After the competition was over, things were still very busy at the club. We had quite a few overseas visitors, and some more very good weather and high cloudbases.
Rod Tizzard, Hamish Johns and Phillip May went solo. Peter Robinson got his diamond goal and gold height, and I managed to get my gold height some fifteen years after completing the other two tests for my gold badge!!
My partner John visited from the UK again and resolo-ed in gliding after taking microlight flying lessons in the UK. He also progressed to flying the Junior.
John and I, my Dad, my friend Val, Harry Potts, Garry Speight and Juho all spent Christmas at the club, with Christmas lunch on my verandah, while the rain came down. Oh, and Robin dropped in as well.
After that it was monsoon season, and it rained for a week, with widespread flooding in NSW.
It became obvious that Dad could not manage at home any more, so I reluctantly tendered my resignation from the club, so that I could move back to Cowra to be with him. Rob de Jarlais stood in for most of February, and then Ian Downes took over as manager.
My last week at the club was a busy one, with Matthew Phoo going solo on Australia Day. On my last day, Friday 29th Jan, Mary Gordon went solo, and most remarkably David Tam. David is nothing if not persistent. He has been learning gliding for 3 years and finally jumped that hurdle after over 200 flights - many of them winch flights. I cannot help but admire his perseverance.
February saw the inaugural Keepit Regatta, which I was unable to attend as I had to look after Dad after some surgery that he had. By all accounts it was amazingly successful, and was followed up by a "four day weekend" organised by Allan Buttenshaw and others which a similar theme.
I had hoped to attend that one as well, but was stricken with terrible back pain that kept me out of the air for almost a month!
Since being back in Cowra I have been studying to be an ultralight instructor, as this is something I can do locally, but the back pain has slowed me down for that as well. My new plane, the Brumby, is finished and I have actually flown it last weekend, but it suffered an engine failure on Monday. Lucky I am a glider pilot - it was simple enough to glide it in on the main runway at Cowra! A new engine has arrived, and will be installed on this Monday19th April.
I visited the club for the first time this week, got my car and trailer registered, reinstalled the wheel on the mosquito and took it for a fly. Brilliant day - few cu, and 7000ft to be had - and I didn't take off until 3.30 pm. Managed to prize Juho out of the tug and did a tow - just to keep my hand in. Ian Barraclough was at the club working on the instruments in the ASH, Matthew Atkinson flew the LS6, Oyvind (?) from Norway flew the Junior, and some ex instructors from Southern Cross became current again without much trouble according to Ian. Gerhard flew his Jantar. I am really sorry I forgot their names, because they helped me heaps getting the wheel back on the Mosquito. I blame the red wine in the evening.
Friday was another good day - Oyvind flew the LS7 and I heard him on the radio at 8000ft. Lauren and Warwick Goddard came out to the club too. I spent most of the day going through all my stuff in the hangar, and packing the Jabiru with as much as I could fit in to take home.
Hope to be back soon - maybe by Brumby next time.
