Weekend Report: Be safe - stick to gliding!

Saturday’s prediction was a moderate SW which did not materialize until about 11.30am. Kelvin set the pace with launching GUC at about 12.30pm and went straight to Vic Peak. He was joined by Adriaan and Adri who then pushed on to fly Table Mountain in their Lambada. Wally and I in GOK also tried Vic Peak, which was working to about 5000’ but tried to push forward to Rawsonville to see if we could find wave but were way off the mark. Sven, also looking for the wave, went West off Vic Peak and we soon heard him at Bainskloof at about 8000’! Rico and Rob K in the DG500 tried to follow suit but had to return to the Peak. June and Wally, also in GOK, had a great long flight of just short of two hours on the Peak.

Johan Gericke, who was on duty, took Demi Holmwood for a flight on the Peak in GOK too as she spent the entire day retrieving gliders in the ERV. Thanks again, Demi!

On the winching side, Ian, John and Rob T spent the entire day sorting out the new cable and other winch related issues.


A great , fun gliding day. Thanks, too, to Herbie who helped push gliders in between doing the LS1 on his glider and to Bill who did the tugging.

The wind died down in the evening and Sunday dawned a perfect TMG day. The inversion was at about 1000’ and we went to Roberstson and back in VAE. Later Peter Wooley arrived and took first Susan for a long flight and then a friend, Tony, for a flight in his Lambada – this time to Hermanus and back! Bill and Johnny went for a flight in VAE so that Bill would not get withdrawal symptoms as his Grob will only be ready next weekend! (The canopy has taken ages to manufacture!)

On the gliding side Adriaan and Adri, with the assistance of Kylie, did duty at the 33 end of the runway. Although the wind was very slight from the SE, it was hardly noticeable. The gliding was a little more active with GOK doing no less that 6 Pax flights! William brought a friend out and he managed to have two flights. Alan Procter did an annual check flight and the surprise of the day was when Alex Kielczynski arrived and also had a check flight. Welcome back, Alex!! Bill helped out with the tugging while Alan did his check flight.

The conditions were VERY stable and the competition of the day was “ who could stay up the longest”! Even my Ka6 did not stay up longer than the twin but, looking at the tug times, they probably went higher!! Yes, I did even fly my Ka6!!! Briefly!!

Ed has bronchitis – hence my doing the weekend news. Get well soon, Ed.

See you all next week for the Gauntlet!!

Alison

PS: Speaking of the Gauntlet I HAVE to tell you all this: ……

I spoke to Alan O’Regan last night and he has broken his foot in a mountain climbing incident!! Good grief!! He will probably be in plaster and not be able to fly the gauntlet but will definitely be there to organize. Get well soon, too, Alan. (Stick to gliding Alan, it is much safer!)

Weekend Report: A new meaning for GliderPort

Well, if you intended to fly on the past weekend you would have been disappointed for the front really came through with a vengeance on Friday night.

Andre Leeb du Toit had very kindly driven through to FAWC on Friday morning (for the second time last week) to attempt to fly the Rotax Falke back to Stellenbosch. The wind on the ground at Worcester was still in the morning and he managed to get airborne and safely to Stellenbosch. Thanks very much Andre! The Falke was then de-rigged and put into Stellair’s hanger.

We gave Andre a lift back to FAWC late Friday afternoon and, by then, then wind had begun to blow. Not much rain fell until mid Saturday morning but I do not recall the wind ever being so fierce. The DSTV Antennae at the Vliegklub blew down during the day. Saturday night was cold with driving rain and the four of us left on the airfield – Rob, Ed, Johnny and I spent the evening together with red wine and a potjie that had been cooking all afternoon! Great stuff!!

Sunday the duty pilots – Kelvin Holmwood and Richard Stear – arrived to monitor the situation and advised the rest of the team (instructors and tuggie) not to drive all that way as the airfield was waterlogged and the wind too strong. The Breede River was visible from the clubhouse and the water had risen to the end of the cross runway (Ed: the yanks would really be able to call Worcester a Glider-port!).

The only other pilot who braved the weather to drive out to the airfield was Hubert and the afternoon was spent in our flat with much coffee and sticky cakes! (In fact the entire weekend was not good for the figure!)

See you all again next weekend!

Alison

Weekend Report: The Gauntlet may wave

After the dismal long weekend following the AGM, 6 aerotows in 4 days, it was very refreshing to witness an active second weekend.

