RAFGSA EXPEDITION SKY-HI 2003

Sisteron Airfield, Southern French Alps, 24 Apr - 12 May 03
By Flt Lt Dave Chapple

INTRODUCTION

Expedition Sky-Hi is the annual RAF Gliding and Soaring Association (RAFGSA) Adventurous Training (AT) expedition to the southern French Alps. The expedition was, once again, based at Vaumeilh airfield, just north of Sisteron town in the valley of the Durance River, some 70 miles south of Grenoble. The southern Alps are renowned for their soaring conditions, offering an abundance of lift, and are well recognised as the most demanding gliding environment in Europe. Flying in the region is significantly more testing than flying in the UK, making unique demands on the flying skills, airmanship and personal courage of pilots of all experience levels.

EXPEDITION AIMS

Expedition Sky-Hi 2003 met the RAF's Adventurous Training aim of: "Helping to prepare all Service personnel to meet the challenges of contemporary operations and warfare, through real life experiences. Warfare demands of its people, qualities of toughness, endurance, empowerment, competency and self-sufficiency in the field."
The aims of the Expedition were to:
• Develop the leadership and personal qualities of all Expedition personnel iaw the aims of AT.
• Promote knowledge of the opportunities for AT across the membership of the RAFGSA.
• Provide advanced flying training and instruction to RAFGSA personnel with a wide variety of background and flying experience.
• Extend the knowledge and experience gained by pilots on previous expeditions; in particular to develop the knowledge of instructors, to allow the safe supervision of future expeditions.
• Improve the airmanship and soaring abilities of expedition members thus improving the standard of flight safety across the RAFGSA.
• Obtain advanced awards as laid down by the Federation Aeronautique International, including gains of height and distances travelled, when suitable weather conditions exist.

THE FLYING CHALLENGE
Mountain flying is a discipline far removed from flatland flying. The pilot can expect long periods of intense concentration, flying very close to towering rock faces, in order to climb high enough to transition from one mountain to the next. Flying the glider in the turbulent air close to the mountainside makes special demands on the pilots' handling, anticipation and planning skills. In two seater gliders it is vitally important to maintain an exceptional level of cross-cockpit communication and understanding. It is also vital to maintain a high degree of situational awareness, including the awareness of immediate actions in the event of soaring conditions deteriorating, since the weather in the Alps often changes rapidly and unexpectedly requiring the pilot to make rapid changes of plan. At times, there may only be only one suitable landing field within range, and this adds to the pressure on the pilot. The stressful, high workload environment means that the pilot operates in his 'stretch' zone for much of the flight, and it is often only after landing that he can evaluate the flight and fully appreciate his achievements.
Unfortunately, several of the Expedition's original participants, all non-commissioned, were either deployed on operations or unable to be released from primary duties due to manning pressures. Accordingly, only 7 RAF personnel, including 5 officers, were able to participate, as opposed to the originally planned 10 personnel; one place was taken by an Army officer who is a member of the RAFGSA.

PERSONNEL
Once again the expedition was fortunate to have the services of Mr William Malpas, an ex-pat who is a French instructor and life member of the RAFGSA, to guide expedition members. Without his local knowledge, acquired over decades and thousands of hours of gliding and instructing in the Alps, expedition members would not be able to progress as quickly in the art of mountain soaring and explore so far into the mountains safely. His pre-flight briefings and in-flight demonstrations have also enabled the RAFGSA to build a growing number of experienced instructors who can safely lead and teach future expeditions.
The techniques which have evolved over many years of mountain flying in the area allow challenging adventurous training to be carried out while minimising risk to all pilots in the region. However, demonstrating the inherent risk within the sport, a German pilot flying near the expedition's home airfield was sadly killed on 29 Apr 03. Strict reporting procedures are in place within the expedition's flying supervisory chain to ensure that the most up-to-date information is available on the location of expedition aircraft at all times.

