We're not sinking - it's just deeper here

There was no flying over the weekend due to too bad weather. The whole week was a blow out except for Wednesday when two aerobatic planes came to train for their regional contest. Must be good for nature all this water. The sturdy dutch living in the camp classify this weather as normal dutch winterweather-nothing to get excited about. Tom sitting in Ireland and reading our mail got worried that his hut was in the water and floating away so he phoned in the middle of the night to inquire.

Saturday Jacobus and Jerry worked on the AAI of GUC and even put it together. Rudi was there, too, to give advice and a hand.

Sunday did not see any activity. Pilots in Europe work on their planes with this sort of weather. Logically their planes are generally in a much better condition than the SA ones. Wonder if we will see this phenomenon here too? Exceptions were Adriaan and Adri who were getting their LAK and trailer ready to go to the wave camp at El Mirador. Alison and Johnny were there, too, but they came out especially for Katryntjie.

Johnny took some photos of the Breede river in flood and I have forwarded one of these to the News. The photo was taken at Nekkies resort on Saturday morning.

Rob

Motorflowers

Saturday saw a beautiful winters day with a chilly early morning and pleasant mid day temperatures, no wind, a bit of left over cloud amongst the blue skies, lush green veld with yellow flowering madeliefjes. Why go to Switzerland ?
Reinhold took some four visitors up to under the clouds at the Audensberg. Friederich continued with getting experience with soaring flight and many motor gliders went for a flip like Peter W, Jesse, Rudi, Jerry. Cornelius took his LS4 for a mid winter shake down cruise and found that the pneumatic tubes were leaking presumably caused by mice eating into them. So Sunday was spent by Cornelius making his hangar and his sailplane an unfriendly place for these pests. His next problem is to cut holes in the aft fuselage to run new tubes and repair these holes.

Sunday started calm until the aerobatic crowd arrived. They popped up without informing us and luckily for all the soaring enthusiasts it did not look very good with a very stable looking sky. Rob T, Jesse, William and Phil all had a ride in a motor glider. High wind feathers could be seen in the sky foreboding a coming depression.

Now Monday the depression is here with wind speeds of 50 kph.

GUC get her AAIsh!

In Rob K’s absence:…



On Friday the air was like a millpond and, once airborne in VAE, we heard the airwaves very busy with many aircraft making use of the still conditions. There happened to be a microlight fly-in at Baviaanskloof.

This continued on Saturday – the conditions being the same – and it seemed that everyone was out flying and enjoying the weather suitable for power flying! At the field activity began early with the teams turning up for duty as well as the winch operation which got underway fairly early. GHB was the first to launch when Grove took a very enthusiastic pax for a flight. Next to launch off aerotow was Martin Young (all the way from Knysna). He made a valiant attempt to stay up but only managed 30 minutes and tried again later in the day. Unfortunately the conditions for staying up did not improve. Incidently, Martin very kindly helped Jerry with part of the AAI on GUC as no-one else turned up to help Jerry! Where were all the guys who fly her?

GHB continued to be kept busy with paxes and then landed on the winch runway to be utilized there for the rest of the day. 7 successful winch launches were achieved with the new cable which was being “run-in”. Marion Cole was a very efficient duty pilot.

Other pilots who flew off the aerotow were Mike Pascoe, WallyTamsen, Rudi, and Gerhard. Rico as well as Kevin flew their self launchers.

The TMG’s were busy, too ,with Peter and Susan in their Lambada flying down to Renosterhoek and located an eagle’s nest high in the mountains. Jesse Roos – who incidently had gone solo last Tuesday at Stellenbosch in GKM – flew for about an hour. Congratulations Jesse!! Paul had also re-soloed the week before! The Club Rotax Falke was kept busy with John Spargo, Rudi, and Mike Pascoe who flew with Herbie. Frans went for a short flight with me in VAE and then Johnny took her up the Hex valley and then back over Nuy – engine off – back to the field.

Another person worth mentioning was the appearance of Trevor Johnsson who actually stayed over in order to finish the AAI on his glider. Nice to see you again, TJ! (Something like the swallows returning after winter!)

Bill and Sue were also out there after their return from the States!



All in all a busy, nice warm day!

Sunday’s weather was the same but the attendance was bad. Only one flight in GHB with Coen Marais and Ian and then GZF was kept busy with Andre and then Rob Tiffin with Ian. Bruce and Peter flew EEJ ‘all over the place’!!

Brian Cole then flew GKM back to Stellenbosch.

Don’t forget the gauntlet on the 4th August and then a possibility of a potjie afterwards – details to follow.

STOP PRESS : ALL LADY PILOTS (of the powered kind):

Worcester Vliegklub have invited all lady pilots to fly in on Saturday the 11th of August. There will be a braai in the evening and breakfast on the Sunday morning. The men will be doing the cooking and the washing-up!!!. Guest of honour – Dietland Lemmpe! RSVP : Ursula at the Vliegklub.

Until next weekend, safe flying.

Alison

Wally has a Rainwave

On Saturday we had our now regular front passing. The next front is due coming Wednesday so it looks now that coming weekend will be clear of nasty weather. This front was also less intense than the previous so maybe things are getting better.

The duty pilots Andre Stander and Dietmar Wientzke as well as the instructors: Wally and Paul Baily all turned up to do their duty.

Jerry had a flip in the Rotax Falke with Wally but had to hurry back to the field after being chased by rain, and later an eventful ride with Rico in his DG500. They flew in wave between Slanghoek and Waaihoek and even ridge soared on the clouds there. Rico commented that this was the most exhilarating soaring he had done for a long time. It shoes the variety in soaring we have here at FAWC.

Kevin was observed going up in his DG 400 at an angle of sixty degrees thanks to a nice headwind of 30 kph and a strong engine. In the german language this is called a ‘Senkrechtstarter’.

Sunday was cold and windy and although the entire team, including Nina (tuggy) and Boet (to instruct) were there, nobody flew.

Gareth could not fly GUC since its Authority to Fly had expired. The principal in charge had forgotten about its yearly inspection date…

Ah, well, next weekend will be better I bet.