Generally, Gariep and the Karoo has outstanding weather conditions for gliding. Summer temperatures regularly reach 35 deg C and quite often 40 deg C. Cu is typically 1/8 to 4/8. Cloud base is normally from 12000ft to 18000ft amsl.

Click here for today's gliding weather, click 'central Interior' and check the expected thermal strength for any given time. The map shows Gariep.

There are no coastal effects in Gariep's task area. During December and January the relative humidity is low, but occasionally there may be isolated thunder showers in the afternoon. Mostly showers and storms are localised, and are of no concern to glider pilots on long flights. Gariep and the Karoo is much drier than the northern parts of South Africa, such as Mmabatho in summer, which often suffers from moist air masses originating in Namibia.

Winds are normally from the NW or W and may be up to 15 knots during the middle of the day. With an airfield surrounded by grassland and a nature reserve, plus tarmac runways, airfield dust is almost zero.

Left Photo: DG505 cruising under heavenly skys.

Thermal strengths are often over 6m/s on the high cloud base days. This means very high true airspeeds and record breaking at Gariep is a common occurrence.

On most days soaring starts at 10:30 and lasts until 19:00. 1000km flights have been started as late as 11:30 and some very long flights have been started at 09:30. Its not uncommon to fly two 300km tasks the same day.

You don't need an open class glider or thousands of hours experience to fly long, fast tasks at Gariep!

TERRAIN AND TASK AREA

The airfield is situated in a wide grassy valley next to a few small hills on one side and a man-made lake on the other side. The lake affects gliding operations very little, but is a beautiful landmark.

Tasks are mostly to the west and as one flies further in this direction the grassland become progressively more arid, until after a couple of hundred kilometers it begins to look like a semi-desert.Further west the grass is replaced with scrub and rock.

During any flight, the scenery is constantly changing. You fly over lakes, rivers, rocky mountains, little old pioneering towns, until far in the west one is climbing on Kalahari dust devils to 4000m above the ground.

Outlanding opportunities vary according to the direction and distance from Gariep. In some areas there are suitable fields almost everywhere (usually to the wetter north and east), and sometimes suitable fields are 20 kilometers apart, but this is not a problem when the cloud base is say 15000ft ! Good airfields are usually less than 50km apart and we have marked all these on a map. In the last 15 years we have experienced no serious outlanding damage. Being far away from the big cities, the local country people are very friendly and helpful if you land out. Entertaining a foreign glider pilot could be the year's highlight for a Karoo farmer's family and his staff.

Cellular (mobile) telephone coverage is suprisingly good over most of the area. 4x4 Vehicles are not normally required, the road network is good and trailers don't fall to bits on a retrieve! Unlike some other sites, you don't need a motorised open class glider to operate safely from Gariep.

These tasks are mostly set south of Bloemfontein and Kimberly, since afternoon thunderstorms are fairly frequent from Bloemfontein northwards, and the airspace becomes complicated. Our tasks therefore stretch as far west as Olifantshoek or Prieska and as far as Victoria West to the south. We have a huge uncontrolled airspace available to us and for those who don't mind chatting to our friendly ATC, possible task distances exceed the daylight hours available. Transponders are only necessary if you want to be able to divert into or over the busier hubs. (also see The "Magic" of the Trough Line )

Due to Gariep's unique location, away from controlled airspace, coastal effects and inhospitable terrain, very large FAI triangles can be set in almost any direction with the start and finish over the airfield. Yo-Yos, dog legs and remote starts are not required at Gariep. Click here to plan and check your FAI triangle.