And thanks to Neil for flying my mate Brendan. As other members may have noted from the photo in Kevin’s report, Brendan’s a big boy - too big for me to fit with him in either GQA or GYK!

He’s also a professional cameraman with the skill to present Speedy’s work on the 30 with an extra sexy touch:

And here’s his view of the Kookaburra in one of those shared thermals:

At the time this was taken I was on the other side of GQA, in the next door thermal. It was the second time in the Blanik’s tie-down flight that I had been thermalling in company. 

Not long before I had been orbitting north of the field and enjoying the view of the Kooka and a TST gaggled a few miles south of me. Just about the time I was thinking about breaking off to fly down and join them, I was pleasantly surprised to see them both heading up to join me!

The sight of two white gliders, the old and the new, gleaming in the afternoon light as they tracked towards me was a memorable scene - but not one to be photographed by a solo pilot. The TST turned out to be Bert’s, and the three of us enjoyed a good few minutes sharing the same thermal, naturally with Bert always above Speedy and me.

The afternoon eventually ended with GLM, GYK and GQA landing in that order within two or three minute intervals of each other. Bert had landed earlier and Kevin was last home to end an über cool afternoon of winter soaring. Who says you need wave for a good flight in August?