When you are in the mood of having some real relaxation … Sit back … Take a deep breath … Look around slowly … The frames almost stop … And you say, yes … That is why we left that well-protected place when we were born …
I felt something like this in South-Africa when on the 4th competition day I climbed over the last ridge and started the final glide to the goal.
Two days before on the 3rd competition day I was musing:
I wonder what it gives us today … Far away a smoke shows the inversion, somehow it can get a little bit higher but no further moving up. So there is a strong inversion at 900 and 1200 m as well.
The altitudo difference is about 500 meters, the take off and the ridge also facing to SW-W. The wind is breezy from S-SW. The task is set: 66 km, going down to south, coming back about 20 kms with a turning point on the flatland. The goal is in the middle of a flat part with side-headwind. I can hardly believe anyone can complete the task with these weather circumstances.
Just after launching I change may mind in the air. At home, in Hungary one needs instability in weather conditions to fly a nice task. Here the sun seems to be the only important feature. The sun is very strong. I start to climb with a lift about 7 up to 2400 meters. Narrow and tricky. But I am smiling, I enjoy it. I really like it, as I do like the pilots, the organizers, the whole competition and the local people.
That day I reached the goal at last, althought just before 2 kms from the goal with the 1200 meters altitudo difference I could hardly reach the line. I was tired psychically and phisically because of the strong concentration and pushing the speed bar. My SKY [a „http://www.skyparagliders.cz/new/index.php?level1=24&level2=21&lang=eng&specifikace=obecne_info“]Brontes[/a] was a good partner in these conditions.
The countryside is quite special for my Europian eyes. It is especially beautiful from the air with 5 valid competition days out of 7. I managed to reach the goal 3 times.
The competition itself was not really strong. Sometimes I remarked that the task committee could have set up longer tasks. There could have been a little bit more thorough meteo. But that all I can mention as negative. Rob, the competition director, and his team was well-prepared. This was the 5th time they organized a competition here, in the last 4 years as an FAI 2nd class All Africa Open. For 2004 they are going to organize a Pre World Cup and they have a plan to organize a World Cup in 2005.
I wish them to organize at least as good competition in 2004 as they did in 2003. I would like to travel there to check if they can do it. Will you?