Robertson fly-in

The weekend started with a fuel crisis! While Avgas had been ordered in time, it was not delivered. Upon further prodding, Shell/BP said that no order was received, so the process had to be started again. With the lead time involved, it looked that there would be no fuel on Friday, meaning not enough fuel for the tugs for the Gauntlet. Residents schlepped one tug to the pump on Friday for the last drops and luckily on Saturday morning the tanker arrived. Johnny had left 40 litres with Bill on Friday night (when he had taken Bill’s new Grob canopy to FAWC) in case the fuel did not arrive.

Saturday saw the Gauntleteers Adriaan (LAK17), Cornelius (LS4), Mark (Nimbus2), Alan (LS8), Rico & Jacobus (DG500), William (Std Cirrus) and Peter (VentusB) all braving the strong NW wind, ably towed by Paul and Nina, who launched the entire field in less than an hour. Frank Dorey’s launch point organisation was also superb.

With 50kph winds provided by a front to the west, and the north westerly ridges not being accessible because of cloud cover, the brave pilots opted to go south east in extremely rough conditions, some turning just beyond Swellendam (see the report by clicking the “Gauntlet” link on the CGC homepage)(see also the OLC web page). Cornelius, as usual keen to be out in front, landed at Robertson from where Nina retrieved him with a long and expensive aerotow. Rico and Jacobus also landed at Robertson for a “walkabout” before taking to the sky again (possibly a p-stop though nobody is telling. Ahhh! The joys of a self launcher!) Actually I think Jaco was feeing a bit “naar” after sitting in the back seat while Rico toiled for a long time, trying to climb away from the quarry at Robertson. Rico confessed he had used his motor twice on the flight, but also that it was the first time in the last five years he had done this.

As forecast by Sven, there was wave to be found from fairly low level in the valley. Herbie reached 12000ft in his Cirrus (a record for this season) and Rob K 10200ft in his Carat, halfway downwind to Robertson, but outside the TMA. You could also ridge soar the upwind side of the clouds. Unfortunately the best lift was just inside the TMA, but with a transponder one can’t fool ATC so…

Mike P and Friedrich tasted the soaring conditions, with Friederich having to use the Apis airbrakes to stay out of cloud. He was heard to report that “he could not come down”, but thoroughly enjoyed his 133 minutes airborne. Tom went for a check flight with Martin in GZF and Bill took his last remaining toy, the G109, for a lovely long flight. Duty pilot Frank Dorey also took a ride in GZF.

This was the first time this season that gliding in significant numbers took place in the Cape Town West Information Region (the 126.5 MHz area). This area has been monitored by ATC for some months now, and the controller was pretty surely flabbergasted by the language used. I was asked for my departure point, destination and level! A bit later somebody said “this is U2 abeam Fischer International, 32, heading west”. From ATC one sometimes gets instructions which are completely illogical and therefore difficult to remember for repeating – and this may occur while you are falling out of the sky and need all your attention and concentration elsewhere. It will take some weeks before ATC will understand that gliding operations and glider pilots are different to ‘normal’ aviation.

Saturday’s flying ended with Mark waking up the sleepers with his Czech “noise machine” – a new and thirsty customer of the “Propswaaier Trust”.

So to those who thought the Saturday weather was “off”, you all missed a great day.

In the clubhouse the bar is now operated on an “honesty system”. One can take a drink and leave the cash in the cashbox. The cash bit is due to change to a “credit system” similar to that used in the Vliegklub and at the Bloemfontein Gliding Club. The barman will therefore take a much needed rest as Wally is the man in charge now.

On Saturday night and Sunday Worcester experienced rain. Between the clouds you could see snow on Brandwag, Riviersonderendberge and others. The temperature remained below 10C! Both duty pilots nevertheless turned up and duty instructor Phil took some friends for a ride in the Rotax Falke.

All in all, despite the Sunday weather, a successful flying weekend.

Report compiled by RK/AN/PW

Summer strikes!

The summer season started last week on the Highveld with torrential rain falling around Mafikeng especially. After the dry winter season, just before the summer rain begins, they have the best soaring weather of the year. That is why the Gauteng Regionals are organized during that time. Kevin Mitchell and Sven Olivier were both there to represent the CGC. Kevin was amazed by both the good soaring conditions and the amount of water coming out of the sky.

We experienced the edge of a front passing along the coast this weekend. On both days we had southerly to south easterly winds with a cool temperature. The swallows have returned from the north, bringing Tom H with them as well!

