Bob Struthers. 1989

March 1989

Bob Struthers' account of the trip to Tocumwal.

On our arrival at Tocumwal on January 21st, we found glum faces as a large and slow moving anticyclone south of Perth was producing cool southerly winds and conditions hadn't been all that good. However, over the week of our flying, the wind gradually backed around to the Northeast as the anticyclone moved eastwards to Tasmania. Every day we flew for up to eight hours on cross-country triangles, out and returns etc for distances ranging between 300 and 588km. Louis was as happy as a sandboy in his LS3 although his bum radio restricted our pair flying except the second to last day when we flew about 30km comparing the glide angles, at varying speeds, of his LS3 and my Nimbus 2. To our great surprise, the Nimbus came second and it was that night, talking to an expert, that I realised that I had been making a big mistake in not carrying water. Its potential for distance flying cannot be realised otherwise.

Louis landed out twice, once on a strip near Berrigan and met a delightful lady. (She was on the verandah sunbathing au naturel when Louis walked up and he was treated to a bare form dashing for cover around the corner. Having recovered her composure, she gave him afternoon tea while he awaited the retrieve.)

I visited two paddocks at the end of the day, one resulting in an overnight stay at the Morundah Hotel which was an experience in itself - especially the room cost --$5…….

Because of irrigation in the Tocumwal area it was difficult to exit the area in the mornings and we have concluded the Waikerie and Narromime sites are the places to go to.

Louis later flew at Waikerie with Maurie Bradney in the Ash 25 over a 200km distance. Boy, do those wings bend! They let him loose in a Discus and that, undoubtedly, was the highlight of his trip.


Bob Struthers

March 1989

Bob Struthers' account of the trip to Tocumwal.

On our arrival at Tocumwal on January 21st, we found glum faces as a large and slow moving anticyclone south of Perth was producing cool southerly winds and conditions hadn't been all that good. However, over the week of our flying, the wind gradually backed around to the Northeast as the anticyclone moved eastwards to Tasmania. Every day we flew for up to eight hours on cross-country triangles, out and returns etc for distances ranging between 300 and 588km. Louis was as happy as a sandboy in his LS3 although his bum radio restricted our pair flying except the second to last day when we flew about 30km comparing the glide angles, at varying speeds, of his LS3 and my Nimbus 2. To our great surprise, the Nimbus came second and it was that night, talking to an expert, that I realised that I had been making a big mistake in not carrying water. Its potential for distance flying cannot be realised otherwise.

Louis landed out twice, once on a strip near Berrigan and met a delightful lady. (She was on the verandah sunbathing au naturel when Louis walked up and he was treated to a bare form dashing for cover around the corner. Having recovered her composure, she gave him afternoon tea while he awaited the retrieve.)

I visited two paddocks at the end of the day, one resulting in an overnight stay at the Morundah Hotel which was an experience in itself - especially the room cost --$5…….

Because of irrigation in the Tocumwal area it was difficult to exit the area in the mornings and we have concluded the Waikerie and Narromime sites are the places to go to.

Louis later flew at Waikerie with Maurie Bradney in the Ash 25 over a 200km distance. Boy, do those wings bend! They let him loose in a Discus and that, undoubtedly, was the highlight of his trip.


Bob Struthers

March 1989

Bob Struthers' account of the trip to Tocumwal.

On our arrival at Tocumwal on January 21st, we found glum faces as a large and slow moving anticyclone south of Perth was producing cool southerly winds and conditions hadn't been all that good. However, over the week of our flying, the wind gradually backed around to the Northeast as the anticyclone moved eastwards to Tasmania. Every day we flew for up to eight hours on cross-country triangles, out and returns etc for distances ranging between 300 and 588km. Louis was as happy as a sandboy in his LS3 although his bum radio restricted our pair flying except the second to last day when we flew about 30km comparing the glide angles, at varying speeds, of his LS3 and my Nimbus 2. To our great surprise, the Nimbus came second and it was that night, talking to an expert, that I realised that I had been making a big mistake in not carrying water. Its potential for distance flying cannot be realised otherwise.

Louis landed out twice, once on a strip near Berrigan and met a delightful lady. (She was on the verandah sunbathing au naturel when Louis walked up and he was treated to a bare form dashing for cover around the corner. Having recovered her composure, she gave him afternoon tea while he awaited the retrieve.)

I visited two paddocks at the end of the day, one resulting in an overnight stay at the Morundah Hotel which was an experience in itself - especially the room cost --$5…….

Because of irrigation in the Tocumwal area it was difficult to exit the area in the mornings and we have concluded the Waikerie and Narromime sites are the places to go to.

Louis later flew at Waikerie with Maurie Bradney in the Ash 25 over a 200km distance. Boy, do those wings bend! They let him loose in a Discus and that, undoubtedly, was the highlight of his trip.


