It has been very busy this week, with a cross country course running, several annual flight reviews, and young Max Carter my student for the week. I have not had much time to post anything on the blog.
We need to welcome Andrew Brumby back to Lake Keepit. He used to tow here before, but has returned and worked really hard this week. He had a bit of a shock on Tuesday when the engine of the tug stopped (so did we at the glider end) but with lightning quick reactions he changed to the back-up fuel pump and the engine restarted. The glider was at 2000 ft and just about to release anyway, so no harm was done! Andrew has a job as an aircraft maintenance engineer in Tamworth, and has threatened to do more gliding as well as towing.
Max Carter and his dad Wayne visited from Victoria. Wayne is a glider pilot, and the course was a birthday present for Max who initially wasn't sure what to make of it all. However he learned really quickly, and soon got over an initial queasy feeling in the air.
As luck would have it, he was ready for solo by the end of his 15th Birthday. On Friday he flew solo again in quite gusty and difficult conditions (same as the ones he learned in) and made a very good job of it. I thought I'd show him that other gliders are not as easy to fly as the Puchatek so I took him up in the Grob 103. By this time it was really quite windy, but he handled the cross-wind take off with ease, and was rock steady on the aerotow, even with the tuggie hooking into a thermal! He enjoyed the comfort and quietness of the Grob, and thermalled it well.
Well done Max - come back to Lake Keepit soon.
