lake tahoe

... off we went ... up to the lake. It's been nice and cool up there.

We got back to the airport for the evening beer and asked Mike how it was: "Horrible, I didn't even make it to the Pine Nuts". Well, when Mike says that ... The problem is ... Ziggy thinks now that he has a clue about the weather over here. He was absolutely right when we headed to Las Vegas and he somehow was right today again. He's going now with his nose way up high ... it's gonna be a tough evening ...

It really looks like wave tomorrow, so I have to keep Zig from "eating" one more beer and force him to get ready if he really wants his diamond. Sleep time!

weather prediction

The first thing Zig said this morning after he opened one of his eyes was: "Weather is not gonna be good today. Why don't we go up to the lake for instance". After I asked him how come he knows something nobody else knows he said he can smell it. The blipmaps seem to just acknowledge the Zig-Smell-Forecast.

Wave prediction for tomorrow is getting serious. This might be the day for Zig to get his diamond altitude and I am thinking of filling up the Ventus and ... Nobody knows if the wave is gonna be strong and high enough to reach this high but we need to organize an IGC loogger for Zig since I want to go up with mine as well.

We're still thinking what to do today and waiting for somebody to take the first tow to see how it really is up there...

a bit of flying

The time is going by so fast and we've got a bit more than a week to go. Today was blue as it could be but we decided to fly anyways and went for a sort of competition - just to have a goal and not just goof around. We both declared a 100 km triangle in the valley and flew this. Both flights are on the OLC. It's been fun since there is no weather for anything else. We're planing on something similar tomorrow.

getting ready

Devin on the flight line making sure that I'm good prepared to fly his Ventus

Zig ready to jump in

Mr. TW

00 instrument panel

...

Virginia City and secret pilot meeting in the head quaters

Virginia City

We decided to explore some of the local culture today and drove up to Virginia City, an old gold mine town. We figured they should not allow cars to park along the street there since they are disturbing the atmosphere.

a little bit higher up than Minden - nice and cool 

Virginia City

Ziggy in his element

Tom organized a secret pilot meeting in his shop this aftenroon. Mac Ichikawa somehow got to know and flew in from Tokyo today not to miss the opportunity to chat with one of the best glider pilots ever - Zig - the thunder from down under. They've been discussing tactic for the Dalby Competition in Australia in October this year. 

Mr. Z, Tom, Mac and Billy during the secret meeting today

Ozzy barbecue

Steaks were great, music too (except for "dziewczyna z klubu disco") last night. After dinner we headed downtown Minden to listen to Nathan playing in one of the locals bars. This was fun too.

airport in the morning ... and in the evening

Weather today is even worse than yesterday. The wind started blowing tearing up all the blue thermals. There is almost no hope for the wave today though. There might be some wavelets but no regular wave. Some locals are predicting wave for tomorrow. Let's hope they are right.

We ran down to Carson and got the meat and other stuff for the Ozzy Barbecue at the airport tonight. Ziggy is now where he belongs - in the kitchen marinating steaks and cutting limes for Corona ...

Few shots from the airport this morning:

big beast

the winner will be flying the Ventus next days

something to fight for

Mike and Devin

Serge is back from his morning bike ride

I didn't win the fight but I can fly the Ventus for the next 10 days!

changing the glider ;-)

getting familiar with Mr. 00

Since the weather doesn't wanna cooperate at all I decided to change the glider for something better. It's been awfully blue today with very brutal and unorganized thermals. It's been a fight. I wouldn't be able to stay up (due to lack of skill) in the 55 and "had to fly" the Ventus 2 today. It's been a pure pleasure even in these conditions and I have to admit that I fell in love with this glider.

Manfred giving some good advise 

I've flown my 100 km triangle just for the hell of it twice today. I hate not having a goal at all. This way I had at least few turnpoints to head for.

thermalling and feeling every single bump has never been easier

:-)

I was almost about to land when Mike called me on the radio saying that he's up with Devin in the 21. We stayed up together for one more hour. I just had my little camera with me but the boys had 2, one of them on the wing. We'll see the results of our session later on.

Devin and Mike in the ASK 21

2nd usable shot of ASK 21

This was one of the best days I ever had in Minden. And no matter how the weather is gonna be tomorrow I'm going up in the 00. Thank you Devin! You made my day!

Bar day

Well ... as usual the weather doesn't want to cooperate. Ziggy went up and struggled over an hour overhead the airport. I told him to take a higher tow to the Pine Nuts but he knew better. In fact everybody keeps complaining about the weather today. Just a few clouds over the Sierras and Patterson made the day. The rest was just blue and not really organized. The highest anyone ever got today was around 15k. The average lift was weak as well and hard to figure out,

Zig before take off hoping for a good flight

Zig on course

Since the weather doesn't like us at all we decided to fall in love with the Taildragger. The evening at the Bar with Gordi, Mike and Devin was as funny as it can get. All my face muscles are hurting from laughing way to much. I hope Melissa still likes us after we got her Gordo pretty much drunk tonight ...