Volume 1, Number 7
10AM, Tuesday, January 15th, 2002
In Lee-side of the mothership, Hay NSW
"Gordo, I have a feeling we're not in Wylie anymore."

Hay Day 6

Canned again. Day 6 (Sunday) we didn't even bother going to the paddock. Various activities reigned in the caravan park. Mostly involving water pistols.

However we had a "Hang your Harness here" session and everyone who had a newish harness hung on the tree just outside Gordo's tent. Spike has a Woody Valley Tenax, which is probably about 2 years old now and uses a rope slider and no head angle adjustment. Like as Phrilly's "Nailer", the rope slider seems to have some horizontal "give" and prevents your body pivoting head up/down in trashy air. We had the modelling services of Kari Castle. Spike's harness was ill-fitting on her so looked awkward.

A lot of the newer models attach the 'chute behind the neck, rather than to the carabiner. There was a deployment 1-2 years ago in the USA where Brad Koji was killed - possibly because his bridle was around his neck - though I don't know the details. The other downside of this attachment is that the force from the parachute acts directly on the pilot. So you could get dragged into the wreckage of your glider when the chute deploys. Spike's Tenax doesn't have this attachment, but I think the newer ones do - it's probably an option.

Oleg has a new Aeros, mylar harness which he brought over (his tent is nearby - and he seemed happy to spend some time with us. Like he had anything better to do!). This was the cleanest of them all, but the mylar doesn't wear well and probably isn't suitable for we mortals. Also Oleg isn't exactly Mr Universe, so I suspect even Gordo's sleeping bag would look streamlined on him. He also wasn't too keen on the chute attachment being behind the neck.

We've had several demo's of the scorpion harness, made by Dynamic flight (Rohan, Paul, James and Jim). This has always been one of the more streamlined harnesses, and has the extended boot to kill the drag from boot turbulence. Rohan has a new one and it looks nice - they seem to have worked on the finish with the newer ones, with good results. I pointed to an Aeros harness a few days ago and said "nice bag" to which Paul replied "like that would make you fly better". They're very proud of their product.

Our old mate Lucky (Herbert Sturm) has a mylar Skyline harness. Again the mylar looks quite smicko, but probably doesn't wear well. Herbert has remembered us each year and usually says something like "Western Australians, Wyalkatchem - I remember!" and points to the tooth he broke while at the 99 nat's. He's had another great comp - he had a lock out when another aerotow rope crossed his, on landing he then crashed and broke his upright. Then yesterday he was "yust valking arrround, ven I moved like zis" (Insert Hokey-Kokey movement) and he has sprained his knee.

And the winner is - Bomber has a new Skyline harness, normal nylon with the "kick arse" head adjustment (As Kari calls it - you raise your butt check to release the head up/down rope. She even gave us a tasty demo nearly taking out my nose, I was sitting). This also has the chute behind the neck - but is a very well finished, very eye catching piece of work, and generally got a lot of nods.

Hoo, bloody, ray - the wind has dropped. Just to make up for the off days the task set was 182k to the North to Ivanhoe, with a slight dogleg TP at Booligal. This was over all station country with pretty much only one road all the way.

I towed last and climbed in more lumpy air at the start. I noticed Rohan still around even though he'd launched about 1 hour earlier. On course and it was more broken climbs with the occasional few turns in good lift. Approaching TP (60k) and I was gradually getting lower as I hopped my way along. Down to 2000 I went into survival mode and was lucky to see Len Paton jag a screamer (800-900fpm) which took me to about 5,500. Over TP and a top up to 5 ish had me back in the chase. At this stage Gordo had landed 3K from the road, just after TP, and Phil and Bomber were somewhere ahead.

A longish glide over Gordo brought me under some more gliders down to about 2500 and as I worked my way up Phil suddenly came into view. He'd been above me for a while. Now with a mate, we set off after the next gaggle scoring well there with a 500-700fpm to 5 or 6 ish. Phil later confirmed he had been dithering along until I caught him - he actually got low and missed TP, deciding to continue on. Another quick transition and another good climb and we're off again. We went over the next gaggle at about 4800' and I pressed on, thinking this was a courageous move.

A long glide followed and we were soon below 2 grand, along with a few others, and were working some really nasty air when we noticed another guy getting a better climb 2k downwind. This finally turned on and I got back to about 6500, but Phil had jagged a ripper and left me for dead. The next glide pushed us back above the course line, Phil now about 5k in front. The next climb Phil got another good one and I stooged for a while before finally climbing back to the top.

Now I took some slower climbs and gradually stepped back to height within 30k of goal. Mr Happy suggested a super efficient glide would get me there, but I pushed back above the course in search of one more climb.

Above two huge dry lakes I finally got my last climb and with Mr Happy offering 2300' above the glide off I set. Down to 1700' 5k from goal and the 800 down had me pointing at the goal line, worrying slightly. But then the traditional goal thermal saved me and I crossed at about 700', about 10 minutes behind Phil and 2 minutes behind Bomber, 4hrs 5min (and 2 toilet breaks) in the air.

Bomber flew past TP then had to claw back. Phil did miss TP but got a consolation cup for making it to goal. Our friendly Irishman Shane missed by 15k - that's twice now.

On the way back we found Oleg 25k short, so we gave him a beer - he wasn't going to take it but Gordon gave him "stern eyes" so he did.

Bomber had taken a 1:30 start, Phil 2:00 and me 2:15. One of those days you dream of.

Bad luck, you’re stuck with it.

Daryl Speight
speightd@hunterwatertech.com.au

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