Tuesday and Wednesday 6 & 7 October

Flew back to Cowra on Sunday - straightforward trip except that there was a huge rainshower sitting over Cowra when I got there. I flew around it - about 5 nm away from Cowra all the time. Debated diverting to Young, but in the end dived into the rain and landed at Cowra. It was actually not as bad as it looked but a trifle damp! Stayed rainy all afternoon at Cowra - hard to believe it was just a localised shower.

Flew back on Tuesday morning - nice clear day - easy trip. Nothing like the usual pessimistic forecast.

Jacques Graells had completed outlanding checks with Ken Flower in his Grob 109 the day before. Using the motor glider allowed multiple chances to pick a paddock and almost land in it - Jacques said it made him much more confident of being able to do a safe outlanding.

So on Tuesday, Gerhard persuaded him to attempt the silver C. I programmed the logger for him while they got the Junior out, and I towed him up at 12.10. Five and a quarter hours later he landed back at the field, having done the silver distance and more, got the height gain- the whole lot in one flight. Well done Jacques. I sent Jacques for his first Solo last January, and since then he has been flying regularly at Camden with Souther Cross Club. He's now joined LKSC as well, and expects to come and fly here every 6 weeks or so. Jacques silver C flight is on the OLC.

Gerhard did not fly as he was a bit tired he said. I was exhausted too, and snatched a snooze in the afternoon, because I knew it would be a late one doing all Jacques Silver C claim. John Stewart came out and flew two friends in the Grob - not both at the same time of course!

Nice soaring day with good cu about.

Wednesday, only Jacques flew. We put him in the Standard Jantar this time, and launched from runway 27, as it was really windy and straight across the main runway.

Jacques had no problem, and didn't come back for more than three hours. At one stage he was at Manilla at 9500 ft, and got back to keepit with 7000ft despite the headwind. He said there was really good lift everywhere, and he had to use the dive brakes to get down. His flight is on the OLC, but he's used the wrong glider type, so he has less points than he should have.

I spent the day doing administrative things like organising the parachutes to be packed and organising to get the car and trailers registered. Gerhard spent the day trying to get the speakers in the Grob to work properly. In the morning we got the slasher onto the green tractor ( with great difficulty) jump started it and I mowed the patterson's curse from the edges of the bitumen on runway 14. It would be appreciated if members using the tractor for other purposes could replace the slasher on it when they have finished!

Ian McPhee turned up in a motor glider, and Geoff Sim is in residence.

Tomorrow looks like being another good day, if its not too windy.