Bob Struthers

March 1989

Bob Struthers' account of the trip to Tocumwal.

On our arrival at Tocumwal on January 21st, we found glum faces as a large and slow moving anticyclone south of Perth was producing cool southerly winds and conditions hadn't been all that good. However, over the week of our flying, the wind gradually backed around to the Northeast as the anticyclone moved eastwards to Tasmania. Every day we flew for up to eight hours on cross-country triangles, out and returns etc for distances ranging between 300 and 588km. Louis was as happy as a sandboy in his LS3 although his bum radio restricted our pair flying except the second to last day when we flew about 30km comparing the glide angles, at varying speeds, of his LS3 and my Nimbus 2. To our great surprise, the Nimbus came second and it was that night, talking to an expert, that I realised that I had been making a big mistake in not carrying water. Its potential for distance flying cannot be realised otherwise.

Louis landed out twice, once on a strip near Berrigan and met a delightful lady. (She was on the verandah sunbathing au naturel when Louis walked up and he was treated to a bare form dashing for cover around the corner. Having recovered her composure, she gave him afternoon tea while he awaited the retrieve.)

I visited two paddocks at the end of the day, one resulting in an overnight stay at the Morundah Hotel which was an experience in itself - especially the room cost --$5…….

Because of irrigation in the Tocumwal area it was difficult to exit the area in the mornings and we have concluded the Waikerie and Narromime sites are the places to go to.

Louis later flew at Waikerie with Maurie Bradney in the Ash 25 over a 200km distance. Boy, do those wings bend! They let him loose in a Discus and that, undoubtedly, was the highlight of his trip.


Bob Struthers

March 1989

Bob Struthers' account of the trip to Tocumwal.

On our arrival at Tocumwal on January 21st, we found glum faces as a large and slow moving anticyclone south of Perth was producing cool southerly winds and conditions hadn't been all that good. However, over the week of our flying, the wind gradually backed around to the Northeast as the anticyclone moved eastwards to Tasmania. Every day we flew for up to eight hours on cross-country triangles, out and returns etc for distances ranging between 300 and 588km. Louis was as happy as a sandboy in his LS3 although his bum radio restricted our pair flying except the second to last day when we flew about 30km comparing the glide angles, at varying speeds, of his LS3 and my Nimbus 2. To our great surprise, the Nimbus came second and it was that night, talking to an expert, that I realised that I had been making a big mistake in not carrying water. Its potential for distance flying cannot be realised otherwise.

Louis landed out twice, once on a strip near Berrigan and met a delightful lady. (She was on the verandah sunbathing au naturel when Louis walked up and he was treated to a bare form dashing for cover around the corner. Having recovered her composure, she gave him afternoon tea while he awaited the retrieve.)

I visited two paddocks at the end of the day, one resulting in an overnight stay at the Morundah Hotel which was an experience in itself - especially the room cost --$5…….

Because of irrigation in the Tocumwal area it was difficult to exit the area in the mornings and we have concluded the Waikerie and Narromime sites are the places to go to.

Louis later flew at Waikerie with Maurie Bradney in the Ash 25 over a 200km distance. Boy, do those wings bend! They let him loose in a Discus and that, undoubtedly, was the highlight of his trip.


Bob Struthers

March 1989

Bob Struthers' account of the trip to Tocumwal.

On our arrival at Tocumwal on January 21st, we found glum faces as a large and slow moving anticyclone south of Perth was producing cool southerly winds and conditions hadn't been all that good. However, over the week of our flying, the wind gradually backed around to the Northeast as the anticyclone moved eastwards to Tasmania. Every day we flew for up to eight hours on cross-country triangles, out and returns etc for distances ranging between 300 and 588km. Louis was as happy as a sandboy in his LS3 although his bum radio restricted our pair flying except the second to last day when we flew about 30km comparing the glide angles, at varying speeds, of his LS3 and my Nimbus 2. To our great surprise, the Nimbus came second and it was that night, talking to an expert, that I realised that I had been making a big mistake in not carrying water. Its potential for distance flying cannot be realised otherwise.

Louis landed out twice, once on a strip near Berrigan and met a delightful lady. (She was on the verandah sunbathing au naturel when Louis walked up and he was treated to a bare form dashing for cover around the corner. Having recovered her composure, she gave him afternoon tea while he awaited the retrieve.)

I visited two paddocks at the end of the day, one resulting in an overnight stay at the Morundah Hotel which was an experience in itself - especially the room cost --$5…….

Because of irrigation in the Tocumwal area it was difficult to exit the area in the mornings and we have concluded the Waikerie and Narromime sites are the places to go to.

Louis later flew at Waikerie with Maurie Bradney in the Ash 25 over a 200km distance. Boy, do those wings bend! They let him loose in a Discus and that, undoubtedly, was the highlight of his trip.