Mist blanketed the Breede Valley on Saterday, but that did not discourage the duty pilots Alison and Frank Dorey, who got the show on the road as soon as the mist had been burned off. Peter Clemence and Frans du Toit completed the "production team" that was raring to go by 9 o'clock.

A new member, Friedrich Moolman, arrived in his C210P from FASH, signed up as a member, was issued with Cloudbase and Pupil's Logbook and had his first launch by 10:58 under the guidance of Peter. Adri pipped him at the launchpoint with a "Sniffer" flight in the Lambada.

Andrew Standring in his K7, GTZ, had the third flight; but that was a full 3/4 hours later. After Friedrich's second flight ,Kevin Mitchell launched in GZP and the Hepburns got airborne again in GXH, followed by Paul Troskie and Martin Gruenert in Hubert's 100 HP Rotaxfalke GLZ. Lafrasse Moolman took an AEX flight in GHB with Peter.

The briefing of the Gauntleteers had been postponed to 11:00 hrs and after much waiting and a rebrief at the launchpoint the launchsequence of the competition got under way at 13:09 with Alan in GUY (X32), being towed by Martin and Paul in GLZ, followed by William in GIG, Peter in GNM (ID), Jacobus in GUC, Adriaan in GXA (K17) towed by GLZ piloted by Martin (solo), Sven in GUN (EY), Quinton in GII and Kelvin Holmwood with Martin Gruenert in GOK.(I still do not know how Martin fiited it all in!)

68 minutes to launch 8 competing gliders.,(this just for the record).

Rico took off in GWU with Helmut Morsbach, visiting his old stomping ground again from Japan, as guest for a 2,5 hour flight, after which training continued with a checkflight of Andrew Standring in GTZ with Ian, a second AEX flight in GHB with Peter, a checkflight of Nicky and Boet in GHB, a third training flight of Friedrich in GHB with Boet and a last flight of Andrew in GTZ.

Last landing was GUN at 18:03 after 4 hrs 13min.

(Total flying time: 33 hrs,thanks Alan for the initiative to get the pilots in the air).

A good day's flying (see the pics), although lack of capacity resulted in 2 AEX flights, that were waiting, not taking place.

For a report on the Gauntlet competition and results: see the Cape Gauntlet web page.

Sunday 6 May fell flat again, although duty pilot Helmuth von Michaelis, tugpilot Paul Troskie and duty instructor Nicky Oberhofer were at FAWC at 9:00 o'clock there were no further members or visitors. After the Hepburns took off at 10:03 for a 100 minute flight, Helmuth, the eternal opportunist, launched in GUC behind MIV (Paul Troskie) and spent over 3 hours trying to get away from Vic Peak in the weak wave.

Rico did an annual check with Nicky in the DG500M, which ended in sinking into the mud outside the concrete markers of Runway 30, near the turn-off to the taxiway! Although they landed at 15:32, it took untill dark to extricate the glider out off it's sinkhole.

Where were all our flying members, particularly the trainees? Another ideal training day went to waste due to lack of participants: Quo Vadis Cape Gliding Club?

EdV.

Weekend Report: Two cold fronts

The weekend “passee’ was dominated by two passing cold fronts. Friday the 27th was like European winterweather so some real enthusiasts came in the morning but vanished at noon because of wind, rain and cold.

Saturday was a typical post frontal day and Martin Young was the early bird trying out Vic Peak in the westerly wind. He flew nearly 3 hours venturing there and across the valley to Brandwag. Peter Farrell soared in the Audenberg to Waaihoek region while Rob K sniffed also the conditions out there with ZG. There were some nice pockets of lift. Rico thought to do a friend a service by taking her for a flip however she became sick and had to return. Alison was the next passenger in Rico’s plane and came back with a great smile. Pretty sure we will see her more there. Kevin M went for a flip. June and Andre did some training flights in ZF.

Sunday was again windy and cold. Only Martin G and Hubert went for a ‘derust’ ride in LZ. Lots of horsepower there.

On Monday the Hepburns and Kevin M went up, no tug pilot or other people present.

Tuesday, May 1 was Labour day and after the article in Getaway magazine about CGC we expected some visitors. The conditions were now totally different to the previous days in that the weather was stable with no wind whatsoever and a high temperature. Not much lift to be expected. There were two paxes, Helmut von M was staying up longest with 1,5 hours. Further we saw the usual motorglider rides.

It looks that the season changed. The grass next to the tar road in the camp is growing and green again. The watering in the camp is stopped.