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From: Garrett
Russell
Date:
Sat, Nov 3, 2012 at 6:47 PM
Subject:
Saturday 3 November @ YCAB
To:
members@glidingcaboolture.org.au
Speaking
strictly personally, my journey to join the duty crew at the
airfield today was a pilgrimage – a day under and in the
Caboolture sky to help come to terms with the death of John
Clayton.
I am glad I made the trip because it was a day JC would have
loved.
Even though it was a quiet day with only eight flights, all
towed by rostered Tuggie Karl Bodi, it was a day of great
learning and achievement for our newest member and a day of
great Pie Cart conviviality for everyone else. As I said, a
club day JC would have loved.
Two of those eight launches were passenger flights rostered
AEI Rod Wilson made in CQC with a pair of his friends. Both
thoroughly enjoyed their 33 and 26 minutes aloft.
Another two launches were a 20 minute check flight and 27
minute solo for rostered Duty Pilot Alan Graham. He and I
thoroughly enjoyed popping off tow and straight into a thermal
which was already occupied by GYK. We even enjoyed being
out-climbed by the Blanik!
The Blanik was on the first of three flights it made today,
all taken by rostered Duty Instructor Kevin Roden with new
member Ashton Greive. Ashton, on only his fourth flight, was
doing much of the thermalling that defeated Alan and me, and
later recovered from his first stalls and spins.
Great progress for the young pilot in 47, 18 and 16 minutes of
flying!
Ashton’s dad Jason was also at the Pie Cart all day, making
a valuable contribution with retrieves and ground handling
while admitting that flying is something he’d rather watch
his son do.
And the final flight was a special one for me – a hangar
flight I wanted to take alone with my thoughts and memories of
JC.
He must have been with me, because it became the flight of the
day.
57 minutes, mostly under a street of cloud to the north of the
airfield that offered monumental views of the Glasshouse
Mountains as well as lift I eventually had to fly out of in
order consideration of the already-packed-up duty crew!
Note that in all the above there are only two club members who
were not rostered duty crew. As Mick has noted, tomorrow
should be even better. So why not come out and see if you can
beat a 47 minute first flight and 57 minute last flight?
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