Launcing grid on Saturday with Craig V about to launch on his last flight in his now sold ASG29E
Rod vdB has been doing a great job with the club website and is asking that folk write in stories to help populate the site and enthuse the members to come out and fly. Here is my first contribution.
I had my glider at home since August as a precaution should would go into COVID19 lockdown and, if so, a bit of TLC on the glider would have given me something to do! As it turned out there was no lockdown so I brought it back and rigged it on Friday 23rd, looking at the marvellous high based (around 9K’) cumulus that had developed and feeling envious of Rod vdB who was up cavorting in the conditions. Fortunately Saturday also turned out to be a good day. It was a different airmass with a cool unstable south-westerly and cumulus from early morning. It was looking good and there was a good turnout of pilots to fly.
I launched at 1 O’clock into a nice looking sky. Thanks Lloyd. By this time cloudbase was around 6K’ with nice energy lines into the 15-20kt wind. Took me about an hour to get abeam Purnong from just north of Waikerie with cloudbase getting lower as I got further south. I though about heading towards Mannum but decided that it looked at bit scrappy in that direction so turned for Morgan arcing towards the hills on the way to pick up a nice energy line running downwind a bit past Morgan. Turned back into wind and had a great run back along the energy line to Stonefield (now Steinfeld).
I would have liked to explore further towards Burra, but it was blue north of the energy line, so, from Steinfeld I headed home.
340 km on WeGlide.
David Pietsch
