Monday 28 January

Arrived back at Lake Keepit at about 10.00 am after very smooth flight in the Jabiru.

Roland, my student from last week went solo on Sunday, and was still at the club on Monday. As Monday was a public holiday, but everyone including me wanted to fly. Roland wanted to take some photos from the glider. As I wanted to do a cross country flight, I asked him if he would like to attempt a 300 km flight in the Grob and he agreed with enthusiasm. I put him in the back seat to improve the weight and balance, and also so that I could see the L-nav in the front. There followed a quick lesson in cross country preparation - getting food and water together.

Jim Staniforth set the task LKSC Premer Narabri and back to LKSC, a 300 km FAI triangle. He also set a 500 and a 750 but we settled for the 300.

Christian Linnet flew in the Cirrus, Sam Clift in the LS7, Jim Staniforth in the Nimbus, Al Giles in Jantar IZT Gerhard in Jantar UKU John Clark in the Junior and Jim Hackett in his ASH 26. Chris Carr flew in the LS6.

Christian, Chris, Sam and Jim Staniforth started on the 500 km task, reached the first turnpoint, and came back home. Not sure what Gerhard attempted, but he got home. Al Giles did his own task as he is trying to get his gold distance. The plan was for the Junior and the Grob to go around the 300 together.

We started off OK and climbed to cloudbase at about 7000 ft, and thermalled with the airbrakes open while waiting for John in the Junior to catch up, then we set off for Premer. However radio communications didn't work very well, as I had two dodgy batteries in the Grob, and the Junior radio has a problem with transmitting. Anyway after the first glide, John decided not to come with us.

Got to Premer OK, then up the edge of the Pillager Scrub toward Narrabri, when it went blue. I discussed turning for home with Roland, but he was keen to go for it, so we rounded Narrabri and set off home in the blue. Almost made it but ended up landing in a paddock near Rangerai air strip. Luckily I didn't land at the air strip, as it was completely overgrown, but our paddock contained a hidden electric fence. Managed not to hit it, but an aerotow was out of the question. The day ended in the usual fashion with a group of people trying to derig a heavy twin glider into a difficult trailer in pitch darkness.

Boris, Geoff Neely and Al Giles came to the rescue, and eventually we accomplished the task, arriving back at LKSC at about 1.30 am. All part of the game! Boris really is a useful person to come on an outlanding retrieve. His friends at the Zarate gliding club must have trained him very well in the art of putting gliders into trailers!

Roland received the full gliding experience during his week at Lake Keepit, from first lesson to outlanding retrieve. He has the whole thing on video too.

While we were flying, the crew back at LKSC pulled the wings off the Puchatek and started on the 100 hourly inspection. Much appreciated.