Glad to be home!

Facebook: Adam Woolley’s Gliding Adventures
Websites: www.joeyglide.com.au & www.adam.woolley.blogspot.com

Date: 7/10/11
Flight: http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?flightId=-514185501

Task: Kingaroy – Dalby – Warra Silo – Kingaroy = 229km
Stats: 59.9kph; 1.9kt avg climbs & 46% thermalling; 39:1 for 6.8km at 60kts;


As the subject line suggests, I was glad to be home after very close to 6hrs in the sky! I was first to launch (on purpose, trying to max out every day at the moment) into a 6/8 CU sky at 11am, with weak climbs to 2000agl. I immediately set off on my original task, to Wondai. I got 7km out before missing a climb and faced a likely outlanding. So I headed back for a re-start, good practice all the same.

Next time around, made a good start and tip toed to Wondai (34km North). Before 1pm reminded me of some EU weather, with lots to slow glides and climbs. Deviations of 60* were happening, just to stay airborne. At one point, I held for approx 5min at the top of a climb waiting for conditions to improve. Next glide out, I got to the end of the soarable conditions before turning for home again – an outlanding looked likely.

It was down, down, down. Thankfully I saw a set of birds take to the sky, and was rewarded with a slow climb to a safe working altitude. More deviations of 90*, and climbs that lacked feel on the way home – I finally made it, where all the other members had finally taken to the sky. They had set a task (above), so I climbed up with Jim Crowhurst (ASW19) & Mark Dalton (Libelle), plus a cast of thousand in 18m super ships!

Good start, though maybe 300’ low, the clubbies headed off on task. Weak climbs still, only 2kts around and no real lines of energy. Just prior to the bunya mountains, we all went our separate ways – Jim South, Mark centre and I – North. I got the jump on the pack here with a couple of nice climbs before crossing. Sadly though, this is where Mark Daltons and my fun stopped. Jim said he could see better climbs on the outher side of the range to the South, hence why he chose that route.

From there, it was down, down, down again! Second low save of the day, and nothing is really working, nor going to the top. Tip toeing along, I finally get a good climb to base just NE of the first turn. Have I got my running shoes back on? Nope, backed off the cruise speed to extend the glide. Still couldn’t connect, while I heard the 18m boys having a great time – including Jim who is appearing to be keeping up with them!

I round Warra Silo and head for home, thankfully with a 15kt tailwind. The down side, blue holes followed by spread out over the range. Progress was slow, taking 1kt climbs. Some eagles came to my rescue at the range, where I was able to take a 0.8kt climb to 5000’ for a very marginal glide. One thing I’m happy about, is that the LX5000 seems to be accurate for this – as the numbers stayed steady the whole way in with the smooth conditions. One more climb, and I’m easily home. I get it, and while climbing I decide to take it high and max out the OLC distance for the day.



Glad to be home!

Blowing a gale!

Website: www.joeyglide.com.au
Facebook: Adam Woolley's Gliding Adventures

Date: 02/10/2011
Flight:  http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=2141388

Weather from www.the-white-knight-speaks.blogspot.com :  A trough is bringing extensive rain to central/northern NSW with lower falls in southern Queensland. This will clear the coast on Thursday night, bringing a southerly flow to SE Qld for Friday and the weekend.

Whilst the trough is bringing widespread rain to south eastern Queensland, falls are only expected to be 10mm or less across the Downs, but with higher falls to the south. This amount of rain is unlikely to suppress convection or cause out landing issues except in low lying areas.

Scattered Cloud @ 7000’.  Wind: 230/21(!)

Task: Kingaroy – Rosevale Strip – Kingaroy – Wondai A/F – CPN – Kumbia – Kingaroy

Stats: 232km @ 87.07kph; 24% Thermalling @ 4.1kts; 43:1 for 13km glides at an average of 67kts IAS; Deviations of 7%

The day started out with lightish winds, before growing to the predicted strength of 20kts.  The clouds starting early as RASP predicted.  Sadly though, as the Warwick State Comps were finishing and all the wind about – it was a lazy start to the day with myself being the only single seater airborne!

Straight off tow saw a solid climb to base, so I promptly headed off on track.  Instantly I noticed progress was slow, though snaking up wind made it easier to connect the lines of energy.  Today I worked a top 1/3 working band, this worked a treat – the climbs were regular and reliable.

After checking out Bruce Taylors traces from the recent state champs, I noticed he moved around the sky a lot – so I made a conscious effort to do the same.  I think it really worked for me as reflected in the glide stats.

