Thursday 4 October 2012

Passenger to pilot windrushers style - autum 2012

The club is beginning to wind down our summer operation and we will soon be down to flying Wed, Thur and Fri, as well as the weekends.

For me its been a very busy soaring season, trying to cram a lot of flying in to the few good days my family, job and good weather have allowed. Needless to say progress has been made, I attained my Bronze and silver this year, competed in my first regional competition and although I finished stone cold last it was a really good learning curve. Up until the start of the comp the longest flight I had done was my 50k for silver and day one was straight in with a 250km task....yes that curve was steep. I pushed myself, abandoned a few, got round a few and landed out all while being looked after by a cracking bunch of club members. It's a testament to the clubs instructional attitude and camaraderie that comes with looking after the next generation of soaring pilots that not once did I feel out of my depth. someone was always on hand to come fetch me from a field, give helpful advice when the conditions were not perfect or indeed just towing out to the grid.

As the year winds down I am now working on my BI rating, having done all the prep the actual course is taking place in October so by the time I next right I should have my basic instructors rating...fingers crossed.

So whats the plan for next year?

Mainly to pass on my enthusiasm for gliding to the blogg's coming in off the street. So often do we here the visitors asking the same stereotypical questions about "going up and floating down" or "what do you do when the wind stops" that the process of educating and enlightening them to the prospects of engine less flight and their reaction afterwards is something I am looking forward to being a part of.

Oh and my 300 and 500km badges next year too....

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