US Soaring Team 2013: Chaves

Here is a delayed report --  we are still learning how to deal with the local internet access conditions. You may have heard all this already…

We opened up our container at the terminal in Zarate. Everything arrived just as we dispatched it. We had the trailers back in a roadworthy condition and the vehicles loaded after a few hours work.

Zarate terminal operations

We made friends at the local gliding club (Condor) and were able to park our equipment there overnight before making an early start for the contest site the next day.

At the gliding club in Zarate

We are being greatly assisted by the Argentinean gliding team. Santiago Berca is providing PG with a vehicle for the duration of the event, and met us at the airport. This made for a long wait for him as the flight arrived fours late. Santiago is competing at Chaves in the club class, and also flew in 15 in the recent WGC in Uvalde – two world championships in just a few months!



John & Peter could write a PhD on wiring up this truck

Day one on-site went well. PG completed registration and inspection, then made a practice flight in locally good weather. Conditions on the ground however are difficult. There continues to be much rain, and there are many soft & muddy areas to deal with. The end of runway 31 is at present occupied by a large lake so that it seems unlikely that runway 13 will be available in its full length anytime soon.

 New Years Eve: after overnight thunderstorms again, flying has been cancelled due to crosswinds. Trees limbs are falling in the camping area, but this failed to prevent a fine celebration of the advent of the new year.

 New Years Day: flying may be possible later in the day, dependent perhaps on the recovery rate of the tow pilots from the aforementioned celebration.

A snapshot from the air -- rather too much water on the runways: