CONDOR

via Condor landscapes.

A project I started a couple of years ago, when I noticed how many Condor landscapes overlapped and duplicated parts of another landscapes. The idea was to set a series of contiguous (or near contiguous) tasks which would work their way across as many of the European Condor landscapes as possible. Task length would be around 150km-200km, and wherever possible, the finish point of each would be the start point for the subsequent task. Barring that, a turnpoint would be shared, and barring that, some virtual trailering might be necessary. I abandoned the project before getting very far, but with all the new landscapes that have been released in the meantime, I've decided to pick it up again.

I want to make a couple of important points about this project:

1. This is not a "Travel Agent" sort of tour, so don't expect to hit all (or any) of the important tourist destinations. I'll try to find out something about a few of the turnpoints, usually highlighting something soaring related, e.g. site of a soaring competition. For the most part, though, the task is just to sample a little bit of the fine Condor landscapes we have.

2. This won't use every Condor European landscape. If a particular Condor European landscape is left out, (and I want to stress this) it is NOT because I don't like it, and NOT because I feel there is anything wrong with it. It is simply that it does not overlap, or touch, or nearly touch the other landscapes. The main emphasis of the project is on contiguity, where each subsequent task picks up where the previous left off, within the limitations imposed by the various landscapes and their juxtaposition.

3. This isn't an organized contest. Although each task will be a racing task, there won't be any published scoring anywhere online. At least, I have not anticipated doing that. It's just to have fun flying the tasks all over Europe, and enjoying the work of our tireless Condor scenery makers.

There is a topic on my squadron's forum to keep track of the landscapes that will be used, the route as it develops, and each task as it becomes available:
http://www.blacksheep8th.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=41

There is also a Google Map showing the various sceneries used, and the tasks as they develop:
http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?hl=en&gl= ... 09a9e0a350

I hope to host each task one per week, starting Tuesdays, between 8:00 and 8:30 EDT, but there is no guarantee of that schedule. A group of us who regulary fly together at that time will fly the task then. Afterwards, I'll leave the task to run the remainder of the week for anyone to fly it whenever they are able. We anticipate the first task to be hosted this coming Tuesday, 26 October, 2010. Needless to say, this is a very long term project.

The server is modest, with only 16 slots, and will be called "Contiguous Tour of Europe". Hope some of you will enjoy it.

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Task 2 is up and running for the next week.
http://www.blacksheep8th.com/forums/vie ... =41&t=1036

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Task 3 briefing is posted:
http://www.blacksheep8th.com/forums/vie ... =41&t=1041

Server will start sometime between 8:00 and 8:30 PM EST
This task will run for one week.

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Task 4 briefing posted:
http://www.blacksheep8th.com/forums/vie ... =41&t=1046

Starts Tuesday evening, between 8:00 and 8:30 pm EST.

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Task 5 briefing posted:
http://www.blacksheep8th.com/forums/vie ... =41&t=1049

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The next two tasks will be on East Hungary 2.0 landscape. It's a pretty big download if you don't have it already.

Task 6 briefing is posted:
http://www.blacksheep8th.com/forums/vie ... =41&t=1052

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Briefing for next task, beginning the week from Tuesday, 07 December, is posted at:
http://www.blacksheep8th.com/forums/vie ... =41&t=1059

The following week's task, beginning 14 December, will be set on Catalin Macsim's expansive Romania 0.2d landscape. Get it if you don't have it already.

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Briefing for next task on Romania 0.2d, going online tonight:
http://www.blacksheep8th.com/forums/vie ... =41&t=1067

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After quite a long break, the Contiguous Tour of Europe resumes. I must confess, that over the Christmas holiday, we started dabbling a little with soaring in FSX, but the recently released Bulgaria landscape by David Regula has renewed our interest in Condor.

This week, the server will run alternating Task 9, which ran for a week back in December, and Task 10.

Task 9 is set on Catalin Macsim's Romania 0.2d. You can find the briefing here:
http://www.78thfg.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=1078

Task 10 is set on the Serbia-Montenegro landscape, released in December by Mico and Catalin. I haven't had time to write up a proper briefing, but this tas is a 175km straight line, from Deva, Romania to Secanj, just across the border in Serbia. Conditions are strong, so it will not be a challenge. The task can be viewed here:
http://www.78thfg.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 4665#p4665

(Note the domain change on our squadron website, from blacksheep8th.com to 78thfg.com
and any of the old links can be fixed by changing the domain)

The next few tasks will work their way through the many countries covered by the Serbia-Montenegro landscape, and following that, will enter David Regula's Bulgaria landscape.

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Task 11 starts tomorrow, Tuesday 21st March, between 8:00 and 8:30pm EDT. It's on the Serbia-Montenegro landscape.

Tour of Europe 11

We depart Secanj, in Serbia, and after the start, head westward to the Ecka airport, LYZR, near the city of Zrenjanin, where the Zrenjanin Soaring Cup is held. Continue westward to the city of Novi Sad, on the banks of the Danube River. Novi Sad, the second largest Serbian city after Belgrade, was the site of the 56th Serbian Open Gliding Championship, held in August, 2010. Passing over the city, head northwest to the next turnpoint, on the border between Serbia and Croatia. Here we once again cross the Danube, and continue westward into Croatia, finishing at the LDOC airport, home of Aeroklub Osijeck.

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Task 12, 202km, continues on the Serbia Montenegro landscape. It should be up sometime this evening, between 8:00pm and 8:30pm EDT, and run the rest of the week.

Tour of Europe 12

We leave our Croatian friends, taking off from Aeroklub Osijeck. Our 202 km task will take us into neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the start, head south to our first turnpoint on the Sava River, which forms the boundary between the two countries. Crossing the river, continue south to the airport at Tuzla, not the International Airport, but LQJL, the Jegen Lug Sport Airfield. Passing the airfield, we alter course to the southwest. The Dinaric Alps rise before us as we make our way towards the finish at LQSA, near the capital city, Sarajevo.

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Task 13, on Serbia-Montenegro landscape, will start between 8:00 and 8:30pm EDT. There should be some good ridge soaring opportunities on this one:

Tour of Europe 13

We start in the air above LQSA today for our 179km task, which will take us into neighbouring Montenegro. A brisk wind of 18km/hr is blowing in from the SW, which should mean some ridge lift can be utilized. Choose your route carefully over the Dinaric Alps. You may try to find a direct way, or head south, following the Ljuta Canyon, to the magnificent Neretva River Canyon. Near the SE end of the canyon, is the Sutjeska National Park. Here you will be greeted by the sight of Maglic Mountain, at 2,386m, the highest peak in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and directly on the border with Montenegro. Continue on course to the SE, and make your way to the finish at Podgorica Airpot.

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Tour of Europe 14, starting Tuesday, 24 May, between 8:15 and 8:30 pm, EDT:

The next task, of 160km, will take us from Montenegro, across neighbouring Albania, and in to Serbia (Kosovo). Winds are again favourable for ridge soaring, however take care to stay high. Taking off from Podgorica airport (LYPG), we will head east to the Bosaj Border Crossing to enter Albania. Continuing east, we will make our way into the Albanian Alps, and the Thethi National Park. Our turnpoint is the Grunas Waterfall, a national treasure and one of the most sensational natural beauties of the park. Fed entirely by melting snow, and plummeting 30 metres, the waterfall is a popular destination for hikers and climbers. Climbing over the ridge, we make our way southeast to the next turnpoint at the Fierza Dam, the second biggest dam in Albania. Completed in 1979, it is one of three hydroelectric dams on the Drin River, and holds the Fierza Reservoir, which can be seen stretching off to the southeast as we reach the turnpoint. From the dam, we head east towards Serbia (Kosovo). We will enter Kosovo at the Qafe Prush Border Crossing, then continue east-northeast to finish at the Prishtine Airport (LYPR)

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You created a new forum account and resurrected a dead thread just to say that? Why do I get the feeling your forum signature will have links to spam websites in it soon?

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If flying were the language of man, soaring would be its poetry.....and the PW5 would be William Topaz McGonagall.

That's exactly what I thought

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