Weekend Report: Hot but quiet: the Weather AND the Antares
Sven’s forecast for the weekend seemed encouraging but many stayed away because of the anticipated extreme temperatures as well as the other activity – aerobatics – scheduled for Worcester Airfield for the weekend.
Adequate preparation was done prior to the visiting pilots arriving and our duty teams on both days arrived for the safety briefing on time which was vital for the days’ operations. Everything went off smoothly and great co-operation was forthcoming from both sides. Some of our members just enjoyed watching the aerobatic pilots while others enjoyed the coolness of the airconditioned clubhouse.
Saturday, Gareth was out bright and early and did a long flight, 3.8hrs. However, the earlier part of the flight was not easy in that the lift seemed elusive but ‘hanging in there’ paid off. Reinhold had a flight with Ian in GOK and ,when it landed, Jacobus did his GPL flight test with Nicky in GOK. Errol Drew wowed the crowds when he took off in his super-silent Antares and flew for over an hour.
Andre Stander, one of the duty pilots, stood in for Jesse Roos, the other duty pilot while he went flying in the Pipistrel with Martin and then later with Boet who had completed him conversion onto same. It was a very long, hot day for the tug pilot, Frans du Toit as, although there were not many flights in total (4 launches) they were long flights and in the same glider (GOK) which meant that he had to wait at the launch point in the heat. Thanks to all the team: Frans, Martin, Boet Andre and Jesse for all the hard work and co-operating safely with the other traffic.
Sunday the heat was even worse!!!
The flying, what there was, was good and the pilots stayed up for considerably long flights. Cornelius had three paxes while William had a visitor which he took for a flight. Errol – once again – flew his Antares while Sven (who was on duty) let a visiting pilot from Germany, Volker Fiebig, fly his ASW27 after a check flight with Fred in GOK. Volker stayed airborne for 3 hours while his wife took advantage of the pool. Rico and Horst Pfleugner had a nice l.5 hr flight in GWU and Sven and Fred went flying in GOK. Sunday’s team : Sven, Fred, Ari (Tuggie), Maurice and Rob Tiffin…..thank you for doing duty in the worst possible conditions! 39deg and an easterly wind!
Once again, the team did their duties without incident with the visiting pilots. A spin-off from this was when 2 of the aerobatic pilots have asked for details of our ab-initio course and would like to begin gliding!!
Just two issues I must mention:
Duty pilots…. Please keep your time sheets neat. If they are a shambles – and it happens on a busy day – it might be an idea to re-write them so that Barbera can accurately post the times to the accounts.
The other “gripe” is the pool. Members must please try not to damage, stand on, sit on or dive onto the pool sweeper. I know it gets in the way but it suffered a little damage this weekend and is expensive to replace. If you remove it from the pool, do so only if you know how. Or call Ed to help.
GHB’s frame is being welded at the moment and then, later this week, will be coming to my factory for recovery and respray of the damaged section. She should be operational by two weekend’s time.
Next weekend we are back to normal operations so….. see you all then.
Alison
Adequate preparation was done prior to the visiting pilots arriving and our duty teams on both days arrived for the safety briefing on time which was vital for the days’ operations. Everything went off smoothly and great co-operation was forthcoming from both sides. Some of our members just enjoyed watching the aerobatic pilots while others enjoyed the coolness of the airconditioned clubhouse.
Saturday, Gareth was out bright and early and did a long flight, 3.8hrs. However, the earlier part of the flight was not easy in that the lift seemed elusive but ‘hanging in there’ paid off. Reinhold had a flight with Ian in GOK and ,when it landed, Jacobus did his GPL flight test with Nicky in GOK. Errol Drew wowed the crowds when he took off in his super-silent Antares and flew for over an hour.
Andre Stander, one of the duty pilots, stood in for Jesse Roos, the other duty pilot while he went flying in the Pipistrel with Martin and then later with Boet who had completed him conversion onto same. It was a very long, hot day for the tug pilot, Frans du Toit as, although there were not many flights in total (4 launches) they were long flights and in the same glider (GOK) which meant that he had to wait at the launch point in the heat. Thanks to all the team: Frans, Martin, Boet Andre and Jesse for all the hard work and co-operating safely with the other traffic.
Sunday the heat was even worse!!!
The flying, what there was, was good and the pilots stayed up for considerably long flights. Cornelius had three paxes while William had a visitor which he took for a flight. Errol – once again – flew his Antares while Sven (who was on duty) let a visiting pilot from Germany, Volker Fiebig, fly his ASW27 after a check flight with Fred in GOK. Volker stayed airborne for 3 hours while his wife took advantage of the pool. Rico and Horst Pfleugner had a nice l.5 hr flight in GWU and Sven and Fred went flying in GOK. Sunday’s team : Sven, Fred, Ari (Tuggie), Maurice and Rob Tiffin…..thank you for doing duty in the worst possible conditions! 39deg and an easterly wind!
Once again, the team did their duties without incident with the visiting pilots. A spin-off from this was when 2 of the aerobatic pilots have asked for details of our ab-initio course and would like to begin gliding!!
Just two issues I must mention:
Duty pilots…. Please keep your time sheets neat. If they are a shambles – and it happens on a busy day – it might be an idea to re-write them so that Barbera can accurately post the times to the accounts.
The other “gripe” is the pool. Members must please try not to damage, stand on, sit on or dive onto the pool sweeper. I know it gets in the way but it suffered a little damage this weekend and is expensive to replace. If you remove it from the pool, do so only if you know how. Or call Ed to help.
GHB’s frame is being welded at the moment and then, later this week, will be coming to my factory for recovery and respray of the damaged section. She should be operational by two weekend’s time.
Next weekend we are back to normal operations so….. see you all then.
Alison
posted by CGC Reporter at 22.1.07
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