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Smoky
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11-Jan-13 |
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From: Judith
Smith
Date:
Fri, Jan 11, 2013 at 5:40 PM
Subject:
Smoky Friday
To:
members@glidingcaboolture.org.au
With
Bribie on fire, the Friday crew was again
dodging smoke haze. To cooperate with other
traffic, we took GYK to runway 30, closely
followed by SPA in John Knox’s care. Bob
Turner and Ken Mitchell were first on the list
to investigate the not-too-beckoning sky which
proved to be nothing to rave about. As traffic
had pretty well died down once we appeared, they
landed on 06, which the breeze was favouring.
Thereupon, CQC and the van joined the activity
at that point in proceedings.
With
a small group, one would think that nothing much
would be on the agenda but one would be wrong!
Firstly, Arthur Mailey announced that it is his
80th Birthday!!
He had two family members to fly, a son and
son-in-law I believe, but unfortunately, the air
was too consumed by the fires devastating Bribie
to have much to offer those of the gliding
persuasion, but he celebrated by scoring 21 mins
- which was above par for the day.
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Arthur Mailey and family
members - photo provided by Simon Descovich. |
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Tony
Sorensen was welcomed back again for a Friday
session despite the heat and insisted that Maleny is
no cooler at present. So, he became another
instructor for the day and took John Nestor off to
add to his stock of gliding knowledge while we
reviewed the amount of smoke haze and welcomed Karl
Bodi to relieve John Knox. However, John had the
privilege of being the tuggie for Ken Mitchell’s first
Solo! |
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Tony Sorenson and Ken Mitchell
- photo provided by Simon Descovich. |
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Ken Mitchell's take-off - photo
provided by Simon Descovich. |
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And his landing - photo
provided by Simon Descovich. |
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| And,
yes, the exclamation points are warranted. There is
another earned by Shane Tuck who did a superb
landing in his second solo in GYK! Short flights but
markers in the career of a pilot that we were later
to acknowledge properly. Fortunately, Simon
Descovich and family and visitor appeared hopefully
so Simon took a couple of photos of some of the
heroes of the day. Unfortunately, Simon had little
chance of getting a seat in a glider before smoke
called a halt to the day. Thanks for taking photos
for me Simon. |
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| With
Arthur occupied and me waiting hopefully for GYK,
Bob Hainsworth was alone in CQC so Tony Sorensen
hopped in the front seat while Bob tried his hand at
flying back seat. Another first! |
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| Arthur
continued with his flying by taking Danny O’Brien
off to search for lift and so earned not only
birthday wishes but the longest flight of the day!
What a pity my camera was missing! |
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| Final
flight for the day was John Nestor and Tony in a
‘hangar’ flight which brought the day to a halt.
After all, we must consider the health of our
tuggies in all the smoke that had by now blanketed
the area and obscured the horizon. |
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| Once
gliders and tug were safely packed away, we found a
cool spot in Kevin’s hangar to finish paperwork,
etc. and congratulate our over-achieving crew! |
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| Well
Done everyone!!! |
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Judith On
behalf of the Friday Crew
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