Uvalde 2024 WGC
Early Report
Day 8
The mood around the field was festive this morning. It seems everyone had a great time at the International Party Saturday night and at Ox Bow Ranch on Sunday. Several pilots and crews got to shoot machine guns, rode on the Sherman tank, did the safari tour with all the exotic animals (no pilots were hurt or injured during these tours), take a dip in their pool or wander around the large clubhouse.. It was a relaxing time, and everyone agreed, they needed the time off. Victoria did a great job setting up the Ox Bow Ranch visit and Anna Marie did a fantastic job with coordinating the International Night. Obviously, the teams did their own setups and decorations for the individual countries. It was so also nice to have the party in an air-conditioned space.
This morning on the way to the airport, the temperature was so much nicer. It was at least 10 degrees cooler than the last two weeks. However, the more comfortable the temperature for the ground crew, the more difficult the day may become for the pilots. The largest problem we have is a low-pressure system to the east of us. Right now, there is rain at the coast and some of it may reach us late afternoon. The pilots meeting was held early due to the possibility of rain occurring in the late afternoon. The easterly wave should give us early soaring this morning, so the first launch was moved up to 11:00am. Cloud bases are expected to be around 1,800m (6,000ft) early, rising to 2,3000m (7,500ft) later in the day. We always include the pilot briefing slides and the final weather brief in our posts on social media. That way you can get a feel for what the pilots are facing. The task slide is also included for each class. Use your favorite OGN viewer and we can give you an opportunity for some good training. Since you have the weather and task, how would YOU plan the flight. Then using the viewer, you can see exactly how each pilot accomplished the task and how they finished.
All of the class gates opened just before 1pm so the ships should be back starting around 4:30pm. Looking at the radar picture, that is a good time to return. Later than that you run the risk of getting caught in the rain on the final leg. We will have to see how each pilot determined their start time and how it worked out for them.
Well, that is all for now. We will get back to you when the scores are in.
Cheers,
Rich Owen
Media Team
