9 AM;
Finally a night without wind!!!!! It’s pretty quiet now too.Sunny and not so “bloody ” cold!!!!
As said I wore my winter pullover and I needed it.

A nice day it was for us at the ground.Talking and talking ,hot discussions shopping, more talking as some of the people in town did n’t know I was here .

TASKS have been set for today; Day 5 …flying day 3…
3.15 AAT for open/18 m
3.45 AAT for st/and 15m.
Briefing at 10 lets’s wait what happens today.

10.30 AM;
CD Phil shared his daily news;
–Sponsors today; Jonker Sailplanes and SKYSIGHT.
–AP Kotze will not be at the dinner tonight as the Australian Embassy in Pretoria was closed ,so they could not grant him a visa.
But the dinner will be on Club and AFTER dinner at 8.30 PM. there will be a straight line/connection with AP in South Africa, where he will give his presentation.This will be again in the briefing room in the hangar.
–Jonker donated a 1000 dollar gift to support tow tickets for the juniors .
–Prize winners from the last flying day were announced. One ,in 15m./. st is a junior looking like a nice young puppie; David Collins keep his name in your mind.This is his first national championship and his very first daily win!!!
Congratulations. Must have been nervous when I took the picture as you can see.

Winner in open/18 m. was Peter Temple and I had to make this picture a bit “sneaky” as I did n’t want to disturb his concentration.

It was a bit of a junior day.
Jenny did n’t do the weather but apprentice Peter did and the best height would be at 4.30 up to 6135 ft. , blue again and wind from the SW about 12 kts .at the start and finish otherwise between 12 and 24 kts.
Aisla set the tasks today with the small ships upfront. B tasks were set as well. They don’t expect to use them at this stage.
First launches expected at 12.30.

And,…as SKYSIGHT is the sponsor today:

Another sponsor:VOLVO CAPS on all chairs today!

CU later.

12.45 PM;
6 Tugs passed by from the hangar to the strip.at 12.15.
Akemi who just arrived this morning is the sniffer.
She reported 3 kts. at 2.200 on which the CD said; ” Tuggies continue” and at 12.34 the first launch was a fact.

Quite some good dust devils were showing up then already.There is some cirrus firmament over the field and in the blue the gliders seem to climb well!!
One glider still at-down-area YL from Jay Anderson.
That area looks super. New cables ,numbers in yellow for the pilots and enough room for all.

• 

So flying day 3 is a fact.
Start line 15m./st. opens at 13.20
Start line open/18m opens at 14.00

A lot of people ask Adam on a day he is not winning, why that is.
Several people pass by here to ask why Diana is not flying.
Here is the explanation.
“ Some people who look at the scores may wonder why Diana Schuit has not scored any points yet.
The reason for this is that the safety officer of  the contest, Greg Schmidt, has, at the very last moment  decided that her contest number (a bright orange MM) was not acceptable as there was another glider with the competition number MM (this one being a darkish colour). The same person then ruled that the modified contest number 1MM, for which the extra stickers were produced in record time, was also unacceptable. For that reason the glider was not accepted at scrutineering and could not enter the competition. “

Back later!!!
2.15 PM;
Just had a word with Vivienne [Drew] from Benalla. She came to see a few from the pilots here specially the girls and to have some news an\bout the comps for the VGC site.Nice to see her!!!

3.30 PM;
Logistics whilst flying. You have to live in Australia for these kind of logistics.
Tim flies his glider in the competition….in between Steve brings his Bonanza back…a while later this good looking “toy” arrives with Theo to pick up Steve. Tim is still flying. FUN…..

4 PM:
2 Trailers waiting at the office .One of them with a witch on it. Must be one of the girls! JT but, she/he is not at the list. Nice trailer though.

5 PM;
The airfield is under a thick milky layer of cirrus clouds.One tuggie just must have gone out for a retrieve.
One glider arrived back at 27 long! Its waiting now for scores as they have to try and do their 3 hours 15 and 3 .45.
Early starters could leave at the opening of the gate for the small ships 13.20, for the bigger ones 14.00. So open/18 m. could come back at 17.15.
So 10 minutes to go.
Hope they make it as the milky stuff reduced the temperature.
Looking at the tracking maybe 10 pilots are going to make it. DW ,Don Woodward is upfront at the moment some are still on the 3d leg. About 50 k to go for the best ones at this stage.
TOUGH DAY IN THE OFFICE!!!!!

5.15 PM;
Another 2 tuggies go out for a retrieve. Several pilots return “home” , as one of their legs “goes” over Tocumwal and they know they can’t finish anyhow.

5.30 PM;
DW has landed here. He might have made it. Heard David Jansen on the radio he is here too but at 18. Heard LQ , Brian Du Rieu as well at 27 long. Several come in do not know if they flew the task totally ,so I give up .Don’t want to guess and some just don’t use their trackers!

6 PM;
I walked over to Don Woodward to check if he had flown the task. “Yes”, he said ” but only just and I was slow“.
When I told him, that looking at the tracking ,he will be one of the maybe 10 to arrive home in his class ,he looked a bit happier.

Peter Temple was in too.
Spoke to Dutch/Aussie Robert .He landed his LS 4 here at the field. He knew he could not fly the task , but Tocumwal was convenient on the road. He decided to fly home, after he saw all those white dots in the paddocks.
When you look at the scores you will see that at this stage, Don indeed is number 1 and with 1000 points ; 319 km. in time 3.22 so a speed of 94.74 km./h.
Peter 2 with 993 points and more kilometers 335 in time 3.34, so 94.04 km./h..!!! Well done guy’s.
Adam is in too with 911 points at this stage as I know David is in too.

At 6.30 PM, it had changed already; Ray Stewart is now number 1 with 101 km.h. Don and Pete dropped to 2 and 3, Brian Du Rieu is now on 4 in his LS 10 and Adam on 5 with Norm and Ailsa and Casey on 6-7 and 8.
In the end it looks like 14 made it home.
In 15 m./St it’s Peter Trotter who at this stage is the only one IN. Good on him. After his outlanding this will cheer him up again;he flew 340 km. in time 3.50 for 1000 points!!! That helps.
Later also Michael Durrant 907 points and Andy Maddocks 887 p.were in.
Keep looking at the scores; www.soaringspot.com under open and 15 m.

It will be a late evening!!! Poor ladies who have cooked for the dinner at the aero- club. Hope they all will be in time so they can taste their cooking.

Maybe CU later.

9 PM;
As you can see on soaring spot quite a few pilots went “aux vaches”.
Cathy [Conway] shared some pictures from the milky skies and her outlanding.

CU tomorrow!