LKSC Weekend Happenings - by Tim Carr

Last weekend was a tale of two halves!

Saturday dawned with light rain and a frontal system approaching from the west, ensuring no gliders took to the air. Not to despair, the resilient crew set about assisting in the preparation of the club for the Australian Uvalde Team squad week.

On site were Rob De Jarlais, Chris Bowman, Lee Braithwaite, Luke and our new junior member Oliver (AAFC cadet) from Armidale, and myself. The team pulled out and tested the fire fighting equipment, which is always good to check when it’s raining! I doubt that the gear has been tested since I performed the same test 18 months ago, and it was pleasing to see that the pump started on its first pull. The trailer the tank sits on has not faired so well, and the hitch has come loose. This is now on the list for the working bee in May. I also note for future reference, that the tank should be left full of water, as should there be a fire, an empty fire tank is not of much use. It takes 10 minutes to fill!

 

After putting out a few fires in the quadrangle, the team turned to repairs on the slasher. One of the spindles had vibrated its bolts loose and new ones were installed. Luke did the honours of getting under the slasher to install the new bolts and Oliver did the duties on the top side. Luke did not appreciate me hitting the slasher with a sledge hammer while he was under it - hehehe. Don’t know why.......

Later in the day, the clouds parted and the team took to mowing the tie down area and cutting the rest of the shoulder high grass in the triangle. Thanks to all who assisted! The club is looking an absolute picture!

Oliver, I hope to see you back soon so you can actually get into the air, rather than doing low passes on the ride on mower. Thanks for your help.

Sunday morning offered up a clear sky and some improving gliding conditions. Garry was on duty, but with no pilots requiring his services, so he headed off in the LS6 JUS. Chris Bowman flew the 7, Lee the 6, Peter the cirrus, and I test flew the Nimbus following its form 2 (Thanks Bob – the test flight went well!). Christian turned up with an old friend Stu Welsby and they disappeared for a few hours in LL. Several of the squad week participants arrived and also flew.

The call of the day was Craig Collings, inbound from the north. From 5000 feet above the lake, I watched Craig, Chris Bowman and Andrew Georgson head for the club, in line abreast formation. They all called 20km from the north heading for home into a 20 knot southerly with 1700 feet agl (thankfully Chris was 500 foot higher). The call that came approx abeam the Sport and Rec from Craig was “I think I am low on energy” 4km to go across the lake into a 20knot breeze at about 400 feet (my guess). My thermalling technique became a bit lop sided as I watched the trio tease their gliders over the fence at the bottom of 14 without anything to spare. Fortunately Luke had mowed the emergency strip at the bottom of the strip that morning, and I think the lack of resistance from the long grass on the bottom of the gliders helped ensure they made it home.

Everyone did make it home, and by the time I rolled WP into the shed, there were about 10 gun ships (as opposed to gunships!) being rigged in the tie down area ready for the squad week. I look forward to the tails of the guns during the week???

See you next time.

Tim

Friday 02 Mar '12

Harry Potts, our perennial pom, seen here in his favorite seat outside the LS 7.

It was Harry's last week this week and we thank him for all the great work 

he has done around the place - thanks mate !  

On Tuesday we got together for Harry's last supper for the season before he

departed on Wed for LA . 

During the Regatta, Jonny Durand, 10 times Aust Hang gliding champ, talked at the Saturday

briefing about his experiances. It's amazing the mind set similarities between us and the "hangies" ...

...and then earlier this week (under the expert tutelage of G Speight) he went solo along with Neva Bull, another hangie mate of one J Ganderton ...

...followed by a conversion to the Junior. 

Junior in the Junior

Last night was the last night for Dave and Ann Bull.

Between the two of them they made last weeks regatta the huge success it was.

Ann led the KP and Dave the organisation - both to much acclaim.

See you both back soon.

Another "hangie" Christof Kratzner had a couple of 6 hr flights in the LS 7

and to round off the week, Andrew Cameron (son of Ron ) soloed in the Junior.

Keepit Regatta - Last Day

Unfortunately the last day was grey and overcast - we had a Q & A talk with Jonny Durand, the Australian National Hang Gliding Champion, for the past 10 years. He is learning to fly sailplanes at Lake Keepit after the Hang Gliding State Titles at Mt Borah have finished.