On Saturday Martin Y had the longest flight with 3,5 hours on the southern side of Vic Peak. On one or two occasions he had to choose a field - just in case! We saw many who took to the beautiful sky for the first time after a long winter break. Among them Herbie, Wally and Alison in her “Broomstick”! Friederich got a lot more experience in the Apis, doing 3 launches. His daughter helped to walk his wing to the launch point. Adriaan flew his Lak17 and Rudi flew his Astir. Sadly, Bill’s Astir left for its new home at Magaliesberg. Reinhold did an instruction flight with our newest member, Marc Avella. Mark S flew his Nimbus and after landing, let Nicky fly it as well.

A DG400 experienced a collapsed undercarriage while landing and blocked runway 15. June and Rudi had to land on runway 12 - a new experience for sure. Your reporter was the first one to speak to the DG pilot. He said that the wheel was down, but it collapsed when touching the ground. Your reporter is not on the flying panel but his opinion is that it is not good enough that the undercarriage handle is merely in the “wheel down” position - it must be secured, or secure in the “wheel down” position. The pilot was a bit rusty on type and this event could be headed “Winter Blues”!

Ryno O did the timekeeping – and a good job as usual. Gareth assisted with retrieving gliders and helped with the launching.

Sunday saw mainly visitors. William took two friends up while Johan showed some visiting KLM flying personnel what soaring is all about. The KLM pilot, John, got a ride with Rico in GWU. Simon, a visitor from Somerset West, had seen our website and brought his family out for the day. He experienced his first flight ever with Johan and thoroughly enjoyed his day! Adriaan and Adri flew the Lambada after Adri had done some “touch and goes” earlier. Later, Adriaan did his “back-seat” rating with Andre. Now we have a new AE instructor! Mike Miller and Maurice Cotton kept a good timekeeping setup on the ground while John S tugged in MIV.

Others seen at the airfield were Rob T, Peter F, Peter W and Hubert S.

All in all – a very enjoyable weekend!
Rob K and Alison N.

Of course!

We had a super long weekend with some good flying, nice weather although a bit chilly and good results.
The weather is definitely changing. During last week temperatures of 32 degrees were seen at FAWC. The switch was turned over last Tuesday.

On all three days there was a front hanging around the mountains and on Saturday night we had rain which lingered on in the valley on Sunday and the occasional lost droplet was felt. At Brandwag and at Rawsonville showers could be seen.

Saturday was the best day with Rudi in wave up to 11 000 ft above the Robertson road and not climbing more because he had no oxygen installed. He entered the wave at the small hub just before Vic Peak but because of the TMA there he went into the secondary further downwind. Of course outside the TMA is the place to fly wave-rarely do we hear that this is done. Rico flew with Jerry to beyond Renosterhoek also the first swallow to venture there this season. Johan flew some friends around Vic Peak.

Mark landed his Zlin here. He told me that the fuelbill from Lanseria to here came to 3000 R. He must have lots of funds-the pensioner flying a Carat has a fuelbill for the same trip in the 300 R bracket.

Rudi repaired GOK’s broken wingdolly and Johan found that the antenna connection in GUZ was wrong and installed the proper stuff. During the weekend other work done was a “magdrop” on the VWRV as well as MIV both fixed by Johnny.

The 7 students on the course were only on the winch. Winching was a success this weekend thanks to a good team. Only one cable break on the launch of the total 80 launches. We are getting there. On Sunday 34 launches were made; a near record for the Club so I am told. Thanks to the launchteam; Marion, and Brian, overseer Ian and drivers John and Rob K and Martin Grunert but also the instructors : Andre, Paul Bailey, Peter Clemence, Fred Vernimmen, Quintin Hoole, Mike Pacsoe and Ian Forbes . William drove the tractor the entire day on Sunday. Other duty pilots who helped out on their days of Duty were Alison and Paul and Jesse Roos.

A height of 3100 ft was reached on the first winchlaunch on Saturday. On Sunday Mike Pascoe also towed to Vic peak and stayed there for an hour while Rico tried to find lift in his DG500. Convergence cost us valuable time while we had to change runways twice! Otherwise we would have exceeded the winch launch record which was set up by Andre and Mad Max 1 a few years ago – 34 launches, too! These windshifts caused also some dicey launches because of tailwind and windshear a bit up.

On Monday our up-country pilot, MartinYoung had some good flying in the SE on the Villiersdorp ridge. He reported that wave was there. He also flew down to Robertson and back. Gerhard Waller also took a launch and flew for an hour. The Ka 7’s flew in lift for over an hour from the top of the winch!

The tractor get teeth, but it's not the key!

