Good Practice, Good times, Good mates!

I rose at about 7:15 today and started by doing my daily water and mueslie bar packing routine before a big flying day. I arrived at Canungra Cafe at abouut 9 oclock and met up with Trev, Brandon, Dirk, Juiliet, Nick, Raef, and a couple of other pilots id not met before, one named Dave who happened to be out for a flying holiday from the UK and who ill hopefully be flying with on Tuesday or Wednesday.

I offered to drive us all up as long as someone could drive my car down from the top once i landed. Juiliete, who i had only just met said she was there to drive for the day and it would be her pleasure. Sweet! so we loaded up my van with a record number of wings and started off, at the same time running into Warrick and his lovely girl friend Cathy who ended up following us up.

We were welcomed by light winds and it didnt take long for us to set up. Two days ago i had published in the national Soaring magazine a story i wrote about my Gliding course experience. So as you can imagine i recieved alot of attention and feed back. I didnt expect to much, thinking no one has probably read it yet and that id be safe. Instead i had so much possitive feedback i was almost overwhelmed and even a little proud.

Todays conditions were quite difficult and most pilots found it hard to know when to launch. It was the kind of day that was very hard to read and apart from looking at the obvious signs i decided to watch Big Trev instead. If anyone could call it Trev could. It seemed i wasnt alone, as soon as he launched so did most others. Although it didnt amount to much as we all ended up heading straight for the bombout. (apart from Trev who got high and went cross country, barstard!)

I must have been one of the first pilots to leave the hill and as i did so thought how nice it was not to be the last person like im so use to being, especially after helping so many others off first. I headed straight out and didnt find anything i thought worth going for so instead decided to concentrate on a nice approach and kick ass landing. I pulled off both of them! and found myself doing those really cool bleed off the speed runs after touch down landings.

I was so happy i could hardly controll myself. Ive wanted to land like that my whole career! Once again there were no pilots but two paraglider guys who were unknown two me. I pulled up to the side and threw myself in an exaused lump under the wing. I said to one of the punters " why am i alway so exausted? especially only after a sleddy! I was only up for a 10-15 minutes. I should be fine". In reply the punter said "its all the addrenalin in your system, it has that affect" "Actually i hadnt thought of that, your probably correct" i said in reply.

Being the first glider pilot in the bombout was great because i got to witness about ten other gliders fly in to land. Some quite ordinary and a few quite exceptional. Dirks landing was a little ordinary apparently, but i think he did quite well considering he was trying to set up an approach whilst trying to avoid hitting Brandon in his paraglider. After landing and whilst packing up, Brandon came and showed him some footage he took through the whole delemer. Dirk couldn't believe what he was hearing, "you mean i was trying to avoid hitting you while at the same time trying to avoid hitting the ground and you were holding a video camera and filming me!" Well he said something like that while every one else was laughing. So did we again as we remineised later that evening over dinner.

Half an hour later Juilete drove in followed closely by Cathy. I heard Lee Patterson say to his student he had come to retrieve that they were going to have another fly and to jump in the car. I then had a thought of a second flight and after putting it to my friends decided to go up again for another go. We all jumped in my car and drove back up the hill to much more favourable conditions. We set up in time to see Lees student who also happenens to be named Lee launch into a great cycle and get high instantly. This was extra insentive for us and we rushed even more.

I was the second one out after Dirk and thought i was doing well before hitting sink and flying out to bomb. My approach was good but i slightly miss judged my flare by a second and gently rolled on my wheels. Oh well cant win em all i thought. I met up with Dirk who said he had totally redeemed himself from his last landing and was now much happier. We watched as Warrick flew in nicely for a perfect landing thus also redeeming himself from the previos landing and then Uk Dave. Then we all stood around chatting for a while whilst still on our sleddy addrenalin highs.

A little while later Lee drove up with a couple of beers for not only him and his newly signed off student Lee, but also for the rest of us. Unreal! i thought to myself, how sweet it is to sink a cold one in the bombout with flying buddies. Thanks Lee that was awesome!

The girls drove up a few minutes later to join the fun. I was asked by Cathy if i had a girlfriend and after saying no was told she had a beautiful 21 year old daughter who she would be more than happy i meet. Im still not sure how to take that. I actually felt a bit strange at the time but in the end took it as one of the greatest compliments any mother could give. And yes i saw all her 4 children in a photo she had and they were all extreemly beautiful. Ive not seen their father but can safely say they definitly get their looks for their mum.

We went back to Lees house and had a couple more beers before going to the Canungra pub for dinner with the guys and more story telling. It was great and definitely beats packing up and sharing your days experience with know one but a boring computer. Ahhh, im sorry computer i still love you :)

Well done to Lee for achieveing his gliding license, thanks to the other Lee for his help and shouting the beers. Thanks to everyone for all their kind words to my article and thanks to all my flying mates for an awesome day. See you next time.

All up 30 minutes