November 20th, 2011

A bit of a gap since we last flew but Sunday Nov. 20th was good for all concerned.
Most flights were soaring flights and good enough to impress our Aussie visitors – Robin Rose & Sharon Nicholson from Benalla.  I had been fearful that they, having travelled a long way, were going to be disappointed.  They flew, they soared and they saw the mountain.  The trip was Robin’s birthday present, all went well and he got to fly the Discus as well.


                        

Tim had covered a lot of ground in the Discus, having got away to an early start.  Out to Mangamingi, then overhead Kaponga and so on.  Steve Barham was happy with the Nimbus and its long legs. Peter Cook in his Libelle reported lift of 10 knots north of Eltham – it wasn’t there when I tried though!  Robin Rose & Les Sharp got 74 minutes – rendering my advice nonsense, that NZ should have at least two thermals going at any one time.  Sharon enjoyed 40 minutes in the Twin with Les.  Brendan Pittwood & Trevor Pease continued their training with useful flights.  Jim McKay, efficient as ever, with RWS.

                              Stats:                                                     

At the moment, Glyn Jackson & Will Hopkirk are at Matamata, attending the
2011 Cross-Country course, there.  No doubt they will come back bright eyed and bushy-tailed and ready for any thermal unwitting enough to stray into their path.

Peter Cook and John Frew, instructor and tow-pilot respectively, for next weekend.