TIMING
Expedition Sky Hi took place from late Apr to mid May, avoiding the traditional peak season during Mar and early Apr when there is a large influx of German, Austrian and Swiss gliders, and this had significant benefits:
• There were substantially fewer gliders in the air, reducing the risk of mid-air collision. There were also significantly fewer gliders based at Sisteron Gliding Club, minimizing launch delays and maximizing training time.
• The weather was more reliable, with stronger sun and less snow on the high mountains, and therefore better soaring conditions allowing longer more adventurous flights.
• The longer days meant that it was possible to launch earlier and fly until later in the day, making two sorties per day a realistic aim for each aircraft, maximizing the amount of time spent in the aerial classroom, and allowing longer distances to be covered.
Personnel driving to Sisteron assembled with the gliders at the RAFGSA Centre, RAF Bicester on 24 Apr 03 for an admin and travel briefing. An early departure on 25 Apr 03 allowed arrival at Dover by mid-morning. The channel crossing was carried out without delay using short sea ferry warrants for the vehicles and trailers. An overnight stop at a roadside hotel north of Troyes was taken to alleviate driver fatigue and the journey over the Alps to Sisteron was completed without incident on 26 Apr 03. The return journey to the UK mirrored the outward journey and was also completed without incident.
The accommodation at Sisteron comprised 3 simple self-catering gites located close together within a mile of the airfield. The owner is very helpful, speaks good English, gives flexibility in booking arrangements and is always pleased to see the RAFGSA.

DAILY ROUTINE
The gliders were rigged and prepared for flight each morning prior to briefing at 1030 hrs, where the meteorological forecast would be given in French, German and English before the Expedition daily flying program was announced and the Duty Pilot (DP) nominated. Mr Malpas would then offer advice on a relevant mountain flying topic and give an assessment of the flying techniques to be adopted to make optimal use of the day's conditions. The Expedition's gliders were usually launched in quick succession at around 1100-1230 hrs, the exact time depending on the weather. Last landing time was set strictly at 2000 hrs, enabling missing aircraft action to be initiated before nightfall in the event of any glider not returning to the airfield.
Once the gliders were launched and any assistance required given to other pilots on the airfield, the DP released non-flying personnel to visit local landable fields by road or to re-ration their gites. Visiting the designated landing fields is important, as they are often small and difficult to locate, with obstacles and technical approaches, and they are often the only landing sites within an otherwise unlandable area.
After flying, the gliders were either de-rigged or tied down and the equipment prepared for the next day's sorties. A debrief of the day's events and achievements was carried out before standing down.

AT ASPECTS
On each flying day, the expedition used the excellent facilities at Sisteron airfield to conduct pre-flight briefings & post-flight debriefs. On non-flying days, the facilities were used for ground training sessions, with group discussions and individual debriefs covering:
• Teamwork. The responsibilities of leaders and team members in the support and flying aspects of the Expedition's activities; the clear need for commitment and communication within a challenging environment.
• Comfort, Stretch and Panic Zones. The relationship of the 3 zones to each other and the learning process. The benefits of controlled stretch within the confines of operational safety to the Expedition members in broadening their skills and expanding their confidence in the mountain environment.
• The RAF and AT. Relating individuals' experiences gained during AT and the benefits this brings to the RAF in their workplaces. Why the RAF considers funding AT, and allowing personnel to attend on duty, to be beneficial.

FLYING SUMMARY AND ACHIEVEMENTS
The expedition was blessed with good soaring weather for most of the expedition. The Expedition members flew a total of 260 hrs and over 9000 km from 70 aerotow launches over 10 flying days. A full description of each day's flying is given below.
All the Expedition pilots furthered their experience and abilities both in the specifics of mountain flying and in the wider soaring sense. Those pilots new to mountain flying were authorized to fly solo, exercising their own judgement in the new environment. Those with more experience in the Alps explored further than they had before, including flights into Italy and into the very highest Alps. In addition, closed circuit pre-declared racing tasks around the mountains, the most testing form of flying, were attempted.
All pilots on the Expedition made tangible improvements in their standards of flying ability, airmanship and flight safety awareness. Of particular note was Mr Malpas' observation that the RAFGSA's ever-increasing number of mountain pilots are gaining experience and knowledge far in excess of that which their Alpine flying hours would suggest. This can be put down to the mass of experience given by Mr Malpas in his instruction and the keen attitude of the members of the Expedition to conquering the Alpine environment.

DAILY REPORTS FROM EXPEDITION SKY-HI
Thursday 24 Apr 03
The members of the expedition met up at Bicester in the evening. Glider trailers were allocated for towing and distribution of personnel around transport was agreed. Drivers were briefed on the route to take over a curry in Bicester town.

