Day Three

The Contest Directors day started at 8am with a Protest Committee meeting. The protest was that the Contest Director did not apply appropriate penalties for airspace infringments on Day 1.

The Protest committee included "disinterested persons" Dave Jensen & Chris Rudge who listened to the Contest Directors background and reasoning and the protestors points. Also those affected by the decision also had an opportunity to put their point of view.

After some deliberation the Protest Committee ruled that the Contest Director did not apply the penalties in accordance with the competition rules. Subsequent to this decision Day one has been rescored.

After an initail refusal to give access to some "control C" airspace North and East of Alexandra our intrepid Airspace Officer got on the phone. With his great powers of persuasion backed by his intimate knowledge of the airspace QUeenstown agreed to give gliders access to the area between 13,500ft and FL175 with individual clearances which would not be with held as no scheduled aircraft were due in the area. Well done Queenstown Tower and thank you.

With the extra airspace the Task setting team were back to the drawing boards but after an aerial reconasance Gavin declared it "knarly" weather and we are sticking to "Task A" but with access to airspace.

At the main briefing Eric Gosse gave an account of what happened after his Mayday call yesterday. It all started with a broken rudder cable while climbing in to wave. We underststand that glider is repairable.

The SAR collection got a boost this morning as Sheriff Hugh got donations from some recalcitrant pilots and the Contest Director whose cellphone rang just after he gave a rant about switching off cellphones before briefing.

Todays tasks:
15M/Standard Omarama,Cromwell,Alexandra,Two Thumbs, Grampians, Twin Str, Omarama 435kms
18M/Open Omarama, Cromwell, Alexandra, Macauley, Grampians,Twin Stri, Omarama 403kms
Club Class Omarama, Omarama saddle,Glentanner,Ribbonwood,Simons,Omarama 242kms

They are just completing the launch 1:45pm

and now we wait.