12th FAI Junior World Gliding Championships - Tábor, Czechia 31 July - 14 August
If you want to get a feel of how good the gliding weather gets in the Czech Republic, just look back at the tasks from WGC that took place in Hosín, CZ in 2018. That time it seemed like our European Uvalde.
But more pragmatically, Tábor is located about 40 km north of Hosín in a region with arguably even better soaring conditions. It lies in the centre of the most active gliding area in the Czech Republic. This area is bounded by the Šumava Mountains (Bohemian Forest) from the south-west, by TMA Prague from the north and MTMA Náměšť from the east, extending into Austria in the South and to Germany in the west. Here the juniors would have a chance to experience the best of what the summer Central European weather has to offer while having a chance to appreciate the picturesque and historic countryside of our country.
Looking more closely at the weather. During the summer thermals usually begin around 10 to 11 and last till the sunset giving pilots a large time window to showcase their best gliding skills. These conditions mean that 750 km FAI triangle flights are not uncommon in the competition area and a number of pilots manage to extend these up to 1000 km flights each year. The unpredictable Šumava Mountains can provide a great opportunity for pilots as they are part of a mountain massive beginning with the Bohemian Forest in the south of Czechia, continuing on with the Upper Palantine Forest and stretching far into Germany with the Fichtel Forest, Franconian Forest up to the Thuringian Forest. On favourable days, this arrangement provides an opportunity for flights well beyond the 1000 km mark.
But more realistically, during the championships, competitors should expect mostly racing tasks that will most commonly begin either to the north or south, then take them to the west and back home again through a turn point either south or north.
Everything is ready for the juniors to have an amazing gliding experience this summer in Tábor and we can’t wait to welcome them.
Matěj Rendla
jwgc2022.cz
