Byron Gliding News

BBC Journalist Witnesses Freak Sunrise
The BBC's Caroline Wyatt at Cap Blanc-Nez, near Calais, France on July 31st 03 describes Felix Baumgartner's approach from the west: "Then we see him more clearly, the 6ft wings strapped to back silhouetted against the rising sun. Suddenly I can see why he called the project Icarus 2." source

Vale Joe Scott
Joe Scott's Wake
Some 200 friends and family paid tribute to Joe at the Lighthouse, where the flypast included a bevy of trikes, a motor glider and an F111. Many tales were told of Joe's derring do, some true, at the wake held at the Byron Bay Golf Club.

To instructors and other interested members

Mt Kaputar Wave Camp
Macca Instructing Mt Kaputah 2002

There been a bit of too and froing re parachuting through cloud - anyhow it looks as if we must read NPRM.

TO ALL
I think it would be good if could have a members page on the web site as a means of communicating - news and date of next meeting - aircraft serviceability - interesting sites - jobs need doing around club - news/ideas from other clubs - activities from other clubs that we get invited to, etc.. Anyhow should it be done by email or via web page what do you think? So here goes ...

NEWS

I recently visited Gawler SA for the World Club Class Competition (handicapped comp using prescribed area tasks - ie you fly into circles of varying diameters from 15km to 50km) and was won by a young Brit Peter Masson (2nd Brit 3rd Czech 4th Brit) and all winners young and were flying gliders valued at less than $25,000 so gone are the days of having to fly a $100 000 plus glider to be competitive at a comp. The highest placed aussie was Tom Gilbert Libelle in 11th while Bruce Taylor was 35 and Ron Sanders 38th out of about 45. The US, Brits and Germans all stood up and congratulated the organisers as this was the best run world comps ever. The service provided by the Bureau of Met was outstanding to say the least - locally you may care to visit www.bom.gov.au and see instantly how the rain is pouring down on the north coast via Grafton Radar. I noticed the commercialism of food and souvenirs creeping in but guess that is the way.

Where ever you go you see new ideas for hangers and yet again I saw it at Gawler - It now makes me realise we can fit 6 motorgliders in say Dieters or Rick's Hanger with INDIVIDUAL ACCESS to each glider and without any hanger rash.

HIGH OIL TEMPS are a thing of the past. Nick Hunt (Red/white Cesna 180 often visits Tyagarah) was having trouble towing when temperatures got to 45 deg and had to pull the pin. The Americans - Charlie Spratt -came to the rescue. We pump a spray of water on to the oil cooler. The FAA do not approve but we just do it at comps in the dessert and pull it off at the end of comps!! Nick in desperation spent $50 on a weed spray and ran a tube up the outside of the engine - with about 3 sprays of water on the tow up it knocked 30 degrees off the oil temperature and Nick was simply amazed at the difference. He found he was using 1 litre of water for 7 tows. Geoff Sim who owned a Grob 109 for 20 years shook his head in amazement and it even has possibilities for Falkes or Petar N's G109B!! Trust me it works.

A number of years ago Adelaide Soaring Club added a Jabiru to its fleet of eight gliders and it has proved very popular with the older members who want to fly when there were no thermals. During the year they upgraded with the latest version engine having done their 1000hrs in the original engine in the previous 2 1/2 years. They find the Jabiru is doing almost 400hrs a year and the new engine is excellent

Simon Hacket's C Falke (has variable pitch prop) hit a fence recently while on the ridge at Lochiel the site of Adelaide University Gliding Club. It is being repaired by Peter Carlson at Temora

FROM DIETERLAND (as several members affectionately call it). A cave is being built on the east part of hill where the tipi was. Also a Bob Dylan concert is planned for March 31 on the racecourse but keep an eye on the papers for more information.

Joe Scotts latest way to promote his hang gliding. Parks in main street of Byron with TV on roof of car and video run off an inverter via special battery and takes booking for the next days flying.

