I’ll let you choose your preferred simile to describe this morning but I suspect that the consensus will be that it was cold this morning so those who turned up at Caboolture for an early start this morning deserve special commendation for enthusiasm and commitment to nourishing their gliding bug.

 

As expected, it turned out to be another of our recent spell of  glorious days and so we set up on runway 30 to cooperate with the busy-ish traffic making the most of the bright blue day.  Bob Turner started the day with new member, Natasha South, in her first glider flight and then the wind changed so we moved to runway 24 and other traffic agreed, on the whole, with our decision.  About there, Peter Stevenson turned up with a petrol cap to try on the Ford but it was not the right fit.  That matter was sorted as we packed up later in the day when the cap from the Suzuki was moved to the Ford.  The Ford’s rags now suffice as Suzi’s petrol cap.

 

Once we were properly settled on 24, members started making the most of John Knox and Pat’s time with us.  Since CQC was back on the ground again, Bob Hainsworth and Charles Hoch took it and tried to find lift  but were beset by the omnipresent sink!  But, and note the  chosen ones, when Karl Bodi in the guise of a glider pilot headed off with Arthur Mailey in QA, these mere mortals were smiled on kindly by the gods and they came back with 42 mins – a time carefully checked by others at the van. 

 

When John and Pat had to leave, Karl did not need to impersonate a tug pilot because Steve Bowtell and Nathan turned up.  Steve took command of SPA while Nathan took care of a retrieve and Karl thereupon set off with Barry McCarthy for his annual check.   

 

Thus the day proceeded.  By 1400 everyone had decided they had nothing in their skill set with which to challenge the skies and were content to call it a day.  So there we were with gliders and a tug the and no one wanted to fly, at which point QA was taken back to its spot in the line and wrapped up ready for tomorrow’s enthusiasts but Arthur thought the sky may provide something yet so he and Nathan decided to fly CQC all the way back to its home beside the fence.  It must have been a long way from home because it turned out to take 46 mins to get there!  How come everyone else missed all that lift?  Arthur claimed it was ‘everywhere’ and they ‘gained height all the way down downwind’!  Some story.  However, we had packed everything else up by this time and were not prepared to start again.

 

Stats:  QA – 2 flights for 1.01 and CQC – 6 flights for 2.08.

 

May the skies smile kindly on tomorrow’s crew and may the lift be ‘everywhere’.

 

Judith, on behalf of the Friday Crew