Now before you get too excited, this does not mean it was a big wave day at YCAB. Quite the contrary, as the Friday crew struggled to maintain an average time of 19.9 minutes across the 10 flights we launched today. Rather, it was a beautifully clear and mostly calm winter’s day that was as much about Pie Cart chat as it was about flying. And the proof of this is that at least three of the crew stayed the whole day without getting into a cockpit - and went home as happy as everyone else.

Those three were Ken Mitchell who declared himself medically unfit, Shane Tuck who decided to keep his powder dry for a day with more prospects of yielding that elusive hour-plus solo, and Lindsay Mitchell who will be back tomorrow to fly on roster. 

The flyers among us notched up three annual check rides - for Barry McCarthy, John Nestor and myself - mutual flights for Tony Sorensen, Arthur Mailey, Judith Smith and Barry, and solos for Arthur, Bob and John. And I also took John’s lovely partner Anne for her first experience of 24 on a tie down flight.

All that added up to:

GJY 3 flights 0:58

CQC 3 flights 1:05

GYK 4 flights 1:16

Thanks to Karl Bodi and Steve Bowtell for flying the tug, Shane and Bob for replacing a dead battery in the Barina, and Nathan Bowtell for contributing to the lively Pie Cart social scene. And congratulations to Judith on 29 minutes of tough thermalling to claim flight of the day from the third last launch!

And Judith would be among the first to agree that the full enjoyment of this club day was only partly about the flying.

With clear skies forecast for most of the weekend, come out and see what we mean!