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Caboolture Gliding Club

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   Lift-less Saturday

26-Mar-14
  
I arrived at the airfield to find Peter John (Duty Instructor) and Neil Schaefer (tug pilot) at the tie down area and soon realised that we were it today!
  
We knew that we had an Air Experience Flight passenger booked for mid morning and decided to get the Blanik out to cover that flight plus any member training flights that may eventuate during the day.
  
It was a lovely day weather wise (although a little tropical mid morning) ... a beautiful cloudy sky and a light breeze coming in from the bay ... however there was very little to offer in terms of rising warm air all day. 
     
We set up on RWY 12 where we were soon joined by Wayne Burgess before the flying started with out AEF passenger Robert Scarborough, a Victorian who was "looking for things to do" while visiting Queensland.  
        

Robert Scarborough with Peter John and Wayne Burgess.
   
It was great to have our Pawnee tug SPA operating at the flight line again and to hear Neil Schaefer and Peter John (who flew SPA for Neil's glider flight later in the day) both commenting about how well she was performing during the day. 
   

SPA towing GYK on the first launch of the day.
     
Bernard "Speedy" Gonsalves called in later in the day to give us a much appreciated hand around the pie-cart. We were also joined in the afternoon by Mike and Kym McCluskey (who decided to take the opportunity to fit a glider flight into their Saturday afternoon motorcycle ride). 
    
All up we had 6 flights in GYK for a total of 1:44 ... confirming the lack of lift! Longest flight of the day at 24 minutes was the first flight of the day (Robert Scarborough's 3500 feet AEF flown by Peter John). Robert thoroughly enjoyed his first ever glider flight and indicated that he would be back for more during next week (Monday and/or Friday as he is fishing Saturday/Sunday).
     
Wayne had a check flight with PJ (6 minutes) as well as a solo hangar flight (15 minutes). Neil Schaefer and I both took pleasant but lift-less solo flights of 23 and 15 minutes respectively while Mike and Kim's flight lasted 21 minutes.     
   
All up a very enjoyable day that could have been a great training flight day ... if only we had pre-solo members there to take advantage of the conditions.   
     

Sunset over the Aspley Hypermarket car park on my way home from YCAB today.
     
Here's hoping that the weather allows CGC members to enjoy excellent flying days tomorrow and Monday before we get back into our normal Fri/Sat/Sun weekly operations. 
     
Fly safely, 
             
Kevin Rodda
AEI/Duty Pilot