Updates in English | womens-worlds-2016

This morning we made a trainingsflight. It was really good to get everything in place with the whole team. How do we handle things, who is responsible of what, this should be there and that sort of stuff that’s is good to have been through before the competition actually starts.

For me it was good to fly before the real deal as it was more then half a year ago that I had flown. And how was it…? Well, it is like ice skating, when you get on the ice you think “wow” for one second and then you put one skate in front of the other and skate away. Well, that’s the feeling I had this morning, as if I had flown yesterday.

The result was pretty good too, a goal at about 10 km away. Nice competition weather with a clear distinction in direction at different heights to play with. A bit to the left, a bit to the right. In the end we came down a little to early and went more to the left then expected. Therefore we had to make a correction at the last moment and needed to go up just before the target. Caroline threw the marker from 200 mtrs. With a result of 20 meters we thought we did pretty good.

And.. for those who think, how does that work, competition flying, here I will give you a speed course like we did 2 years ago.

A balloon can only change direction by making use of different layers of air. You try to execute the different tasks by making use of different wind directions on different heights in the air. By climbing or descending (by heating or cooling your balloon) you can look for a different layer of air and make your balloon change direction.

You can only fly a hot air balloon in the first and last hours of the day. That is most of the time early in the morning and late in the afternoon/evening. The coming championship in Leszno we will have a briefing around 5.00 in the morning and 17.00 in the afternoon where we will here what tasks we will have to do during the flight.

In one flight you can get multiple tasks. Which tasks you have to do is stated on a tasksheet. The tasks can be done in order or not. Sometimes there are time limits to tasks.

Together with your team you decide on tactics using weather information you get in the briefing.

There are international rules for ballooning that we have to stick to and they give 15 tasks of which more then one can be set per flight.

You can divide them into 4 different kind of tasks in which variations are brought in by adding a time limit or a scoring area in which you can score (outside you score nothing).

By throwing a marker (a little bag of sand with a tail) or by pushing a marker button on the GPS from the competion direction, you mark your position in a certain task.

But, what are these tasks?

1. Fly to a goal tasks

Tasks in which you have to try to reach a goal as close as possible. Often shown by a cross in a field where you have to throw your marker as close as possible.

Judge declared goal: A goal selected by the competition director.

Pilot Declared Goal: A goal choosen by the pilots and declared before taking off.

Fly in: Find your own take off place to fly to a goal set by the director.

Fly on: A goal selected by the pilot during the flight.

Hesitation Waltz: Multiple goals selected by the director of which the pilots have to choose one during the flight.

Gordon Bennet Memorial: A goal set by the director with scoring areas.

Hare and Hounds: The competition director has a balloon that takes off and the other pilots have to follow. Where he has landed, that’s where the goal is.

Watership Down: Extended Hare and Hounds. Pilots have to fly to the take off field of the Hare and then follow the hare as in a Hare and Hounds

Calculated Rate of Approach Task: The competition director sets a goals with scoring areas in which you can score at different time intervals.

2. Change your direction tasks.

Tasks in which you have to try to make a big as possible change in direction

Elbow: The difference in comparison to your own direction.

Angle: The difference in comparison to a direction set by the competition director.

Land Run: Create a figure by changing direction with the largest surface.

3. Time and distance related tasks.

Tasks in which time and distance are important.

Minimum distance: Fly the shortest distance in a set time

Maximum Distance Time: Fly the biggest distance in a set time.I

Shortest Flight: Fly the shortest distance from a reference point to set scoring areas.

Maximum Distance: Fly the largest distance from a reference point to set scoring areas.

Race to an Area: Fly as fast as you can to set scoring areas.

Maximum Distance Double Drop: Throw 2 markers as far away from each other in scoring areas.

Minimum Distance Double Drop: Throw 2 markers as close together as possibe in scoring areas.

4. 3D tasks

Tasks with a virtual shape in the air in which you can accumulate a distance by flying in the shape.

Pie: A wedding cake in the air with 3 layers. The layers are of different height in the air. The lowest layer your distance is counted 1x, in the second layer 2x and in the top 3x. The largest accumulated distance is the best.

Donut: Try to reach as much distance as you can in a donut shape. The centre of the donut doesn’t count.

Banana Split: Two circles that overlap. The distance you fly in the overlap counts.

Wanna know more? Click here to go to the website of the Dutch Balloon Competition Club for some animations of the tasks.

