HGFA Skysailor Magazine

30 SKY SAILOR July | August 2019 retrieve arrived and we headed back. With the comp starting in the morning, everyone turned in early. Sunday, 7 April Day 1 of the competition. The day I’d planned to head home, but I couldn’t leave. I was having too much fun! After breakfast, I went up to the hangar for the morning briefing. I’d never been to a comp before and the atmosphere was great. So many pilots, so many gliders. Everyone seemed focused, but still happy to chat and share some knowledge. I asked the comp director if I could fly the course and was allowed as long as I left last. My next issue was how to use my vario and input and follow the course line. With a crash course from a couple of other pilots, I soon had a grasp of what to do. With a slow set up and walk to the take off area, my wait began. Finally, all pilots had launched and a few relaunched – my time had come. Off I went on a 57km triangle task. Climbs were good and cloudbase was around 8000ft. I headed crosswind for the first leg with new terrain under me, but I was high so this didn’t faze me. I saw a few gliders well ahead, but generally didn’t fly with anyone else. I rounded the first turnpoint after 22km and headed for the second. I noticed a couple of gliders on the ground as I flew this leg and another quite low, so decided to take any lift I found. Staying fairly high (above 5000ft), I bobbed my way along from cloud to cloud until there was a great expanse of blue. The course line had me heading straight over a big flat cotton crop with no trees, buildings or dams and the sky above was clear. I noticed another Gecko really low over this area and decided to take the longer route via a tree covered area instead. It paid off. Another climb and I made turnpoint 2. The final stretch was into headwind. My ground speed was so slow even with VG on full, I was just sinking. Another glider was ahead of me and I watched intently as the pilot searched for lift. The sky was clearing and the afternoon was getting late. I watched as the pilot ahead searched for lift and continued my line towards a couple of raised dams – I’d been told by a wise fellow these almost always produced lift (thanks, Trev). Checking the progress of the other pilot every so often, I flew over the dam and – Boom! From 1500 back up to 6000ft – I was back in it. Another dam ahead produced the same and I was in reach of goal. Now it was a numbers game. I watched my vario constantly calculate LD to goal – I was right on the edge of those numbers. One more climb and I’d make it. There was one last dam ahead. I crossed the highway and flew over it. I was 6km from goal and the skies above were clear. The other glider had landed a kilometre to my right. This dam was make or break. Now at only 300ft agl all seemed lost. There was a small puff of rising air from the dam, but not enough to send me skywards. I milked this point for about 15 minutes rising and falling by about 30ft, but not getting anywhere. I was done, time to land. The grassed area beside the dam was large enough for me to put down. My first ever task route. Close, but sadly, I didn’t make goal. Whilst packing up, another two Sports Class and two topless gliders landed around me. Trevor and Brent arrived in the retrieve car and we headed off to pick up Viv. Back at the airfield, I off loaded my glider before heading to the pub for dinner with Tony, Roger and Keith for my final night. As much fun as I was having, I had to get back to Sydney for work. It was goodbye to the guys, then a final night in the tent. Monday, 8 April Up at sunrise to pack the tent into the ute, tie the gliders down and hit the road by 6am for a 14-hour drive back home. What a week I’d had and how different it had turned out from my plan! I was well and truly in love with XC. I spent the trip home looking skywards, imagining flying the countryside I was passing, the clouds forming above and the breeze blowing. I now think about the possibility of flying away from my coastal sites and into the hills beyond. For any pilot who hasn’t experienced the thrill of inland flying, take the leap, speak to others and give it a go. You won’t be disappointed! For anyone looking to learn to aerotow, I recommend Lisa Bradley from Canungra Sky Sports. Her facilities and training area there are fantastic. Dalby Big Air 2019 Task 1 launch area Outlanding, just short of goal for Task 1 triangle All photos: Peter Tolhurst My Big Inland Adventure