1 May

Been a bit quiet since my last post. A few turned up on ANZAC day - I tried to fly home but it was raining and very low cloud all day here, although bright and sunny at Cowra so I was told. At 3 pm we had a power cut, and it didn't come back on until about midnight. We can a candle lit supper in the club house, cooked on the wood stove, the barbecue and my Trangia camping stove. Thanks Dave and Carol shorter for the Nachos! It was a very dark night.

On Saturday I was able to fly home - Jabiru is going much better with the nose spat back on! My Ultralight BFR was due, and so I did it on Saturday afternoon with Phil Goard of PG Aviation at Cowra, who is a level two instructor, as well as being the maker of the Brumby light sport aircraft. I was able to do my BFR in the prototype Brumby - it must be easy to fly as I did OK! I have one on order, and am really looking forward to getting it! Will be faster than the Jabiru, and carry more stuff!

Arrived back on Monday - brilliant sky and lots of thermals but no pilots! It was quite windy, but the thermals were strong enough to overcome that problem, and the wind moderated during the day.

Tuesday morning at 7.00 am in a frost, Geoff Neely and I flew to Inverell in the Jabiru to pick up the Callair. While we were there we had a message from Geoff Sim to say he was flying up from Wollongong in the afternoon, and could go via Cowra if it helped. We got the Callair back to Cowra, refuelled, did a flight plan and sent Geoff (Neely) on his way to Cowra. He refulled again at Mudgee and arrived at Cowra about 5 min before Geoff arrived there. The Callair is at Cowra to have some work done on the electrical system before the 100 hourly is signed off. Geoff and Geoff arrived back safely in Geoff Sim's Lancair later that afternoon.

Meanwhile, I had an air experience flight to do, and Garry Speight very kindly turned out to fly the tug. Launched at 12:30 - blue sky, little wind, no clouds. At first I thought it would be a sled ride, but found a thermal at about 1500ft, and worked it up to about 3200. My passenger was able to have a good go at the controls, as the conditions became better and better, until you guessed it I had to airbrake down at the end of the flight! Max height obtained about 4200 ft, but it may have gone higher.

On Wednesday went in to Tamworth with Geoff Sim to visit Trevor and Jenny West. Trev is recovering, and hopes to take to the air again in mid-June. Wonder if he'll want a check flight?

Overcast today (Thursday) but not quite as cold. Work has started on the Callair!