FUEL Thomas GLA takes car (red) fuel while the others and Jabiru when it comes take AVGAS 100 (purple/blue) and this is in bulk tank. We need a rotary pump with accurate gauge as the present system is totally unsatisfactory. Somebody forgot to put the bung back in tank!!!. Roger Lavers has completed the earthing while fuelling wiring at 3 points - at fuel shed , at in front of club house and at tap on eastern side of Rick's hanger. It has been properly done with 1.8m stainless steel rods earth rods and 2 clips on end. This is a requirement of CASA for our AOC renewal and
ask everybody to bone up on refuelling from Jerry cans as CASA require whether it is or is not a charter flight. THERE IS TO BE NO REFUELLING IN HANGER AT ALL. While on topic CASA pilots must be aware of last light requirements.

Al Giles recently landed LS4 IID (ex Brett Iggulden and Gary Speight) in Lake at Keepit and did much damage. Spoke to my Swedish friends at Gawler and they assure me you MASTER OFF AND DO NORMAL LANDING WITH WHEEL DOWN and
except for possible electronics damage you should be able to fly the next day - that did happen in Sweden with 3 out of 4 lake landings during Worlds in 1993

Kingaroy Club and more recently Boonah have converted Cessna 150 to 180hp with big savings in Aerotow costs Recently Lake Keepit club in order to contain Towing costs have bought a 1996 120 hr tt Aviat Husky 180HP for $A112 000 (bring $US90 000 in USA) Fuel burn is down to 40 lit /hr as opposed to Pawnee at 55 lit/hr. Charges are kept the same except tow retrieves from Airfields has been reduced from $180/hr to $120/hr which has really brought retrieve costs down to 1980 prices esp in view of
the fact that it flys out to airport at 100kts. Boonah and Kingaroy Clubs have conveted Cessna 150 to 180hp with similar savings in costs.

March 9, 10, 11 WATTS BRIDGE glider fly in - caution there is a road across middle of runway - will be closed off at weekend.

I have a copy of the 20 min video produced by Int Gliding Commission (IGC) in December It is designed to be given out to Glider passenger rides free to promote gliding. It is very good and very high power sell. The video is a combination of the NZ world comps video and "Lucy Learns to Fly video" If you have seen either of these videos then you will know how good it is. They cost A$6.10 each in lots of 100 and funding came from 4 German Glider Manufacturers (Schempp-Hirth LemkeSchneider, Schleicher and Stemme). Think the high sell may just work and it is a project worth supporting.

Please read about Parachuting through cloud and the end of this email if you are interested .To explain Bob Hall is our President to be of GFA and was chairman of the Ops Panel (ie boss unpaid instructor) and is an EXCELLENT person, while Beryl Hartley is our hard working present President GFA

Mike Burnes reported that IKB may be ready to fly by end of week ie 3rd Feb. The hold up is a cobra head intake elbow between air filter and carby it is choking off engine a little.

Found in Aerokurier recently:
Aero-towing with ULs approaching certification Braunschweig: Aero-towing with Ultralight aircraft could be certified as soon as next season. UL manufacturers and importers are currently working on suggestions for the technical and training regulations. As part of the testing program gliders with a maximum take-off weight of up to 600 kg may already be towed.

If you have need to fly interstate now is the time as Qantas have extended the competition with Virgin Blue to Coolie with $68.20 to Sydney and $108 to Melbourne and just book 24 hours before on the net only - think it is called top-edeals. Brian and myself have taken advantage of it recently.

MEETING COMING UP NEEDS TO DISCUSS HANGER OWNERSHIP money spent on promotion among other things. Thomas has been keeping records of where people have
been coming from and the yellow brochures via resorts and backpackers. Talk with Thomas

Now should this info be communicated via email or via a members page on the web site? What do you prefer?

IAN MCPHEE

Change of take off procedure on 23 : After several conversations with the Skydiving people - mainly about drops through clouds - they expressed concern from their side about us flying over their hangar and drop site when we do our little slide to the right enabling us an easier turn for a downwind landing in case of engine failure. We agreed that when possible we will move to the left from now on when taking off on 23, except of course if a strong crosswind from the south would make it unsafe.