Friday 25 Apr 03
An early start. The first vehicle left Bicester for Dover at 0545hrs and caught the 0915 ferry to Calais. Dave and Olly became temporarily unaware of their position on the M25 and followed on soon afterwards. All three vehicles met up at the motel in Voue, just north of Troyes. The hotel did not have room for the trailers due to building works but the owner, an ex-glider pilot himself, found room for them in his brothers barn a short distance away.
Saturday 26 Apr 03
With the Alps to tackle, driving got underway after a sturdy continental breakfast. A smooth day's driving brought all the trailers safely to Sisteron Airfield by 1700hrs and the members of the exped were joined by Phil who had driven up from Nice.
Sunday 27 Apr 03
The day dawned clear with good prospects for soaring. Administration was quickly sorted out for pilots with 'Licence Equivalences' and everybody flew at some time during the first day. The weather was good with narrow but strong thermals allowing everyone to experience the type of weather common to the region. It was good to re-establish previous boundaries and accustom ourselves to the demanding flying that would be coming over the next 2 weeks.
Monday 28 Apr 03
Following a positive met briefing a 300km task was provisionally declared from Aguine in the south, to St Crepin to the north-east and Col de Cabre to the west of the valley. The weather was difficult to the south and both Nick/Strats and Dave/Bill scraped away from a low point on a ridge before making quick time through the excellent conditions further north. Heading north through the Col de Vars and then west over the Pas de Cavale both Phil in R6 and Nick/Strats in 16 once again got low on the ridges before an opportune thermal made it possible to cruise back home comfortably. Less comfortable were Dave/Bill in a French Duo Discus who used all available cover at the foot of the Crete de Selle, while local to Aspres sur le Buech airfield, to scrape home. In a rare quote, Bill Malpas was heard to admit that "Yes, we were a bit too low".
Tuesday 29 Apr 03
A southerly flow meant that some of the 'normal' ridges were not working as expected and Blayeul did not give good access to ridges to the east, although Phil was able to climb on it. The Pic de Bure worked well as a ridge and Nick/Bill transferred to wave to 12,000ft followed by the others. Towards the end of the day a suspected forest fire was seen on the ground which turned out to be a motorglider crash site. The German pilot, flying from a nearby airfield, was sadly killed in the accident. This was a timely reminder to all pilots about the inherent dangers of Alpine flying.
Thursday 1 May 03
A day of Valley Breezes was forecast with the upper wind producing wave in some areas. Dave, in R6, made to the Maurienne Valley using wave north of Briancon. The advancing high level cloud cut off heating in the valley and after getting low (3000ft agl) Dave contacted lift and made his way home using ridge lift. Phil and Charles completed 270km exploring conditions in a wide area.
Saturday 3 May 03
A light southerly wind produced good soaring conditions although a slight easterly tendency made adherence to good mountain flying techniques a must. Nick took R6 to St Crepin, getting low near Lac Serre Poncon and working back to Pic de Morgon below ridge top height. Formating on a Golden Eagle was possibly the highlight of this flight. Due to difficult conditions near Barcolonette Dave and Terry didn't make it into the Ubaye Valley and explored in other directions.
Sunday 4 May 03
Superb valley breeze conditions made for some excellent flying experiences if pilots managed to move away from the local area where stable air produced some difficulties. Dave and Andy made rapid progress up the Parcours and along the Ubaye Valley to the Tete de Ciguret before returning home. Pete and Nick went across the Pas de Cavale where they met up with Phil before taking some photos of R6 at 11,000ft with some stunning scenery backdrops.
Monday 5 May 03
A strong southerly wind discouraged many visitors from flying at Sisteron although the southerly wave was quite marked in some areas. Dave and Olly found wave near Malaup and moved on to the Pic de Bure to practice below the peak. Nick contacted wave at Pic de Bure and climbed to 16,700ft using one of the oxygen packs the expedition had brought along.
Tuesday 6 May 03
A marginal valley breeze day affected by a slight south-easterly flow produced another interesting day's soaring. Olly climbed to 12,000ft in wave near Malaup and Carl and Nick cruised across the 11,000ft ridges of the Pas de Caval before returning to the Pic de Bure to explore the sunny westerly face. It was here that the strongest climb rate of the expedition was seen, with a thermal bubble giving a 1,300 feet/minute average climb rate.
Wednesday 7 May 03
The weather was sunny with good thermals but with south-easterly winds, varying around the region, making predicting climbs tricky. Dave did, however, progress 30km north of Grenoble in a very worthy flight. Towards the end of the day some very good wave set up in the Valley of the Jabron but airspace restrictions prevented any really high flying in the area.
Thursday 8 May 03
The weather was good in most areas but in the north-east, near Briancon low cloud and snow made conditions poor. Dave did a fast flight past Tete de Ciguret and into Italy towards the end of the day and Pete also went a little way into Italy in a similar place. Olly flew with Bill Malpas to increase his knowledge of the sort of techniques required to progress in mountain flying. Nick declared a 300km triangle but after a fast first 100km, found the weather near Briancon too poor to make the turning point and escaped to the better conditions in the south.
Friday 9 May 03
A hot and stable weather system with occasional rain showers meant that flying opportunities were minimal for the last flying day of the Expedition. Carl took the opportunity to do some local flying in R6 and everyone paid up their flying fees to the club and prepared to depart the next morning.
Saturday 10 May 03
An early start allowed all three vehicles to make significant progress towards the channel.
Sunday 11 May 03
Despite Nick/Olly running out of diesel (fortunately within 2 metres of a Shell fuel pump) all vehicles and aircraft were safely returned to their clubs and all personnel arrived home tired but safe and with log books full of some flying experiences which will be hard to beat...until next year!

