People bravely took a punt on the weather actually staying OK for the day and an ATC winching day was scheduled for November the 1st. The equinoctial gales which had been blasting us during the week, abated for the day we were treated to a lovely spring day. I arrived on time (three hours late) to see Glyn and Les in the final stages of re-installing the main wheel of WZ. Apparently there had been two flights and then the tyre fell to bits on landing. The inner tube had had a hole worn in it and gave up the ghost during the second landing. Not a good look during a major event when the wheels fall off! However the repair was to good effect and the day proceeded in fine style. Cadets took their turn on the glider retrieves and the cadet who'd just had the flight walked the wing back to the launch point.
A couple of cadets had flights with the Stratford Aero Club and another I think with Tim in JTA. Cadet power was employed to lift WZ on and off the blocks that gave access for the repair.
The New Plymouth and Stratford squadrons were involved. First glider flights for some and others had had flights on earlier occasions. Les and Tim alternated as instructors for the flights and Glyn Jackson, Sam Tullett and Steve Barham were the winch drivers for the day. Sam had a couple of launches in the PW5 but failed to connect with lift from a likely looking area that had drifted overhead.
Sunday was an entirely different day, back to normal perhaps - low cloud, drizzle and/or rain.
Glyn Jackson, Tim Hardwick-Smith and Will Hopkirk are headed down to Omarama this week, Glyn 'n Tim for the southern competition and Will has subscribed to a gliding course down there. Good luck to all of you.
We should note here, the recent death of Ann Barbarich just after landing a Dreamliner at Perth. Ann was briefly associated with our club years ago. Our sympathy to her family and her good friends Matt and Andrea Connor.
Finally, our Eurofox should be completed by the end of November, have its test flight and then will be placed in a container and then be on the way to NZ.
Papa Mike.
Below: A photo of WZ with Les Sharp and an ATC cadet aboard, easing down into the circuit late in the day on Saturday.
And: One of WZ getting its re-tread. Les Sharp (left) Steve Barham (centre) Glyn Jackson (right) attending to getting the wheel back into place and all the bits lined up.
