Sunday 12.6.2011 – hot and sunny day turned into sad and cold day

Temperature in the shadow was +17 C in the morning at 8. The day continued as hot and nice gliding day, launches were postponed only 15 minutes, and so day started at 12:15. Even our met-man Kristian had said in the morning that there will be only blue thermals, we saw cumulus developing during towings.

After towings we had lunch and enjoyed the day, and calculated that as they had just over 200 km task, pilots would be back just before 17:00. When I got up after having a nap, I saw a text message asking “what has happened and are pilots ok”. Of course I hadn’t heard anything. I started calling and during following hours we got most sad news. This is something I hoped I wouldn’t have to ever write: Two 15m class pilots had an accident in the air, other pilot survived with parachute, but the other pilot sadly didn’t make it.

Media started calling even to me, asking would I like to sell my photos for the news. Of course I couldn’t give any photos, as all information in these situations has to come through only the competition directors – and police later of course. The day was cancelled in 15m and two-seater class. The feeling in Räyskälä during the evening was most sad and quiet.

Somehow the weather changed during the evening and it started to rain. Like the weather would have known what happened.