Another fine day, with soaring conditions better than the day before. A front is approaching, and the high moving off to the east, and conditions becoming more unstable. Today we actually had cumulus close enough to the field to reach!
We thought we would have an air experience flight to do at about lunch time, but the person rang up and postponed it to the next day. So after towing everyone who needed a tow, I was able to get the ASH 26E out and go for a flight myself!
Tim Brooks did two more solos in the Junior without finding much lift. Then he was able to take advantage of the offer of a back seat ride in OZ with Steve Hedley. Geoff Sim flew in GSI - "beautiful smooth best of winter lift" - unfortunately he forgot to turn on his logger at the beginning of the flight, so we only see part of it on the OLC. Chris Bowman had another nice flight in the LS7 - this time I was able to tow him into a thermal much closer to the field than the day before.
Steve, Chris and Geoff all seem to have elected to fly in different directions so when I launched, I didn't know who to follow. There were 5kt climbs under the clouds and the cloudbase was just below 6000ft. Steve and Tim flew to Bingara and Narrabri, and almost made it home but had a technical outlanding just to the west of the Kelvins. Geoff went to Kaputar, then Narrabri and Mullaley and back. Chris went to Borah, out to the foothills of the Kaputars, then Boggabri, Gunnedah and back. He seems to like going to Boggabri! I went up toward Kaputar, but there was too much overclouding, then turned west along some good clouds but it all fell apart and I struggled to get home without starting the motor, but managed it!
I asked Tim Brooks about his flight with Steve in OZ and he said it was an amazing experience!! I think he's well and truly hooked!!
What an unexpectedly good day's soaring in Winter!!
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