Our participation in this world championship has been tested in all sorts of ways.

First there was the question if I could come. I had a achilles tendon rupture in February and

my first thought was it is a long time before July. But the invitation came sooner then expected

and I had to question myself if my recovery would be far enough. How do you come to a good

decision whilst still in cast? I asked the physio and he said it should be OK by then to walk on

uneven surface. Sounds good, let’s go for it.

When the cast came off I went to the physio who would be treating me and I told him my plans.

That I should be ready to fly in July. He was less enthusiastic:

Hmm.. I don’t know if you are going to make it.

A little desperation but at the same ime an enormous amount of dedication came to me. I would have to be fit enough to participate in the world in Lithuania.

It costed me blood, sweat and tears (as we say in dutch). But everytime I gave up hope, or when the pain was overwhelming I would see a little star at the horizon being the worlds and I persisted!

Beginning of June I had to go to the medical examination,. The physio was very certain and optimistic by this time that it would be no problem, but I was somewhat insecure and stressed out. But I got my medical without any problems and the further preparations for the championship could start.

Caroline had her own challenges in the past months and had to make a difficult decisiion wether or not to be at the championship with her own team. She decided that having her own team wouldn’t fit at this point. I think she would do great, but I understand her decision. I actually am pretty excited to have such a fantastic co-pilot on board.

Last Friday we had the final challenge in our team. Jan his mum broke her hip and needed surgery. When you are 88 that’s not that simple anymore so we decided to leave a day later. An emotional rollercoaster of a few days, but my mother in law is now recovering from her surgery. Everything went well. After Jan went to see her yesterday, he also could leave for Lithuania.

In the mean time we are halfway Poland and I must say the journey is going really well. At ease through the Polish rural areas on our way to a hotel in Dorotowo. Another 400km on the road tomorrow before we are in Birstonas. We are picking up Roy our navigator, he has been participating in the junior worlds in the past week and managed to finish on a fantastic 8th position.

With 4 pilots in a team everythin gshould be fine one would say. Let’s forget that I hardly flew since September.

LETS GO!!!

A challenge to get there

What was the way to do it??

My oh my what an experciences... I just can't keep up translating everything we have been through.

I must say we learn a lot.

On the first flying day we were pretty happy with our results but in the evening the winds weren't at all as expected and we missed all the goals completely. I can tell you that gives a nasty feeling.

The second flying day we had a nice flight in the morning and were pretty happy with the results but almost everybody else had been doing better then us. :( And we keep telling ourselves that it is important to feel good about the way you did it to your best abilities and still it feels a bit disappointing that the scores don't match your feelings about doing good.

In the evening the flight was cancelled and we decided to do the nightglow for the people of Leazno. We remembered from last year that it was a nice and cosy event, and it was. People walking around the field. Children on the basket parents taking pictures. A really nice evening.

After the nightglow that was when the fun began.

On our way back to the hotel the car started making strange noises, it smelled bad and the smoke came from under the hood. That was not good. We parked the car and the German team that was driving behind us helped us pull over the car to a parking lot next to a supermarket.

After several phonecalls with the organizers a mechanic from a garage was with us within 45 minutes. The German team had come back to pick up the trailer and the Polish team was there to help us bring all the things we needed for the competition to the hotel.

What a speed and what a service.

The only thing we now needed was a car for the flight the next morning. Which is pretty important.

At the hotel the organizers told us they had already arranged a car for us we could use in the morning. We are very impressed with the service they delivered.

Made a interesting flight the next morning. 1,5 hrs in the rain. But were happy that we made it through all the tasks. In the afternoon the competition director decided that the tasks would all be cancelled due to the rain effecting the pilots computers and maps. We had the feeling that the foundation of competition ballooning was effected by this decision. So we gave in a complaint together with other pilots. Some felt Mathijs had been wrong by not cancelling the flight before we took of. We agree with that, if the flight or tasks should have been cancelled it should have been before or during the flight. But the weather influencing peoples material cannot be a reason for a competition director to cancel a task afterwards.

One pilot took it up to the jury with a protest and won the protest, so now the tasks do count and scores are made.

The story continues... another pilot filed a protest and we are waiting for the decision of the jury.

Ever been in contact with polish police?? We have been last night after dinner we were driving back to the hotel and our driver took a left turn where he was not allowed to. Immediately the police was behind us with light signs on. What can I say... They were not nice at all. It was almost humouristic but we didn't dare to laugh because it would make them even more unpolite and angry. We had to pay 50 zloty (14 euro) and after being barked at for about 20 minutes we were allowed to drive on...