After some thought a run task was set - 1.5 hours.

I looked at the weather and decided that if I didn't fly home to Cowra on Saturday, I probably wouldn't be able to make it for several more days, so unfortunately I missed the wind up dinner at the Dircks'. Someone else will have to blogg that.

Some gliders launched and did manage to soar, but I don't think anyone made it around the task. I flew with Nick Singer in his and Wendy Medlicott's Jabiru, as he needed a BFR - after which I packed up and flew home. There were a few showers to dodge, and a big patch of rain near Dubbo that I was able to avoid - but blue and sunny back home.

Despite the somewhat less than ideal weather, the Regatta was a great event - and everyone had a good time, and put on kilos owing to the good food. Eating together in the evenings and having a good yarn about the day made it very enjoyable. And we all learned from the experience.

I think Todd Clark and Matthew Atkinson won - they certainly did a good job of staying together.

Signing Off
Jenny

Keepit Regatta Friday 24 Feb

The task set was an AAT Quirindi 30 Baan Baa 40 Manilla 10 LKSC.

The day was slow to get going. Nick Singer in his self launching Pik 20E was first to take off as a "sniffer". Harry Medlicott went next with his Ventus 2CXT. They struggled for quite a while, but once they got a few consistent climbs, the rest of the field was launched. I was lucky enough to go first, and straight into a good thermal, with no-one to share it with.

However it wasn't all plain sailing, and quite a few of the "followers" bombed out. Some took a relight, and some didn't. I was allocated a different follower today - Ben Brooks in Jantar IZV, but before I had a chance to lure him into an outlanding, he landed back at the field and elected not to attempt the task. He did have a three hour local flight later on. My mate Bob Dircks was left on his own today, but sadly was one of the ones who didn't start.

Conditions got better as the day went on, with climbs to 7000 ft, but it was mostly blue. There were a few bits of cumulus later in the day to the north of the area.  Dave Shorter deposited his follower Phil Anderton as Kennedy's airstrip, but Phil was able to get an aerotow home from there. Gaineys airstrip was a popular stopping place too - that last Manilla turn caught a few people out.

John Trezise following Ian Mc Phee and Wendy Medlicott in LL had a very good day, and got round the task. Chris Bowman in the club LS7 and Rob Smits in the Duo Discus stayed together very well, but they didn't turn the Manilla turnpoint. Todd and Matthew stayed together well too, and both completed the task.

Garry Speight flying with Graham Holland in Twin Astir IKX, unfortunately visited Gainey's. but his follower Brian Kranz in Cirrus OX made it home.

I had a nice flight - did quite a lot of distance, but as usual pretty slow, and overran the task time by heaps.

All this was followed again by a huge dinner, and amazing dessert, so we will all have a heavier wing loading tomorrow.

Keepit Regatta - Thursday 23 Feb

Much better day today - very little wind, and cumulus, but cloudbase pretty low, and it overdeveloped and went showery over Kaputar.

We had quite a talk fest in the morning after briefing with Allan Buttenshaw talking about radio procedures, and me waffling on about avoiding airspace. Todd gave us a couple more brief hints about being a leader. As a result, we were probably a bit later than the optimum time taking off.

The task was Manilla 10km, Edgeroi 50 km Merrylands 40 km and back home - circles almost touching. Bob and I managed to stay together for the start and to Manilla. Then we turned to fly more or less parallel to Mt Borah under some clouds and it all went a bit pear shaped. The clouds didn't work very well but I found a good climb eventually. However Bob flew in underneath me - not all that much lower - and did not manage to pick it up. I now realise I should have descended to his level at that point and helped him pick it up, but unfortunately I didn't until it was too late. Bob did a good circuit and a safe outlanding close to the road, and I was able to relay a message to base for him. I really have a lot to learn as a leader. It means you have to know where you are going yourself!

