A big storm

After a flight in Arnolds plane:D

Briefing day 1

A perfect sunset at the end of day 1 XD

The ITCZ drifting off to the NE

After a stop over with the Bradley's and Iain Baker, we are off on our last leg to Welkom. The howling wind has stopped.

Further down the track...

A perfect sky in the distant east, blue straight ahead. And the trough line from east to west

Reminiscent of Monte Velino

On the road ...again, having gammon sandwiches from yesterdays xmas lunch :) only 1200km to go

Laminar

Lion's Head

Christelle and Mieke

NW at Camps Bay Beach

A full report on the Worcester Week

I did not get around to writing anything, and only posted a few photos, but the full story of the Worcester Week (12 - 19 December is to be found at Adri Hepburn's blog (http://www.adrihepburn.blogspot.com/) (or click on the title above) We flew for all but two of the seven days, and though the weather never really came up to scratch, it was great flying and, I believe, enjoyed by all).
EY

Final glide

Final glide at 19h00 on the last day of the Worcester Week

on glide to the last turnpoint

The setting sun, SE bound with the Southerly clearly visible on Brandvlei dam.

Convergence

On glide from Waaihoek I finished overhead the airfield, only to climb away in the convergence!

Here I am back at Brandwacht, heading towards with Audenberg, right up against the convergence cloud.

A perfect day

But no-one flew :(

FL 100 Hex River Valley

And the convergence beckons

The first 3 days

An update for the Worcester Week
Briefing - clubhouse 9am sharp
Grid before 10am
First launch 10h15

Saturday
Surface wind - SWS 20, 5000ft SW 10, 10000ft WNW 20, 15000ft NW 30, 20000ft W 80
Shear is light at 10ms/4km and NO cat
Wave from 14500ft upwards at 2ms
Cloud BLEU
Max 31.6 Dewpoint 11.4 Trigger 29.5
Expect 1.5 ms - 1.9 ms to 7 000 ft
T-2 to 4300ft
boundary layer energy 85J/kg

Sunday
Anabatic cold front 142 km to the NNW moving 11kts to the NNW vertical motion 193m/hr (rain in 14 hours ie early MOnday morning,behind the surface front)
Surface wind - SE 40, 5000ft ESE 50, 10000ft SW 10, 15000ft WSW 30, 20000ft WSW 60
SEVERE SURFACE CAT and moderate from 6500 - 8500ft
Shear is moderate at 15ms/4km
Wave from 14500ft upwards
Cloud 3/8 from 3000ft - 5000ft
Max 20.9 Dewpoint 11.7 Trigger 20.4
Expect 0.7 ms - 1.1 ms to 5 000ft
We don't get to T-2
Boundary layer energy 36J/kg

Monday
Surface wind - ESE 20, 5000ft ENE 20, 10000ft NW 20, 15000ft WNW 30, 20000ft W 60
LIGHT CAT surface, 5 000 - 10 000ft
Shear is moderate at 12ms/4km
Wave from 12 000ft 1.8ms
Cloud BLEU
Max 28.8 Dewpoint 6.5 Trigger 26.3
Expect 1.2 ms - 1.6 ms to 6 200ft
T-2 to 5000ft
Boundary layer energy 88 j/kg

EY

Le weekend - which becomes a week

The start of a whole week's flying at FAWC
I hope to do regular updates of the weather - but only to detail the next day or two
Briefing at 9h00 sharp and gridding before 10h00
Saturday we may have an early start to the day - SW's always bring early starts!!!
Saturday
Surface wind - SSW 20, 5000ft SW 10, 10000ft W 20, 15000ft NW 30, 20000ft W 70
Shear is low at 9ms/4km and CAT only above 14000ft
Wave from 14500ft upwards at 1.5 - 2.8ms
Cloud Bleu
Max 32.2C Dewpoint 10.7 C Trigger 30.1C
Expect 1.5 ms - 2.0 ms to 7000ftT-2 at 5000ft ;-)Boundary layer energy 87J/kg
Sunday
A strong inversion at 5000ft
Surface wind - SE 30, 5000ft E 50, 10000ft W 10, 15000ft W 40, 20000ft WSW 60
EXTREME surface CAT and Medium CAT at 6500 - 8000ft
Shear is moderate at 17ms/4km
Quasi-stationary anabatic warm front 250km to the NNW 96m/hr with rain in the next 24hrs
Wave from 12400ft upwards
Cloud BLEU
Max 22.2C Dewpoint 11.8C Trigger 21.6C
Expect 0.75ms - 1.1 ms to 4800ftBoundary layer energy 39 J/kg
Monday
32C, South East
Tuesday
Tuesday - Thursday - North West going West
Friday - South East
Saturday - Westerly
See you all at the 9h00 briefing on Saturday
EY

le (non legalese) weekend

Saturday - no flying due to FIFA 2010
Surface wind - SW 10, 5000ft WNW 10, 10000ft NW 40, 15000ft NW 70, 20000ft WNW 90
Windshear is high at 18ms/4km, but only light CAT from 8000ft upwards
Light wave from 6000ft upwards (and as always, should be contactable lower down in the Breede River valley)
Cloud Bleu
Max 31.2 Dewpoint 8.5 Trigger 28.7
T-2 at 6700ft!!!
Expect 2.3ms - 2.8ms to 9500 ft
Boundary layer energy a respectable 146 j/kg
Sunday - some flying for those with personal clearances.
Surface wind - Sw10, 5000ft NW 10, 10000ft NNW 30, 15000ft NW 80, 20000ft NW 90
Light CAT from 5000ft up, shear is higher at 20ms/4km
Wave from 8500ft upwards at 2m/s (but we should be able to get into, especially later in the day as the front moves in, or the cut-off low deepens)
Cloud 3/8 at 16 - 18ft; 5/8 from 28000ft upwards
Max 30.3 Dewpoint 11.5 Trigger 29.5
(we don't get to T-2)
Expect 1.0 ms - 1.3 ms to 5000 ft
Boundary layer energy (low) 30 J/kg
EY
PS the subsequent sounding for Sunday looked markedly better, and Volker and I will be in a Janus courtesy of Rudi - thanks Rudi)