HGFA Skysailor Magazine

16 SKY SAILOR March | April 2019 Manilla XC Camp 2019 EIGHT great XC days and some records too! This year’s event confirmed Manilla as one of the World’s premier international XC flying event locations. With eight out of eight days of great flying and a number of records set – a record 204 pilots registered from 18 nations, an epic new site distance record of 407km was set and the first over 400km flights from Mt Borah recorded. Another positive record was that despite so many pilots of all skill levels flying in hot mid-summer conditions, there was not one accident. by Godfrey Wenness Day 1: 26 January The first day flying had the morning winds swirling in the lower levels starting from N-NW then SW with SE up high. Some strong but smooth 6-7m/sec average climbs from Mt Borah had pilots on the way north towards Bingara. Those who left early, and were patient for the first hour, were rewarded with Classic conditions under some forming convergence clouds at 2800/3000m ASL. The later starters were shadowed out around the 40/50km mark with some light rain falling from the heavier clouds. The top pilots ended up north of Warialda. Best day distance was 164km. Many of the Fun Class pilots flew PBs, their best came 7th overall, others had their first XC and getting to base experiences. 1 Guilbert Stephan (FRA) Ozone Zeno COMP 164 2 Airie Merlin (AUS) Flow XCRacer COMP 157 3 Tim Marshall (AUS) 777 Queen2 SPORT 151 4 Jan Bennewitz (AUS) BGD Cure XC 140 7 Jaevis Chen (AUS) Epsilon8 FUN 93 Day 2: 27 January A trough in central NSW was still driving N-NW winds in the region. When the stronger thermals started Mt Borah, it was too windy to launch for most of the Fun Class. Conditions in the air were mixed between slow patient climbs to very strong elevators all the way to cloudbase at 2800/3000m. Pilots flew in split directions – some down past Lake Keepit into Breeza Plains, however, most flew tailwind towards Manilla and Bendemeer onto the tablelands. Best for the day was Romanian pilot Todor Dorobantu with an amazing eight hour 201km flight south over the Liverpool ranges into the Hunter Valley and then east towards the Barrington Tops National Park landing after sunset!  1 Todor Dorobantu (ROM) UP Meru COMP 201 2 Xavier Girin (NCL) Flow xcracer COMP 149 3 Dusan Papez (SLK) Ozone Zeno COMP 145 5 Brandon O'Donnell (AUS) Advance Sigma10 SPORT 128 6 Magdy Malik (AUS) Advance Omega XAlps2 XC 102 9 Kim Tran (VNM) Swing Nyos FUN 86 Day 3: 28 January The inland trough was lingering and winds remained N-NE with some lighter variable directions further to the SW. A record 204 pilots filled the sky daily, providing thermal and sink markers, making XC easier for those with less airtime and giving a great live education on how the sky works. After some inversion layer rodeo at around 1600m over Mt Great skies above Mt Borah on Day 1 Frederick Avenet (FRA) concentrates on launch A happy Japan trio after flying PBs Strong wind launches on Day 8 Gavin Morris after 265km PB