Hello everyone,
Tuesday was blue, clear and frosty in the morning, not a bit like the aviation forecast which told us that it was fog and drizzle. They must be real pessimists! By mid morning we had nice cumulus, not very high but heaps better than anything we have had lately, and anyway the sunshine makes you feel so much more cheerful.
Rob De Jarlais and others managed to put the bellyhook from the old Puchatek into the new one, but after two aborted launches on the winch we found it was not working properly - so we aerotowed it after that, and used the twin astir for winch training.
Laurie Bartlett, a visiting GFA member who had previously done some flying with Rob De Jarlais had a flight with me in the Puchatek. He did some flights with Rob yesterday. Both of us agreed that he was ready so we sent him off on his own. Not a completely first solo, but the first for a couple of years, and then only a few flights! He did two solo flights in the Puchatek with excellent landings in a slight crosswind. Well done Laurie!
Gabriel Kalkbrenner did the longest flight of the day in the Jantar Standard - 42 minutes. He reported that he could get no higher than 2500 ft above ground, which was the forecast height from the Moree temp trace. Rob and Ian had a decent 25 minute flight in the twin off a winch launch, and at the same time Laurie stayed up for 20 min solo in the Puchatek from a 2000ft launch. Gabriel was airborne at the same time, so we managed three in the air at once.
The aim is to get the gliders out early tomorrow, and get plenty of winch launches done for our visitors and students, before doing some aerotows when (if?) the thermals start.
Thursday people don't forget to come out - might actually do some flying rather than just eating this time! Thursday and Friday will be aerotow only.
All the best
Jenny