Bob Struthers

March 1989

Bob Struthers' account of the trip to Tocumwal.

On our arrival at Tocumwal on January 21st, we found glum faces as a large and slow moving anticyclone south of Perth was producing cool southerly winds and conditions hadn't been all that good. However, over the week of our flying, the wind gradually backed around to the Northeast as the anticyclone moved eastwards to Tasmania. Every day we flew for up to eight hours on cross-country triangles, out and returns etc for distances ranging between 300 and 588km. Louis was as happy as a sandboy in his LS3 although his bum radio restricted our pair flying except the second to last day when we flew about 30km comparing the glide angles, at varying speeds, of his LS3 and my Nimbus 2. To our great surprise, the Nimbus came second and it was that night, talking to an expert, that I realised that I had been making a big mistake in not carrying water. Its potential for distance flying cannot be realised otherwise.

Louis landed out twice, once on a strip near Berrigan and met a delightful lady. (She was on the verandah sunbathing au naturel when Louis walked up and he was treated to a bare form dashing for cover around the corner. Having recovered her composure, she gave him afternoon tea while he awaited the retrieve.)

I visited two paddocks at the end of the day, one resulting in an overnight stay at the Morundah Hotel which was an experience in itself - especially the room cost --$5…….

Because of irrigation in the Tocumwal area it was difficult to exit the area in the mornings and we have concluded the Waikerie and Narromime sites are the places to go to.

Louis later flew at Waikerie with Maurie Bradney in the Ash 25 over a 200km distance. Boy, do those wings bend! They let him loose in a Discus and that, undoubtedly, was the highlight of his trip.


Bob Struthers

March 1989

Bob Struthers' account of the trip to Tocumwal.

On our arrival at Tocumwal on January 21st, we found glum faces as a large and slow moving anticyclone south of Perth was producing cool southerly winds and conditions hadn't been all that good. However, over the week of our flying, the wind gradually backed around to the Northeast as the anticyclone moved eastwards to Tasmania. Every day we flew for up to eight hours on cross-country triangles, out and returns etc for distances ranging between 300 and 588km. Louis was as happy as a sandboy in his LS3 although his bum radio restricted our pair flying except the second to last day when we flew about 30km comparing the glide angles, at varying speeds, of his LS3 and my Nimbus 2. To our great surprise, the Nimbus came second and it was that night, talking to an expert, that I realised that I had been making a big mistake in not carrying water. Its potential for distance flying cannot be realised otherwise.

Louis landed out twice, once on a strip near Berrigan and met a delightful lady. (She was on the verandah sunbathing au naturel when Louis walked up and he was treated to a bare form dashing for cover around the corner. Having recovered her composure, she gave him afternoon tea while he awaited the retrieve.)

I visited two paddocks at the end of the day, one resulting in an overnight stay at the Morundah Hotel which was an experience in itself - especially the room cost --$5…….

Because of irrigation in the Tocumwal area it was difficult to exit the area in the mornings and we have concluded the Waikerie and Narromime sites are the places to go to.

Louis later flew at Waikerie with Maurie Bradney in the Ash 25 over a 200km distance. Boy, do those wings bend! They let him loose in a Discus and that, undoubtedly, was the highlight of his trip.


Bob Struthers

March 1989

Bob Struthers' account of the trip to Tocumwal.

On our arrival at Tocumwal on January 21st, we found glum faces as a large and slow moving anticyclone south of Perth was producing cool southerly winds and conditions hadn't been all that good. However, over the week of our flying, the wind gradually backed around to the Northeast as the anticyclone moved eastwards to Tasmania. Every day we flew for up to eight hours on cross-country triangles, out and returns etc for distances ranging between 300 and 588km. Louis was as happy as a sandboy in his LS3 although his bum radio restricted our pair flying except the second to last day when we flew about 30km comparing the glide angles, at varying speeds, of his LS3 and my Nimbus 2. To our great surprise, the Nimbus came second and it was that night, talking to an expert, that I realised that I had been making a big mistake in not carrying water. Its potential for distance flying cannot be realised otherwise.

Louis landed out twice, once on a strip near Berrigan and met a delightful lady. (She was on the verandah sunbathing au naturel when Louis walked up and he was treated to a bare form dashing for cover around the corner. Having recovered her composure, she gave him afternoon tea while he awaited the retrieve.)

I visited two paddocks at the end of the day, one resulting in an overnight stay at the Morundah Hotel which was an experience in itself - especially the room cost --$5…….

Because of irrigation in the Tocumwal area it was difficult to exit the area in the mornings and we have concluded the Waikerie and Narromime sites are the places to go to.

Louis later flew at Waikerie with Maurie Bradney in the Ash 25 over a 200km distance. Boy, do those wings bend! They let him loose in a Discus and that, undoubtedly, was the highlight of his trip.


Bob Struthers
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