My Flying

Again not a promising looking sky; though there were lots of clouds about, they mostly looked like they had blown in from the south west pushed by a 20-30 kph wind from the coast far away.

The weather report had also advised that there was some bad weather pushing in from the sea and that the motor gliders were advised to return for home this afternoon, asap. This, sadly, would cut our gliding camp short.

The Motor Falke went up scouting for a good hour and came back reporting that there was lots of lift about, but it was extremely bumpy and turbulent.

The wind was blowing and I was the only volunteer for a tow. What following was probably the bumpiest aerotow that I have ever experienced. The work load in the cockpit was HUGE, watching the tug for even the slightest change in height as we flew through some very rough areas of sink and lift. More than once I watched my PDA's wiring and other loose bits, like the hose from my water bag, rise up along side my head under the effects of negative g-forces.

Our destination was a ridge 8km upwind and I released as planned on the other side. I again had problems calling my release to the tug and wasted precious moments speaking and listening on the radio over and over. Again: Aviate, navigate, communicate. It was extremely bumpy behind the ridge where I managed to find much more sink than lift. Within two turns I had dropped below ridge height and decided to high-tail it back for the airfield. I blasted through most the sink on the way back at 150kph and arrived high enough for a circuit onto 33.

During my circuit planning I noted that the tow-out vehicles were still parked in the middle of the runway on the threshold of 33. The people on the ground may not have expected me to be back so soon, I beat the tug back, but they are all experienced glider pilots and should have had the presence of mind to move the vehicles.

I flew in and flared over them, but it wasn't ideal as I again hit some nasty wind gradient just before flaring. Anyway, again some good lessons learned, i.e. staying behind a bumpy tug, bugging out and heading for home before it was too late and aviating before communicating.