TAGARs! v2.0

(Truckee Airport Gliding Air Races! 2 nd edition)

The second edition of the TAGARs! was held on Monday, September 5, 2005. Eleven gliders, including two two-seaters, threw themselves into the Races. And they got what they were looking for.

It was a typical September day in Truckee, with very clear air and mild temperature. Gentle breezes carried the aroma of the pine trees, and whispered to glider pilots about heavenly thermals starting nearby. The ideal day for racing!

Improved organizational materials were available also. Shade was offered by a gazebo tent and a garden umbrella, the Map of the Circuit was now an actual, colored USGS map, the markers identifying the gliders on the map were represented by fancy animal figurines sporting the call signs of the gliders. Prizes for the winners were shown to allure and motivate avid pilots looking for fame and riches.

The Pilots Meeting was punctuated by questions of first-time participants captivated by the description of the event and eagerly inquiring about all minute details. Among jokes and comments one made by Jim Alton, stood out: “Don’t need to worry about 5H - Bob Korves and Mike Mayo (in the Duo Discus) are both good pilots so they will cancel each other.” More about this later.

Pilots in general are independent types and glider pilots are more Generals than average so the scheduled 1:00 PM start time passed by, while more than half of the pilots were still on the ground! Gentle solicitations offered with amicable growlings pressured the unpunctuals to join the better-organized fellows waiting at the required altitude. It did not take long to have everybody at the ready: Seven-knots thermals took men and machines to 12,000’ in a few minutes.

The Starting Procedure with 11 sailplanes kept the radio busy for the planned 6 minutes, at the end of which the radio command: ”All gliders turn left, NOW!” made the line of gliders turn to the left in unison. Once again the “Oooooh!” from the spectators on the ground accompanied the move, and the sharp flashing of the turning wings underlined the moment.

According to earlier reports on the day: “There is strong lift and it is everywhere”. This statement was proven immediately by gliders finding thermals over our heads just after the start, with two gaggles of four gliders each climbing at close quarters. Yuliy Gerchicov was in one of the gaggles and later said: “I was watching the gliders in our gaggle, but I was watching more the ones in the other gaggle – they were coming much closer…”

In a few minutes the gliders were at the first turn point and from there continued at great speed. Given the good soaring conditions the competitors were flying in a group, which only slowly began to scatter along the course. This was very visible on the map, with the glider markers pretty close to each other (see pictures).

However, the apparent ease of progress was deceiving: There being no clouds marking the lift on this day, the last leg of the circuit tricked more than one pilot. In fact, 4 gliders at one moment or another had to cross the Gate at a slightly insufficient altitude, subjecting them to a 5-point penalty. Interestingly the penalties reduced the score of the penalized gliders but did not change their final position. In the precedent edition of the Races instead, the first and the second got the exact same score, and even one point would have made a difference.

Unfortunate was the fate of KP, who decided to land after the second circuit having lost too much altitude. And 1A completed the three circuits but did not have the altitude to cross the gate for the third and final time.

More spectacularly on the second circuit, spectators on the ground could see 5H just one mile away, unable to climb above the required 8,000’ minimum altitude for crossing the Gate. They struggled for several minutes, gaining nothing, then decided to take the penalty for the infraction by passing below the 8,000’ limit but then immediately managing a save that allowed them to continue the flight, although with a substantial loss of time. Jim Alton’s prophecy seemingly hit them like a curse……

The battle for first place was dominated by the powerful performance of L6, who took the lead on the middle of the first circuit and kept it comfortably up to the end. He rode the 128 miles of the race in exactly 2:00 hours, at the average speed of 64 mph, earning the full score of 100 points. MX, who ended second with 73 points, passed in fourth position at the second crossing of the Gate, but regained momentum in the final lap conceding only 2 minutes to the winner. YD progress was even more dramatic, passing 6 th at the first circuit, 2 nd at the second circuit, and then surrendering his position to MX by one minute only, collecting 55 points.

Of course the heroes of the day were the pilots who arrived after the first three, each with the satisfaction of a task honorably completed and a story to tell. Many little skirmishes and titanic duels were fought among the warriors in the back platoon, with spirited final glides to the Gate at each passage for the purpose of earning more points. Notable was the performance of 3E, who from the last position for the first two circuits, jumped to 8 th place at the final crossing. Even more progressive was 1CH, being 9 th, then 6 th, then 4 th, but ending in the 7 th position according to the earned score.

Can we thank enough the donors of time and equipment? Better try. Richard Pearl furnished the gazebo tent, Midge Aldinger lent her powerful radio, Jim Darke prepared the well admired Map of the Circuit, Bob Korves nurtured the aesthetics of the glider markers, Jim Alton provided umbrella and clock, and Yuliy Gerchicov lent a spare radio. Inspirational was the dedication of the helpers on the ground: Nancy Mayo was the pillar of the Starting Procedure, recording and scoring; eagle-eye Russel Smith spotted the arriving gliders; Penny Pearl sternly evaluated the Gate crossing of the various gliders; Steve Ascher happily hopped on his only good leg maneuvering the glider markers; Sue West assisted in a variety of organizational functions; and the Staff of Truckee moved things around in their masterful way.

We are lucky to have the perfect site for this event. Everybody knows that the lift in the Truckee valley is so characteristically strong and pervasive that one could fly even a kitchen table, just reversing it upside down and grabbing firmly the two forward legs. And the charmingly magnificent surroundings infuse enchanted peace in the hearts of both old timers and visitors. Comments indicated that participant and spectators were overwhelmingly enthusiastic and fascinated by the cavalcade and wanted to see more of it.

All this magic will be repeated the 4 th of July weekend in 2006. Pilots and spectators alike are warmly invited to be in Truckee then. Not only pilots are welcome, also crew, friends, children, and pets. This spectacle is made for the viewing public. If you can’t fly that day, but have a pair of eyes to watch with, you are welcome to use them here!

Please look at the scoreboard and the final results. Also, see the Circuit Times.

Circuit Graphic

Starting Procedure Map

John Fitch, winner.

Crew in full action. Mesmerized spectators following the races on the ground and in the air.

The squadron of gliders, still compact at the first circuit, has turned Verdi Peak. Other two gliders are close behind.

All gliders turn left, NOW!

The 11 Contestants Representatives eager to start (single-footed Steve Ascher to move the Contestant Representatives around the circuit).

The Contestant Representatives - are animals!

The flight in SeeYou of Yuliy Gerchikov.

The flight in SeeYou of Jonathan Hughes.

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