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From: Garrett
Russell
Date:
Thu, Jan 1, 2015 at 7:24 AM
Subject:
Last flying day for 2014 - and CQC
To:
cgcmem@mailmanlist.net.au
Christmas
got in the way of the report on gliding operations for
Sunday 21 December and the holiday season plus
seasonal weather got in the way of any further flying
for the month. So here, started on the last day of the
year but inevitably finished on the first day of the
New Year, is the last report for 2014.
The day
was intended to be dedicated to flying CQC exclusively
but the gliding gods delivered such a good sky that
the temptation to unwrap GYK as well was with us right
from the start. The start was early, with duty crew of
John Ashford, Mark Thompson, Kevin Rodda, Alan Graham
and Garrett Russell hardly involved in preparing
either glider - such was the enthusiasm of the many
members at the airfield before the proverbial sparrow
had a chance to pass wind.
The sky
also delivered the best breeze we could hope for: the
right strength and direction for us to establish
operations on RWY06 and stay there all day. Duty
Instructor John Ashford placed the new Pie Cart deep
into grass left, far enough into the undershoot to
allow glider launches and landings at effectively the
same point, saving time on retrieves and also
minimising conflict with powered traffic.
With
the biggest crowd seen on 06 grass left since the last
SES exercises, Rupert Perry and Charles Hoch rolled
away for the first take off at 09:09. They were back
in 17 minutes, dutifully ignoring the abundant lift
all around and establishing the pattern for the day.
Rupert later admitted to some trepidation that he
would fluff the landing in front of so many
knowledgeable eyes, but his roll out to almost abeam
the Pie Cart also set the pace. Subsequent landings
were so well judged that only one vehicle retrieve was
required all day!
Meanwhile,
the attractiveness of the sky overcame any remaining
qualms about bringing a second glider out. At the
urging of all instructors present, Shane Tuck brought
GYK across for an attempt at a one hour solo, launched
in the short gap between CQC flights. That became
several launches, for Shane solo, for Carlo Brodie’s
first training flight of sustained thermalling, and
for a mentoring flight with Shane and Lindsay
Mitchell. A total of 2:21 flying time for the Blanik,
but still not that elusive solo hour.
Meanwhile
the CQC express rolled on with impressive efficiency.
No sustained thermalling here, although some flights
took as long as 25 minutes to descend from 2,500 feet
due to unavoidable lift. And that was with many
(appropriately qualified) pilots doing their best to
burn height in enthusiastic aerobatics. The last time
there were so many loops and rolls in one day around
Caboolture would surely have been an air show!
A total
of 28 members and guests flew in CQC between nine in
the morning and six in the evening, with our show
coming to an appropriate end at 17:58 when Bert
Persson and Lindsay Mitchell landed after the longest
flight of the day - 52 minutes of flying in sea breeze
convergence energy and just one small but spectacular
manoeuvre to adjust the circuit height and give the
gallery on the ground cause for applause. Never has a
glider landed at YCAB to such a reception, which
included a motorised Esky delivering drinks to the
cockpit!
While
CQC was put to bed for the last time Alan Graham
switched roles from duty pilot to barbecue chef, the
day’s organisers Nick Sheahon and Kylie (Mrs
Nick) turned the aero club covered area into a dining
room and video theatrette, and the crowd still around
settled down to enjoy drinks, dinner and the world
premiere of “Watt A Weekend” the story of this
year’s flyaway to Watts Bridge. More well
deserved applause, this time for Nick, before speeches
from Lindsay, Scrubby and Bert officially brought
CGC’s CQC era to an end.
Over
and out, final glide, and what memories all who were
there and who flew the 28 will carry with them. The
roll call of people who shared CQC's cockpit on the
day, in the order they flew:
Charles
Hoch
Rupert
Perry
John
Ashford
John
Hitzke
Garrett
Russell
Simon
Brodie
Arthur
Mailey
John
Nestor
Mark
Yabsley
Nick
Sheahon
Bob
Hainsworth
Mark
Thompson
David
Higgs
Anne
Bradley
Mick
Moloney
Rod
Elsworth
Mike
McCluskey
Neil
Schaefer
Kevin
Rodda
David
Guzzwell
Carlo
Brodie
Karl
Bodi
Alan
Graham
Trevor
Mills
Ches
Bassingthwaighte
Gordon
Robinson
Bert
Persson
Lindsay
Mitchell
And
thanks to Mark Thompson, John Ashford and Neil
Schaefer, who shared flying the tug for the day’s 23
launches.
Regards,
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