Eungella Weekend Sep 09
September 26th was the weekend organised to travel to Eungella for a comp.
Bob & Tracey, Terry and Ekatarina, Townsville Sean, Michael & his family, Brett and Louise, Brod and Russ. With amazing timing, the biggest dust storm in 50 years hit Nth QLD that week! The dust was still hanging around, and caused lots of problems over the weekend. Brod and Russ went early and got a few flights in with the PG for Russ and HG for Brod.
Ivan from Airlie beach turned up on Saturday evening as well, bringing some great videos that we watched on a screen set up on the edge of the escarpment. Also had a couple of PG pilots from the local area. One ended his weekend throwing his reserve! Glider and pilot OK. Reserve is still MIA, after a gallant rescue attempt the next day failed.
Conditions were light on the Saturday but everyone got a flight before the sea-breeze kicked in and killed off the thermic activity. Brod got within 1.5nm of the goal, an intersection 12km SE of Pinnacle pub. No-one else got close. Bob got a personal best at Eungella, almost to the second crossing of Cattle Creek (see video) Terry not far away from Bob.
As usual, those that attended learned heaps about their gliders and flying in general, such as setting up landings, different thermalling techniques, watching for power lines, and nil-wind landings. Excellent take-offs and landings were a highlight of the weekend.
The conditions didn’t improve on Sunday. It was very light westerly all day, until the sea breeze kicked in again. The dust had been slowly clearing out of the valley, but the sea breeze pushed it all back in again, so the wind was on, finally, but we couldn’t even see the road at the base of the mountain. So we’d set up, sat around all day, started packing up, set up again on news the breeze was on the way, and then packed up again! Very frustrating!
Evan has a Nanolight that he took for a run on Sunday afternoon. An ‘interesting’ take-off, involving a drain, a road and a jump! Ask Brod next time you see him!
A couple of good flights on the Monday rounded out the weekend.
If you get the chance, come and fly Eungella. The scenery is spectacular and the flying is excellent. Lots of accommodation options, with the most civilized set-up area in the country. Not many places you can rig the glider, have a hot lunch while your partner/retrieve driver swims in the pool, and then go flying!
It really is worth the 10 hour drive!
Check out Azure Photography’s on-line album of the still images.
Below is Bob’s video of his flight.