dubreuil (France, 1477 points). In the 18m class, Richard Walters, USA, won the day with a speed of 130.21km/h in this case again followed by 2 Polish pilots, Stanislaw Wujczak (128.25km/h) and Janusz Centka (127.98km/h). In the overall unofficial scores, Bernd Gauger (Germany, 1712 points) is in the lead, followed by Leonardo Brigliadori (Italy, 1657 points) and Claus Triebel (Germany, 1641 points). Two pilots of the 18m class were unable to fly because of glider damage: LEONIOD Vaskov, Russia, (towing accident) and Bill Bartell, USA, (outlanding damage on the first day).
26 June 2001- Second Report of the day The tasks and alternate tasks set today were: World Class A 348.33km, B 249.47km; 18m class A 542.62km, B 444.9km. The meteorologists informed us that a cold front with an associated high altitude trough is approaching, bringing a change of air mass later today or tomorrow. Today we expect again blue thermals up to a maximum of 3000m (3400m in the mountains). In view of the fact that the task A for the 18m class includes mountainous territory with difficult outlanding conditions, task B was selected for this class. The PWs remain with task A. A comment on yesterday's tasks, overheard on the cafe terrace: "In a competition you always get the right task for the previous day." The poor task setters always get the blame. For complete provisionnal results and pictures : http://www.aeroclubdetoledo.com
The unofficial day results for the 3rd competition day yesterday (13 outlandings in the 18m class and 15 in the World Class) were: 18m Class:
The first three in the total scores (unofficial) after 3 days:
World Class:
Unofficial total scores:
Today with the cold front approaching the B tasks were set: 172km and 286km, respectively. Launching started at 2 p.m. Above: A PW5 which had landed outside the airfield is lifted over the fence.
28 June 2001- First Report of the day After a complaint by several Team Captains, 7 pilots in the 18m class (including the three leading pilots!) and 3 pilots in the World Class were disqualified for having penetrated forbidden air space. This has made a big change in the order of the 18m class. Yesterday turned out to be much better than expected, and the tasks were correspondingly too short. The 18m class flew the A task (286km), not the B task as mistakenly reported yesterday. They day winner (unofficial results) was David Watt of Great Britain (145 km/h), followed by Sabeckis Vytautas of Lithuania (140 km/h) and Richard Walters, USA (138km/h). Thanks to the day 3 disqualification of the leading pilots, the Lithuanian pilot Sabeckis Vytautas is now in the overall lead with 3038 points. Second is Bernd Gauger, Germany (2939 points), and third Steven Jones, Great Britain (2912 points). The World Class flew a task of only 223km, which the day's winner, Sebastian Kawa of Poland, accomplished with a speed of 102.8km/h, closely followed by his countryman Zbigniew Nieradka with 102.6km/h. The German pilot Axel Reich took third place with 94.4 km/h). Sarah Steinberg of Great Britain was 18th on the day (83.7km/h) and dropped to second place in the overall score. The unofficial ranking after the fourth day: 1. Zbigniew Nieradka (3040 points), 2. Sarah Steinberg (3027 points), 3. Sebastian Kawa (3016 points). The weather looks good again today. A task of 286km (alternative B task 222km) is planned for the World Class and 462km (B task 379km) for the 18m class.
28 June 2001- Second Report of the day Acting on a complaint by the Italian Team Captain, the Director of the Championships decided to reduce the penalties for airspace infringements on the third competition day from day disqualification to 100 points. The Stewards had advised him that the Sporting Code and the Competition rules allow him this discretion. The new results for day 3 have now been published, but because of the change they are still unofficial and subject to protest. The standings of the leading pilots after the fourth competition day are now: 18m Class:
The order of the first three in the Word Class has not changed:
The fifth competition day was another blue but strong day. In the World Class, Sarah Steinberg again came in first and regained the overall lead: World Class, 5th competiton day (286km):
Overall scores:
In the 18m Class, the British team Steve Jones and Dave Watt took the first 2 places, followed by Richard Walters, USA:
Steve Jones leads overall:
Today is the final competition day, and it will certainly be a flying day. This means 7 competition days out of 7; the optimism of the Organisers regarding the weather condition has been justified. On the sixth competition day yesterday, the 18m class flew a task of 505km in strong blue conditions. The day winner was BG, Bernd Gauger, Germany (LS6-18W) with a speed of 146,13km/h, followed by the British Team DW, Dave Watt (Ventus 2A, 141.79km/h) and 250, Steve Jones (Ventus 2CT, 141.62). In the overall scores, Bernd gauger leads with 4855 points, 5 points more than the second placed Steve Jones. The Italian ASH26 pilot Leonardo Brigliadori (LEO) is third with 4779 points. In the World Class, the young French pilots Olivier Darroze (EY) and Sebastian Dubreuil (EZ), flying consistently as a team, took the first two places in the task of 306km with 103.15km/h and 102.53km/h, respectively. Sarah Steinberg (HZB) of Great Britain came in third with 94.30km/h, thereby dropping behind the two French pilots in the overall score. Olivier Darroze now leads with 4904 points, followed by his team-mate Sebastian Dubreuil (4890 points) and Sarah Steinberg (4849 points). Tasks of 258km (alternative 202km) for the World Class and 447km (alternative 341km) for the 18m class have been set for today.
List of participating pilots World Class
List of participating pilots 18 Metre Class
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OTHER ARTICLES OF ASI JULY 2001 ISSUE
| From The Secretary General's Desk | Air Waves | | News In Brief | Letters To The Editor | World Records | | Glider Aerobatics | Gliding | Paragliding | | Powered Aerobatics | Ballooning | Parachuting | | Microlight | Hang Gliding | Powered Paragliders | | Symposium on Air Sports Medicine | 
More articles on Gliding |