Working cross-wind to the North was good practice for the tactical flying.  All in all, I was happy how I ran these two legs.  I shared one climb with my good friend in a K21, before taking a 40* deviation for 5km to line up a good energy line.  Pleased I did this after reviewing the trace, gave me a 50km final glide!

The glider is performing nicely with the new ASI, seem to be thermalling at 45kts now – and occasionally going up near the 50kt mark.  So potentially an under-reading instrument before.  Also, my old man and I worked on the sealing of the canopy again – with good results.  Though I think I’ll put a little more felt down, and seal up the rear O2 bottle hole to make the cockpit extremely quiet, not just quiet :)

Safe Circles,

WPP

First XC in W3

Website: www.joeyglide.com.au
Facebook: Adam Woolley's Gliding Adventures

Date: 17/09/11

Flight: http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=2130654

Stats: Planned 400km flight.  Outlanded @ 267km. 78.9kph; 3.4kt average climbs (40% thermalling); 30:1 for 9.3km glides at an average of 68kts.

 

1st Cross-Country in my Cirrus, W3. Started straight away into building conditions. Had a good run to Miles on the first leg, staying high and taking reasonable climbs.

Turned Miles for Kingaroy with out any issues. Decided mid-leg that I would get home too early, so decided to extend the task to shoot for 400k+. Once I turned, had one more reasonable climb before slowly heading on the downward slope. Climbing conditions were forever changing, and lacked feel.

After analysing the flight further, I recalled the last climb at 2.4kts.  There was actually nothing wrong with the climb, just lacked feel.  I left the climb at 3000AGL thinking I could find something a little better up ahead.  This was the final straw, the air went smooth and hardly got another bump after this one.  Looking back now, I should’ve seen the writing on the wall and been more patient.  Though having said that, I need to ensure that my bottom to top averager is correct so I can make better decisions in the future.

 

I spoke to Allan Barnes after the flight, he said that the conditions were transiting from closely spaced climbs, to much larger. I sadly missed the next climb before the 9,000'+ blue conditions started late in the day.

Oh well, such is life. Still learning so much about the glider. Thermalling at 40kts, still to slow I think. Will jack it up at the state comps to 45kts.

Some positive attributes to the flight, I was very happy with how I left climbs - never once did I hold onto a climb hoping it'd get better, and as such my altitude trace all had sharp points!  Inter thermal cruising was good too for the conditions, though I'm going to start experimenting with MC, rather than block speeds.

On a side note, took all the sealing out of the canopy as an experiment - had air going here, there and everywhere. Though much better than the ear-piercing buzz that the mylars created.

Next flight will be at the QLD State Soaring Championships!

SeeYou!

WPP is back in the game!

Where have all the years gone?  After my posts stopped in 2007, I basically gave up gliding for the career.  Which has turned out to be the best thing I ever did for myself, now secure, with my own glider again and at my favourite gliding club - www.kingaroysoaring.com.au

I now own a Schempp-Hirth, Standard Cirrus 75B, GQT.  Which is sentimental to me, as it was my fathers first ever glider too!  It's had numerous other owners over the years, most recently the Warwick Gliding Club.  They've looked after this machine and generously allowed me to buy it off them with a deal.  The glider now sports a new panel, and fresh new look. Totally sealed and race ready.  All that is left is to fit winglets, mountain high EDS O2 system and possibly some bug wipers!

 This year I plan to fly a G Dale coaching course, QLD & NSW State Soaring Championships, the Club and Multi-Class Nationals and CD JoeyGlide (www.joeyglide.com.au)!  Hopefully bring you all the action live from here, my twitter account: getsoaring and my facebook page: Adam Woolley's Gliding Adventures.

For now, here's a post I've previously sent out - just to get the ball rolling!



After a few false starts on previous weekends, today the conditions and club operations finally permitted our first flights! Today had a top of 5-19*c with a westerly breeze of approx 10kts.

Dad looked at his logbook for when he last flew GQT, it was on the 10th April, 1982.  That's over 29 years ago!!  Dad had a great first flight back in his first ever glider, even saw a few wing-overs!

Next up, WPP's turn.  Conditions had eased a lot since my check flight, with barely 2kts around.  That didn't matter, what I noticed straight away after tow was the quiet cockpit (all the sealing work), the vario's working nicely and the LX talking to the winpilot PRO!  Sadly, never really left circling flight and didn't go over 55kts (~110kph).  But, very happy with the crisp handling of the cirrus and my purchase.



Bring on a great season and many more moons of racing!!