Meanwhile, many others were have an ordinary time of it two. Two self launching gliders surreptitiously started their engines. I heard Todd and Matthew a fair bit on the radio - they seemed to manage to stay together, and Dave Shorter and Phil Anderton - Phil got low at one point and I heard Dave coax him into some lift, and he got up again and made it home after another low save at Tranquil. Allan Buttenshaw and his follower both flying Jantars made it around the course. John Trezise started off following Vic Hatfield and Ian McPhee in the Grob Twin 3 LL, but left them behind when they started their engine. Then he tagged along with Todd and Matthew for a while, then left them behind too, and did the rest of the task on his own. You can see most of the flights on the OLC.

A good many of the pairs seemed to end up in one large gaggle, somewhere ahead of me. I made it across to the western side of the Kaputar range and got flushed down a gully and was heading for a landing paddock before I got a climb. I think it would have been very difficult for Bob in the Libelle to cross all the trees with the high terrain and low cloudbase.

Nick Singer flew with Jacques today, and they seem to have had a reasonable run.

Once again, flying was followed by a sumptuous meal, and much analysis and arm waving at the dinner table.

 Didn't take any pics today - sorry!!

Keepit Regatta - Wednesday 22 Feb

 Launch Marshal Harry Potts in full regalia - somewhat under-employed!

 Ian Barraclough and Chris Bowman watching the world go by

Pilots on the grid  - adrenaline flowing just waiting for the order to scramble??

As you can see from the pictures, the sky was grey and not much happened. However we did have a very interesting talk from Bruce Taylor this morning, who took questions from the floor - mostly about trying to find patterns and energy lines.

Another run task was called, and most pilots did grid, but although there were some wispy cu under the overcast, the air felt very dead on the ground, 

Allan Buttenshaw and Dave Shorter took a launch each - they didn't come straight down, but they did come down. I think Dave managed about 40 minutes but didn't venture away from the field.

However the winch came out, and there were lots of launches in the Puchatek. Harry Medlicott drove the winch all day.

Not sure who flew  but I think Vic, Allbuts and Bob Dircks were among those who threw themselves up into the sky. 

I would have joined them, but instead, spent the afternoon fixing a slow puncture in my plane - at least actually Geoff Sim did all the work, and I assisted by making cups of tea. Many thanks to Geoff - I am very grateful to him for his hard labour!

When all the tools were put away, I went up to the winch and watched the last launch - its a while since I drove it and I wanted to refresh my memory. Its been left out in case anyone wants a go in the morning.

Nobody would have bothered flying on aerotow - but I think we had plenty of winch launches.  It's good to keep current just in case - and fun too.

Well I have to go and have yet another superb three course meal now, so won't write any more until tomorrow!

Jenny

Keepit Regatta - Tuesday

After all the rain last night, nobody thought the flying would be much good. There was a low overcast  and it all looked soggy and miserable. So we had a talk by Harry Medlicott on safety - not just the  normal things, but what to do if you stuff it up! And a talk from Garry Speight entitled "My Brilliant Career" complete with statistics!

After that, the sun was coming out, and things seemed to be drying out, so a half hearted, not scoring "run task" was called - Gaineys, Ag45, Gunnedah Lake Keepit as many times around as you could do in 2 hrs. I elected not to fly, as the sky looked to me as if it would overdevelop and rain again, and I had plenty of jobs to do. However a few brave souls took to the air.

Those of us who didn't fly looked a bit silly later on, because the sky got better and better, and it looked really good. In fact Todd and  Bruce Taylor went to Merrylands Edgeroi and back - but they are flying JS1s. Others who flew early said it was rubbish, but it definitely got better later on, and Bruce said there were good climbs out to the west.

Ian Downs flew with Johnny Durand Jr in the Duo Discus after it returned, and they spent a couple of hours soaring visiting Mt Borah and Gunnedah aerodrome, where they had a low save. I notice this flight has NOT been posted on the OLC - tsk tsk. Ian said he only had to do the take off and the landing and John did the rest. An awsome start to his sailplane flying career.

I was endorsed on the club's new Toro ride on mower - was over-controlling to start with - had to practice my speed control and co-ordination! Managed to mow around the new hangars on the North side, David Bull did the south side. Harry Jacques, Ian McPhee and Allbuts did glider maintenance.

After a nice dinner in the club house, some of the boys did the washing up - but not all were willing to be photographed in case their wives got wind of it!