USA Paragliding

With moderately strong west winds forecast, a 153km task to the NE was set.  This put us on course to dodge several bits of airspace.  The window opened fairly soon after the task meeting and we had 20km to go to the start.  So there was a bit of a rush get ready, eat some sandwich and launch into a "fresh" breeze.

I had an entertaining launch.  Someone laid out in front of me, blew a launch and then tried to launch in front of me again.  But Rob grabbed his glider, said a few reasonable words and gave me a chance to pull up.

The glider came up a bit crooked and I took a few steps before getting it overhead and turned around.  That put me right behind the center of the other guy's wing, with a high wall built.  I had a good cycle so I made sure he saw me there, picked up my feet and flew over it.

The start put us right over the fabled Villatoro Pass.  A group I was with drifted out of position before the start and then had to glide back upwind with 7 minutes to go.  Not ideal, but no one else was in a much better position so it worked out.

From the start we had the choice to follow the range on the S side of the Ambles valley with clouds over it, or the N side, staying upwind of course line.  A larger group that I joined went N.  Soon afterwards Brad, Jack and I met up in a good position, looking for a climb over some wind turbines on the ridge.  Yassen kept pulling the gaggle forward, pushing lower and in front.  I couldn't see his number, but based on it being a red Boom 8 and the flying style I was pretty sure it was him.

We followed the ridge toward Avila, watching some other pilots to the South of us higher under convergence clouds.  As we approached the Avila airspace (6km radius, Ground to 1500m if memory serves) some pilots were tempted by the convergence and others tried to stay on a course to miss the Avila Airspace as well as the Madrid approach airspace.  So the gaggle scattered somewhat and I found myself with only a couple others, realizing that I needed a climb to stay over the 1500m ceiling.

After a climb I could relax a little more and the groups came back together while skirting the corner of the Madrid approach.

The climbs got better, bringing us close to the airspace limit at 3048m.  I left at 2850m to be safe and found myself in the lead of my group because they took another turn or two.

Then 20km farther there was a smallish square area of airspace.  We had the choice to pass it to the N over the the valley or to the S on the ridge.  The clouds looked good to the S but it would be crosswind of course.  I was also a little worried that the lift over the ridge might be too good to stay under 3048m easily.

At 40km from goal I was seeing a 15:1 glide with a 25kph tailwind.  It seemed possible.  At 20km out it was about 10:1 and I went for it, one of the first of the group I was with.  At one point I saw 105kph ground speed, coming in at full speed.  Another couple pilots were coming in from the ridge route, at around the same time.  I guessed that I was about 5th in.

The most spectacular goal crossing was by Torsten Siegel, with just enough height to cross the line, turn and land.

Josh