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1000
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07-Dec-13 |
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"Looks
like another booming day" ... from Mike
McCluskey's 8.23 am email to CGC Members. Not a bad
prediction by Mike ... a total of 976 minutes (yes,
that's over 16 hours) of gliding flights from CGC's
Aero Tow launches today. Also seen thermaling around
YCAB and beyond were self-launched gliders GIM (Bert
Persson) and JLL (Leon Moran) ... so well over 1000
minutes today!
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Flight
of the Day was an epic 4hrs 38mns by (a very
humble) Alex Horvath in his vintage wood and fabric K6
"the backwards fox". The K6's excelled in
today's conditions at YCAB with XOF and GRV in the air
for a total of 8hrs 9mns. This is a file photo of XOF
from the day she first flew at YCAB in Jan'12. Alex is
pictured between Bert Persson (in cockpit) and Bernard
"Speedy' Gonsalves. These two loyal and dedicated
CGC members (Bert and Speedy) have provided and
continue to provide incredible support, encouragement,
experience and expertise to the wood and fabric
"dead tree glider" brigade at YCAB. Well
done Alex!
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--------------------
From: David
Guzzwell
Date:
Sun, Dec 8, 2013 at 10:28 PM
Subject:
Flying report. Sat. 7 Dec.
To:
cgcmemlist@vicnet.net.au
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Hi
all,
Saturday
started out with promising skies and an optimistic
crew and it most definitely did not disappoint us!
I
arrived somewhat late at around 8:30 to find the Pie
Cart loaded, club gliders CQC and GYK beginning
preparations, Kevin Rodda’s GRV out on his apron and
a hive of activity around Alex Horvath’s K6 XOF as
it was being rigged. Duty pilot preparations
already taken care of, I assisted with the rigging of
XOF before helping Karl Body with the tug. Returning
to the tie-down area I found just Tim Williams waiting
with GYK for a tow to the flight line. Breeze
was light and RWY 12 had been selected.
First
launch was achieved at 0950 into very promising skies,
this was Mike McCluskey in CQC quickly followed by
Alex in XOF, Kevin in GRV and Florian Poff on a
training flight with Barry McCarthy at 10:28.
It
was 40 minutes before we had a glider back on the
ground.
First
back was Mike with reports of good lift especially to
the north west, and he was only back so that someone
else could go make use of said lift. I jumped at
the chance.
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Florian
Poff handling lift quite well. He managed to stay
aloft for an hour in the Blanik on this training
flight with Garrett Russell ( phot taken by Mike
McCluskey in the IS-28).
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Good
lift there was...
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With
soaring conditions prevailing and other pilots
potentially making use of them I engaged maximum sink
and made my way back to the circuit touching down 1:33
after launch. By the time I had returned to the
Pie Cart, Lindsay Mitchell had arrived and taken Tim
for the first of four flights that culminated in one
of the day’s bigger achievements. Kevin Rodda
had taken a re-light, and Garrett Russell had arrived
to relieve Barry McCarthy and had launched with
Florian Poff on the first of another string of
fruitful flights.
The
air was still good. Mike McCluskey took CQC again and
proved it, eventually coming back 1:34 later.
Garrett
and Lindsay continued with training exercises of
different types for Tim and Florian and I discussed
the possibility of back seat endorsement with Lindsay.
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"I
do actually fit in the back seat of the '28 ... here's
proof for the non-believers" ... David Guzzwell
pictured here with Lindsay Mitchell in the front
seat.
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Final
flights for the day included:
First
solo for Florian Poff, after a low rope break with
Garrett. Congratulations Florian!
A
most interesting first hand demonstration of actual
spins in an IS-28 for me - achieved the only way
possible - with my large mass in the back seat. Thanks
Lindsay.
And
a low rope break simulation for Tim… with
Garrett sitting in front of him in the Blanik. This
flight resulted in the achievement of back-seat
endorsement for Tim Williams. Congratulations
Tim.
Statistically
(or perhaps just numerically) and in spite of the best
efforts of our instructors to bring down our average
flight times...
CQC
1:19
1:33
1:34
0:16
0:09
0:03
6
launches - 4:54
GYK
0:45
0:26
0:10
0:29
1:00
0:02
0:15
7
launches - 3:07
XOF
(one launch only!)
4:32
GRV
1:03
2:34
2
launches - 3:37
All
up 16
launches
Average
(mean) flight time 1h 00m 38s
A
total of 16 hours and 10 minutes flown by club members
in various aircraft ... not including Bert who snuck
up for a quick jaunt out to Gympie(?).
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Another
important achievement today
(the one that bought us all drinks at the end of the
day!) was Florian Poff's first solo.
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Florian
Poff after his first ever solo flight ... it was also
the first student pilot that Garrett has ever sent
solo! The eyes around the airfield report that it was
a very solid first solo flight for Florian with and
excellent landing. Well done Florian!
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Thanks
definitely go to early birds Barry McCarthy, Tim
Williams and Mike McCluskey for the early preparations
of club equipment. To Barry McCarthy again for taking
the responsibility of L2 for us after already
performing that role the day before and to all present
on the day for being there, sharing the launching and
retrieval of aircraft and making achievements like
first solos and back seat endorsements possible and
enjoyable for everyone.
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David
Guzzwell
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DUTY
PILOT
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