Adelaide University Gliding Club

Christmas Party Friday 27/11/09

This year's christmas party will be at Cath Conway's place. There is a pool, so bring your bathers along. Hopefully the GUSS students will be here by then, so come along and say hi to our NSW friends.

GUSS Training Camp 28/11/09 to 06/12/09

Derek Spencer will be holding a training camp for Keith, Lisa and six other Griffith Uni Soaring Society (GUSS) members. Help will be needed training them to drive our winch on Sat/Sun 28th/29th Nov. Any solo pilots wanting to enjoy some mid-week flying are more than welcome to come out and join in the fun.

Flying Sunday 22 November 2009

The day started with a Puchatek in pieces in the Main Hanger at Stonefield. Redmond Quinn and Derek Spencer had finished the Form 2 work the day before and it was ready to be re-assembled.

By about 1100 we had most of the wings on and were marveling at how much higher off the ground the pilots could sit thanks to a recharged oleo in the undercarriage. By 1200 we had explored many of the three dimensional postures that the rear seat can adopt when being reinstalled and settled on one that fitted. By 1300 Derek had installed the new front skid onto the re-glassed black base and with the DI complete we were ready to do the test flight! Derek duly donned the parachute and went through the test program with the expected result of returning the aircraft to service.

The day was pleasant with very strong cloud streets running roughly north/south directly to the east of the field. Barrossa Valley were also operating with the Blanik and Phillip Beale's Boomerang. Derek and Richard went up for a couple of instructional flights in KRO followed by Alan and Dennis Medlow with a very pleasant flight-of-the-day up at 4,700' under the aforementioned cloud street (which by now had become quite dark). The Motorfalke made a reappearance late in the afternoon returning from Meningue.

We packed up at 1930 with the cloud streets dissipating and an excellent wave cloud lit up by the setting sun appearing over the ranges.

Thanks to BVGC and Derek, Alan, Richard and Christian Medlow for assisting with rigging and the day's operations. Dennis can now stake a claim for the wildlife award for the return trip home (Hyundai 1, Pigeon 0).

And many, many thanks to Redmond, Derek and everyone else that had worked on the Puchatek Form 2 over the last 4 or more weeks.

Flying Sunday 15 November 2009

What a hot day!! Unfortunately the stability in the air didn't allow things to kick off until the afternoon. But boy, once it did get going it left those on the ground watching in awe as the Blanik and Motorfalke rocketed up to 10,000ft! Thermals were stronger than 10kts. Everything was going great guns until the clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped.

Mark Newton came along to help out Derek and Anne (hooray!) and flew with Christian and Matt in the 'falke. Hopefully Mark had an enjoyable time wherever he went, aside from a long way up. Later, Mark took Matt Chircop on a training flight.

Derek instructed in the Blanik and Anne drove the winch. Thanks to everyone's efforts we were able to give all our trainees the equivalent of our aim of six circuits or one and a half hours (give or take a little), which was awesome. Mark's presence even allowed Anne to go through her instructor revalidation!

Take heed of the fact that another qualified person on field could have grabbed a single seater and had an amazing time, while also making things more efficient and fun for the other people there. If you do have the time, please consider making the trip to Stonefield!

Flying Sunday 25 October 2009

The day started overcast, but eventually the sun shone through and fired up some good thermals. Allan and Derek placed some white tyres up RWY 16/34 before we were visited by four friends looking for a good time... Derek certainly had a good time when one of the girls decided it would be fun to fly in her underwear. Lots of video was taken of this particular activity as well as some air to air stuff of the Blanik from the 'falke. We should hopefully see this footage sometime soon.

Allan had a good 23 mins in the Blanik with Derek, and our trainee Steve got to fly two new aircraft types. All in all a different and enjoyable day.

Flying Saturday 24 October 2009

Saturday was pretty much as forecast except there was very obvious thunderstorms building up to the north with some impressive wave over the top. The low thermal height (~3,000 ft) around Stonefield made it challenging with fickle thermals. John Dunstall flew MI and Derek Spencer flew WVA. Both had saves from circuit height on occasion.

Meanwhile Mark Newton and Redmond Quinn took FQW for a fly across to Waikerie and back.

GZQ and WVA were both derigged ready for the Khancoban trip next weekend. Other stuff got done:

Runway 16/34 was slashed in its entirety by Redmond.
Some of the cut and painted tyre side walls now decorate the edges of 16/34. We were somewhat sparing till we slash the other runways and see how many tyre side walls are left over.
The passenger side brake drum on the winch had its master cylinder replaced and the brakes adjusted
New swivels were added to the ends of both cables.