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14
flight Friday |
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(that
we almost cancelled!) |
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21-Feb-14 |
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From: Garrett
Russell
Date:
Sat, Feb 22, 2014 at 10:33 AM
Subject:
14 Flight Friday that we almost cancelled!
To:
CGC Members <cgcmem@mailmanlist.net.au> |
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Weather
in the forecast does not always equal weather at the
field.
This
theorem was dramatically proved on Friday 21
February with 14 flights for a day which could very
well have not happened. The Friday crew had spent
most of Thursday discussing the possibility of
moving this week's flying to Monday because of the
forecast cloud cover, thunderstorms, heat and 80%
chance of rain. In the end we decided to take a punt
and stay with Friday, and are we ever glad we did! |
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Arthur Mailey disrobes the Club
Libelle GJY (photo contributed by Louis Tumminaro) |
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The
day got off to a rip roaring start in the form of a
40 minute training flight in GYK for Louis Tumminaro
with Neil Schaefer. However the lift they found was
not around for Bob Hainsworth in CQC and Arthur
Mailey in GJY - 18 and 15 minutes respectively from
two high launches. John Nestor had similar luck in
GYK and it seemed the only meteorological condition
the forecasters had got right - the unmerciful heat
- was not translating into thermals. Happily this
was not a factor in continuing training flights for
Louis and for Lisa Schaefer, who is becoming quite
adept at painting lines on the horizon.
The
situation changed in the early afternoon, the first
indication being a 22 minute flight that Arthur
scored with Anne Bradley. Three half-hour-plus
flights followed: 39 minutes for Arthur with family
guest Helena (his son elected to stay in the shade);
39 minutes for Neil and power instructor mate Col;
and 33 minutes for Anne Bradley (again, lucky Anne!)
with me. Those last two flights were under a magical
east-west line of energy marked by a long mass of
low, dark clouds - a weather pattern which has been
observed and enjoyed on a few afternoons lately. |
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View across the cockpit of
Blanik GYK in the tie-down area (photo
contributed by Louis Tumminaro) |
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But
the forecasters got the last word. That line of
energy was overtaken by almost full overcast around
1600 hours, perfectly timed to bring the three
hangar flights - Steve Bowtell with son Jacob in
CQC, Bob in GJY and John in GYK - back to earth in
17, 16 and 15 minutes.
Thanks
to John Knox, Steve Bowtell and Tony Sorensen for
sharing tug duties in a cockpit which was more sauna
than SPA. We gave them three gliders to launch even
though many of the Friday regulars were absent due
to other commitments or injury (hope your foot heals
soon Judith, and your finger Barry and your leg
Kevin R).
The
statistics:
GYK
7 flights 2:29
CQC
5 flights 2:15
GJY
2 flights 0:31
Stay
cool for weekend flying, and drinks lots of water!
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| Garrett
Russell |