EQUIPMENT
Three RAFGSA high-performance gliders were used on the expedition and a fourth was hired on a daily basis from the Sisteron Gliding Club, although due to French regulations this could only be flown by French instructors, so it was used for instruction by Mr Malpas. Thus the Expedition had 2 dual seat aircraft with Duo Discus 'F-CHTD' and Janus '16', and 2 single seat aircraft with Discus '506' and ASW27 'R6'. This represented a very good ratio of seats to personnel, meaning that every Expedition member could expect to fly on each full flying day. It also proved a good mix of twin and single seat aircraft, allowing plenty of opportunities for instructional and mutual flying as well as solo flying. The importance of solo flying must not be underestimated, for the ability to stretch individual boundaries is key to the application of AT in the Alpine environment.

Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) were kindly provided by RAF Cranwell's Survival Equipment Section in liaison with OC MELIN. Carriage of PLBs is highly desirable when flying amongst the mountains, as they could be the only way to alert the emergency services in the event of a crash landing or bailout in the inhospitable terrain. All flights were carried out with PLBs worn underneath parachutes and they were an excellent contribution to safety.
Excellent aeronautical charts were provided by RAF Brize Norton's Flight Planning Section which depicted the mountains' topography much better than commercially-available charts. Additionally they included useful aeronautical information and indicated elevations in feet rather than metres. The 4 sheets used were at 1:250 000 scale, and comprised charts NL31-9, 31-12, 32-7 and 32-7.

Two portable oxygen systems were loaned from RD Aviation, a civilian aviation supply company; these were used on occasions when flight above 12,000ft was expected. One flight to 16,700ft was carried out and the oxygen system performed well.
All equipment on the expedition performed well although the usual problems with battery charging did occur due to the weak French mains supply. It has proved very important during the many long flights carried out in the area that the electrical equipment in the gliders performs efficiently, for in the event of a radio failure the pilot must return to base for safety reasons.

The large, robust tow-vehicles and the modern glider trailers fitted with anti-snake hitches made for a safe efficient road journey. There was ample space for personnel and their personal equipment and for all glider operating and maintenance equipment required by the expedition. Thanks should go to the MT Flts of RAF Brize Norton and RAF Cranwell, and to the RAFGSA Centre, for providing the vehicles.

LOCAL CONTACTS ESTABLISHED
The warm reception received by the Expedition at Sisteron Gliding Club was very sincere. The Club management went out of their way to assist the Expedition in the daily allocation of a high performance glider and smoothing the paperwork required for solo flying. The enthusiasm of the Expedition members in assisting the whole effort on the airfield will ensure that the RAFGSA is welcomed back in a similar fashion in the future.
An expedition of this complexity requires proper facilities and infrastructure, including briefing & de-briefing facilities, a workshop capability with expert staff on hand and the ability to provide launches at the required time. Sisteron Gliding Club is the only organisation in the southern French Alps that can offer this standard of support.