This article by Roy Ward was first published in the Wimmera Mail-Times on 11th of February 2009. Photo by Kate Healy.
COMPETITORS in the Horsham Week Gliding Competition have their heads in the clouds this week, they just hope there are not many clouds.
The gliders use thermal heat to keep in the air, so if the clouds block the sun the gliders struggle to stay in the air.
Horsham has shown its best and worst gliding conditions this week. Monday provided excellent flying conditions but yesterday clouds covered the sky and ended competition early.
A few glider pilots with engines went for a fly but the majority were kept on the ground.
About 30 glider pilots are competing in four different classes in this year's competition at Horsham Aerodrome.[/dropcap]
Competition director Geoff Vincent said the competition got off to a great start on Monday.
"The highlight of the day was the fantastic conditions," he said.
"Everyone got up and around the course and then everyone was able to land safely.
"From time to time, gliders have to make unscheduled landings but everyone came down safely on Monday."
Victorian pilots Jack Hart, Richard Grey and Chris Thorpe won the open, 15-metre and sports class races and South Australian Craig Vinall won the standard class on the opening day.
The glider pilots race over a cross- country circuit which is different for each day's racing.
The circuit is usually a triangular shape and covers between 180 kilometres to 260 kilometres in distance.
Monday's race went from Horsham to Marnoo then to parts of the northern Wimmera and back to Horsham.
Geoff Vincent said most gliders pilots had arrived on Friday to spend the weekend doing practice flights but had been prevented from flying by the extreme weather.
"You could say our competitors had the advantage of seeing mother nature in her finest form," he said.
"Aside from the extreme heat we couldn't use the aerodrome because the water-bombers and spotting aircraft had primary use of it.
"Of course we were more than happy to get off the track because they had a very important job to do."
The competition ends on Saturday.
The overall winner of each class will be decided by an aggregate of results from the week while prizes will also be rewarded to the winners of each days racing.