My Flying

The light varying SW wind was changing between cross from the left and a 30° tail wind. I hopped aboard for my first aerotow as PIC; that on a downhill dust strip with a slight tail wind. I was doing well at the controls keeping the plane more or less straight and level until about half way down the strip the instructor F(3) calls 'my plane', pulls the plug and brings us to a stop. He was not happy as he thought the take off was going to be too marginal.

About two hours later instructor F(6) gives the go ahead for attempt two (the conditions hadn't changed much). Almost immediately the left wing lifts and pushes the plane to the right of the runway and into the full dust of the tug. All I can see is the rope and no horizon; I chicken out and yell 'Your plane' 88|. This instructor is braver than the first and we push on through complete IMC conditions until we are airborne. We get towed for 12 minutes (this is seriously going to hurt my bank balance) up to 7500ft to a ridge just north of the airfield.

Follow up:

Soon we are down to 7000ft and head back for the airfield into the headwind. About halfway back I find a thermal and take it. This thermal takes us to 8500ft and drifts us back over and past the ridge towards the highest mountain in the area at 8209ft, Die Kompas Berg (Compass Mountain).

Here we met up with the Single with a solo pilot trying for his 5 hour badge. We thermaled a little together around the Kompas Berg until the instructor suggested we venture off else where. We passed over the airfield, into wind, at about 8000ft and headed in the direction of Graaff Reinet. On the way we encountered lots of sink and at 7000ft we turned around back for the airfield. On the way back we found lots of lift but decided not to use it. We arrived overhead at 6000ft, performed a few orbits and landed using a long circuit.

Pretty much the longest flight I have ever had, no motion sickness at all and lots of fun and lessons learnt. The cost (including tow) will be about ZAR456,00. Bit heavy, but much fun too!