Saturday saw the first 8 of 26 pre-course training flights, in a windy and chilly north wester, completed in Motor Falke. These flights are pre-requisites for the 3 day CGC winching course which starts this Friday evening. Andre Leeb-du Toit and Boet Coetsee shared the task of instructing and pupil feedback was excellent. Thanks must also go to Alison, Ed and Peter for helping to make pupils feel at home (spotted wondering around aimlessly at CGC!)

Andre spotted a broken spring on the Motor Falke apron and Johnny ascertained that it was from the MF’s exhaust. Johnny replaced it and the training was able to continue without delay. Well done Andre for being attentive and thank-you Johnny for your efforts.

Rob Tiffin, Reinhold and Trevor did their annual check flight where Mike gave a hand and Dietmar did a proper timekeeping job. Sven was seen under the dark clouds trying to get away however he just managed one hour. Alan O’Regan took over from Jesse Roos as co-duty pilot, too, but declined an invitation to fly. Dietmar was fortunate to have a last flight of the day in GOK.

On Sunday one would expect a sunny, nice post frontal day however another front was looming on the other side of the du Toitskloofberge and the weather was similar to Saturday.

Kevin was on his own as duty pilot as his co-duty pilot, Hans Pruter had resigned recently. Marion kindly assited Kevin. The Motor Glider training proceeded with Martin Grünert and Andre Leeb-du Toit doing instruction. It got off to a late start, but thanks to Andre and Martin’s perseverance, the 8 flights were completed by 6pm. Again, pupil feedback awarded top marks! Nina Grünert was doing the tugging in MIV and Fred Vernimmen was instructing for the club. They took a young family member of Marion’s for an AEF in GOK. Fred also managed to take one of the course pupils for a additional training flight in GOK. Cornelius, Ian and Kevin checked their planes and the weather. They stayed up for around one hour each.

Great news is that Johnny got his bush cutter working. Mounted on our tractor it can cut the grass on the edges of the runway and maybe around the hangars. The municipality is supposed to do the runways however this was and will never be a success. If one gets them they work for one hour and then return for some odd reason and don’t come back.
Sad news is that somebody took the ignition key of the tractor without informing Ed or Rob. Now the tractor is standing outside (in the rain) and idle.


RK & KDM

Snow goes, Wilga wisits!

Saturday was a typical spring day, a bit chilly with a front passing on the other side of the mountains. The last bit of snow is melting on top of Sneeukop and now the red Namakwaland daisies came up en masse on the airfield while the yellow madeliefjes are less visible than previous weeks. The whole week was marred by the passing of fronts. Not severe ones with rain on the field but certainly low temperatures and lots of wind.

Many vested member came to spring-clean their hangar, trailer, and plane or inspect the facilities etc. We saw Rudi (as usual) doing the odd repair and further Bill, Reinhold, Rob K and Rob T, Peter W, Hubert, Gerhard, Kevin, Trevor and John, all busy with their equipment.

For the first time the Apis could be seen flying here. First Martin had a check ride and thereafter Friedrich took it twice to the sky. May he have lots of enjoyment. Bill’s hangar is sold to Friedrich and the plane will be hangared there. This Apis is the only one in the country and is made in the same factory as the DG500. A semblance to the DG sailplanes can be clearly seen.

It is getting busier; we had 21 flights. Of these 4 were paxes and 10 self launchers/motor gliders. Friedrich did some training flights in the Rudi’s Astir while Gerhard used it later in the day. Rico stayed up longest with more than two hours trying the wave at Waaihoek, no luck there and finally coming to the thermals at Vic Peak..

Andre Leeb du Toit and Boet Coetzee in GUF along with Alison and Johnny in VAE flew to Tanqua for brunch and joined a few of the WFC guys there including Paul Troskie who had left late on Friday afternoon in the Rotax Falke.

On Sunday another front came closer in, a tablecloth on Slanghoek / du Toit Berge and we saw a windy cold day. Prior to the wind picking up, the Hepburns were seen doing Touch and Go’s in their Lambada.

Martin Y with great enthusiasm was the first to start at just after eleven. When coming all the way from Knysna one has to extract as much as possible from this flying opportunity even though he was on duty. He tried the wave on the west side of Vic Peak for more than two hours. Although the wave was there no great heights were reached. Peter F was there too Jesse Roos turned up to fly but the wind became way too strong.. Mark took a pax for a ride. He arrived with this pax in a Wilga, an ugly looking utility plane based in FASL. It has a bit of a cross between a mechanized locust and wildebeest. They are well known tugplanes in Europe but with their heavy engine are very expensive to run. They regularly tug 3 gliders together.
This model had an effective dashpot fitted on the exhaust undoubtly to do with the noise requirements at FASL. East European engines are normally very noisy.

RK