Weekend Report: Double booking: To fettle, fly or both?
Rob Kakebeeke organized a maintenance day with a difference and we were pleasantly surprised at the members that did turn up. About 12 to do various tasks which, the main manual labour task was, cleaning the Club Hangar. Coen Marais was wonderful in organizing 2 x 10 ton trucks and a front- end loader to move many loads of gravel to the 15 side of the runway to even the surface of the glider parking area. All we need now is rain and a working roller.
Sweeping the big hanger was a back breaking job until Johnny lent us his Stihl blower and it took much less time to clean. Jerry repaired the cable attachment for the pedal adjustment on GOK (with the help of Johnny and his lathe).
Johnny and Trevor had spent the entire Friday and Saturday doing the AAI on GZF.
The Gauntlet got off to briefing with much hilarity and all I can say is…..Alan and Sven, don’t give up your day jobs for an acting career! The entry grid for the gauntlet was about 10 members and I must say thanks to those gauntleteers who helped with the Club hanger AND took part in the competition! Jacobus Hartman did a great deal of very necessary maintenance on GUC’s trailer – thanks Jacobus!
There was a little confusion about the lunch and Adri saved the day by dashing off to the shops and delivered a lunch of Hot Dogs with the help of Marion! Thank you both very much.
The competition had a glitch halfway through the launches when MIV lost the tow hook off the end of the rope and we had to get NIG out of the hanger in a hurry. Adriaan stepped in and launched 2 gliders and, in doing so, forfeited his chance to fly his glider. Many thanks, Adriaan. After launching the raimder of the gliders with NIG the weather did not develop to what was expected but no doubt Alan will give an account of the day’s happenings in the Blogspot!. Welcome back to Louis Esterhuisen who took a couple of launches in GHB.
We were indeed honored with a visit by Tombi and Christine Mitchell who had her first visit to the club at 3 weeks of age! And beautiful, too!
The day ended with a great evening in the Clubhouse for those who stayed over.
Sunday had its share of snags with us changing the hook system on MIV to the alternate hook and then could not find the rope with the Tost attachment. Paul is not yet rated on NIG (a scenario being sorted out this week) so we could not use that tug. After spicing an attachment for the original rope, the illusive rope was found so we launched with MIV after all. Phil did much instruction in the Rotax Falke. That also did not go smoothly when it developed a puncture (which Johnny fixed)! And we could carry on.
I know that you all say that I am “rooting” for Johnny here but, I am sure all who asked for his help this weekend, will agree that he was always on hand to fix, lend, machine, sort out, etc for anyone who asked. In fact, I think he went back to work today to rest from the weekend! Thank you very much Johnny! (and he isn’t even a Club member!)
The others who flew yesterday were Adriaan and Jacobus in GXH and Brian Cole in GKM.
Many thanks to the team who turned up for their duties including my partner for the day – Peter Middleton. To Peter Clemmence - I hope your Parrot is well! (No, Adriaan, not the same Parrot that you were talking about!!..
Until next week - …….
Alison
Sweeping the big hanger was a back breaking job until Johnny lent us his Stihl blower and it took much less time to clean. Jerry repaired the cable attachment for the pedal adjustment on GOK (with the help of Johnny and his lathe).
Johnny and Trevor had spent the entire Friday and Saturday doing the AAI on GZF.
The Gauntlet got off to briefing with much hilarity and all I can say is…..Alan and Sven, don’t give up your day jobs for an acting career! The entry grid for the gauntlet was about 10 members and I must say thanks to those gauntleteers who helped with the Club hanger AND took part in the competition! Jacobus Hartman did a great deal of very necessary maintenance on GUC’s trailer – thanks Jacobus!
There was a little confusion about the lunch and Adri saved the day by dashing off to the shops and delivered a lunch of Hot Dogs with the help of Marion! Thank you both very much.
The competition had a glitch halfway through the launches when MIV lost the tow hook off the end of the rope and we had to get NIG out of the hanger in a hurry. Adriaan stepped in and launched 2 gliders and, in doing so, forfeited his chance to fly his glider. Many thanks, Adriaan. After launching the raimder of the gliders with NIG the weather did not develop to what was expected but no doubt Alan will give an account of the day’s happenings in the Blogspot!. Welcome back to Louis Esterhuisen who took a couple of launches in GHB.
We were indeed honored with a visit by Tombi and Christine Mitchell who had her first visit to the club at 3 weeks of age! And beautiful, too!
The day ended with a great evening in the Clubhouse for those who stayed over.
Sunday had its share of snags with us changing the hook system on MIV to the alternate hook and then could not find the rope with the Tost attachment. Paul is not yet rated on NIG (a scenario being sorted out this week) so we could not use that tug. After spicing an attachment for the original rope, the illusive rope was found so we launched with MIV after all. Phil did much instruction in the Rotax Falke. That also did not go smoothly when it developed a puncture (which Johnny fixed)! And we could carry on.
I know that you all say that I am “rooting” for Johnny here but, I am sure all who asked for his help this weekend, will agree that he was always on hand to fix, lend, machine, sort out, etc for anyone who asked. In fact, I think he went back to work today to rest from the weekend! Thank you very much Johnny! (and he isn’t even a Club member!)
The others who flew yesterday were Adriaan and Jacobus in GXH and Brian Cole in GKM.
Many thanks to the team who turned up for their duties including my partner for the day – Peter Middleton. To Peter Clemmence - I hope your Parrot is well! (No, Adriaan, not the same Parrot that you were talking about!!..
Until next week - …….
Alison
posted by CGC Reporter at 11.9.06
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home