I think we had it all for this week and hope we will have 2 more beautiful competition flights and lovely days in which we can focus on competing instead on the bad weather, complaints, broken cars, wet balloons, police etc..

Now... we post a video to this update. For us this video became the theme of this championship. It is in dutch but I will explain what it is about.

A girl calls her father in distress. She bought a puzzle, but can't figure out how it works. Her dad eventually goes to see her. He looks at the box and then at the girl and says: "Now, put the cornflakes back in the box and we will not discuss this any further".

Everytime someone in our team does something 'stupid' we say: Now put the cornflakes back in the box and we will not discuss this any further".

What a week!!

It has been a great week with a enormous amount of experiences that no one can ever take away from us. The competition is over, unfortunately we didn't fly the last flight because of the fog. We would have loved to make that last fight, we were just getting the hang of it.

It is clear who is the winner, Nicola Scaife from Australia has been at the top for the whole week. Last night she didn't do well, so she wins with only a 88 points difference.

We have ended on 22nd place, the same as our competition number. We are very happy with the flights we made and the results were sometimes dissapointing compared with the feeling we had. But, that's the field we were playing in. Sometimes you end up 2nd with 50 mtrs and sometimes last with 85 mtrs.

We have learned a lot and learned what we still have to learn. So we have work to do...

At the end of the competition there is always an event debriefing. Some sort of meeting in which all aspects of the flown competition are evaluated. This time there was a lot of attention for the safety issue of the flight in the rain. Besides that there was a big compliment for the organiser who made sure everything was good for competitors and competiton direction.

Tonight we are all going to the closing ceremony. Put on our beautiful dress instead of dirty jeans. And that will be the end. Then there is another 800 km to drive before being back to normal life. It will be different to get used to that again.

Ozi Target (Post 3)

Yes we did it... we officially bought and installed it on our computer. THE program that you cannot miss in comp. flying according to many pilots around the world:

OZI TARGET

My first impression is that it has many possibilities. I hope we have enough time te explore the features and learn how to use them before the beginning of september.

Well... There are still the 8 hrs. in the car on our way to Leszno.

Wanna learn more, click on the image for the link to the website.

Training and progress.... (Post 2)

Last week me and my co-pilot Caroline made 2 trainingflights. And... training it was!!

The first flight we were troubled by some rain surrounding us.. so we were waiting for about an hour before we could take off. And when we did take off the winds were not at all as we expected them to be.

Change of plans... we wanted to practice some cold decent without crashing. So I decided to practice on that and gave Caroline the task to set a fly on goal. For her it was also a practice in not being distracted by the cold descent while keeping a cool mind and setting a reachable goal.

She did wonderfull and... we didn't crash.....

The second flight I did the task setting and Caroline would put everything into Ozi as we were preparing the balloon.

The tasks set were:

Hesitation Waltz

Judge Declared Goal

3D Donut

Fly on (to be declared before JDG)

Before taking off the computer crashed (good training) and after taking off we managed to get into pretty comfortable positions in the basket.

The goals were all pretty much in reach but the farms just in front of the goal made it difficult to make use of the steering there was an low altitude. (But we know we could have done better then the 20 mtrs it was.)

There was a little layer of good wind on 1100 mtrs and I found out how difficult it is to fly level on 1100 mtrs. I got it... and it was gone... and got it again.. and it was gone......

Just before the JDG I realized we hadn't set a Fly on goal yet... I snapped at Caroline that she had to find a goal. It was good of her to mention that I could have said that in a different way... ;)

I tend to be a bit directive under pressure. Something I need to work on.

All together we made 2 really good training flights and are again a bit more prepared for the championship.

PREPARATIONS.... (Post 1)

As Bertha has a lot of influence on dutch weather our preparations exist of dry practicing. Talking about strategies, team spirit, working on our computer skills, talking about how to work things out, responsibilities, stress, winning or loosing, goals, rules.

And.... drinking some wine and eating some sushi!! To add some fun to the team....

Junior World Championship

While we are busy getting ready to leave for Leszno, Poland on Saturday Tommie Witteveen has started the junior World Championship.

Already 2 flights are made and the competition director Zoltan Palhegyi is working hard to challenge the juniors. 5 tasks in the morningflight of which 3 where in reach for everyone!!!

