Wednesday 11.5.2011

After having a really hot night – and I mean the temperature in my room – briefing was again at 10:30. Today’s weather forecast said that there will be some cumulus on the task area and clouds shouldn’t disappear during the day, meaning pretty good flying weather. Taisto gave a speed task of 313 km, launches started at 12:45. Start line opened at 14:13 and everybody left within first 20 minutes. Less than three hours from that, pilots finished the task and nobody landed out. So the task setter had done a good job, I guess.

Success story of today was WS, Martti Sucksdorff, he had really good average speed (136 km/h), as the pilots after him had almost 20 km/h slower speeds. This was really his day. The weather was what the forecast had said, nice clouds and pretty good thermals until the end of the competition day. I have to mention that I heard some conversation on the radio before the starts and if I compare that conversation on the results, it was really good tactics from one certain pilot… But I don’t know if that kind of tactics makes many friends. I know, we are all friends and this is about having fun as well, so let’s not take it too seriously.

I got some nice finish line photos. But I had to leave in the evening – lots of work and meetings are waiting for me. When I left, it was still warm and sunny summer evening, and I saw how some pilots went jogging around the airfield and going to have sauna as well (with sausages and beers I assume, to keep the balance right :-)

Overall result of these two days: had lots of fun, didn’t have time to work and I got a flu. More I have fun at the airfield, more I hate being in Helsinki.