Yesterday Tommie was one of the few who reached one of the goals of the Hesitation Waltz and he threw his marker within 50 mtrs, which was good for a 872 points result.

Well done Tommie.

You can find a link to tasks and results on the WK junioren page.

Go Tommie Go....

The tasks

We are on our way… everything is packed, we have only forgotten some little things (sunglasses, coffee can, swimming pant). Lets hope that’s all, that would mean we will get through the week.

In a way too hot car we are preparing tactics and getting into heated discussions. How do you calculate the time it will take you to travel a certain distance when you know your speed….. Wel, you can do that in more then one way. Which is the easiest or in other words, who is right?

Sanne and Jan are very good at this and Rik and Caroline are watching us.

The atmosphere is good, we have reached the 4285th couplet of our song.

But, what kind of tasks can we expect the coming week.

There are international rules for ballooning that we have to stick to and they give 15 tasks of which more then one can be set per flight.

You can divide them into 4 different kind of tasks in which variations are brought in by adding a time limit or a scoring area in which you can score (outside you score nothing).

By throwing a marker (a little bag of sand with a tail) or by pushing a marker button on the GPS from the competion direction, you mark your position in a certain task.

But, what are these tasks?

1. Fly to a goal tasks

Tasks in which you have to try to reach a goal as close as possible. Often shown by a cross in a field where you have to throw your marker as close as possible.

Judge declared goal: A goal selected by the competition director.

Pilot Declared Goal: A goal choosen by the pilots and declared before taking off.

Fly in: Find your own take off place to fly to a goal set by the director.

Fly on: A goal selected by the pilot during the flight.

Hesitation Waltz: Multiple goals selected by the director of which the pilots have to choose one during the flight.

Gordon Bennet Memorial: A goal set by the director with scoring areas.

Hare and Hounds: The competition director has a balloon that takes off and the other pilots have to follow. Where he has landed, that’s where the goal is.

Watership Down: Extended Hare and Hounds. Pilots have to fly to the take off field of the Hare and then follow the hare as in a Hare and Hounds

Calculated Rate of Approach Task: The competition director sets a goals with scoring areas in which you can score at different time intervals.

2. Change your direction tasks.

Tasks in which you have to try to make a big as possible change in direction

Elbow: The difference in comparison to your own direction.

Angle: The difference in comparison to a direction set by the competition director.

Land Run: Create a figure by changing direction with the largest surface.

3. Time and distance related tasks.

Tasks in which time and distance are important.

Minimum distance: Fly the shortest distance in a set time

Maximum Distance Time: Fly the biggest distance in a set time.I

Shortest Flight: Fly the shortest distance from a reference point to set scoring areas.

Maximum Distance: Fly the largest distance from a reference point to set scoring areas.

Race to an Area: Fly as fast as you can to set scoring areas.

Maximum Distance Double Drop: Throw 2 markers as far away from each other in scoring areas.

Minimum Distance Double Drop: Throw 2 markers as close together as possibe in scoring areas.

4. 3D tasks

Tasks with a virtual shape in the air in which you can accumulate a distance by flying in the shape.

Donut: Try to reach as much distance as you can in a donut shape. The centre of the donut doesn’t count.

Banana Split: Two circles that overlap. The distance you fly in the overlap counts.

Wanna know more? Click here to go to the website of the Dutch Balloon Competition Club for some animations of the tasks.

Competition Flying. How does that work?

Very often we get the remark: 'I didn't know you could do competition with hot air balloons, what do you do?

So.. in order to follow what we are doing we will give a speed course hot air balloon competition.

In one flight you can get multiple tasks. Which tasks you have to do is stated on a tasksheet. The tasks can be done in order or not. Sometimes there are time limits to tasks.

Together with your team you decide on tactics using weather information you get in the briefing.

Well... we are now having some rest with the team before we get in the car at 8.00 am in the morning for a 10 hrs drive to Poland. The Balloon is ready, Jan and Rik have been busy the past couple of days.

Let's pack the final things and get some sleep.

Tomorrow.... more about the kind of tasks that we can expect.....

Nr. 21 TEAM HOLLAND

2nd FAI Womens Hot Air Balloon World Championship

Resultaten

A challenge to get there

What was the way to do it??

What a week!!

Ozi Target (Post 3)

Training and progress.... (Post 2)

PREPARATIONS.... (Post 1)

Junior World Championship

The tasks

Competition Flying. How does that work?