Ahhh, a bus mans holiday in Byron Bay. I have just had the most amazing week of flying in the Byron Bay area of NSW. I drove up last weekend just after Sydney and the Hunter region got hammered by some storms and flooding, into the most perfect week of weather you could have hoped for.
I have been training Nic in the ever reliable “Tweetie” (VH-SOK). This long suffering balloon has probably had almost as many student hours in it as it has by me personally and at 14 years and now 480 hours it just keeps going. Two up we have been averaging about 0.6 liters/min, which is pretty damn good in my books. Considering this balloon was the test batch for our new Duralife fabric way back in 1994 I am wondering if it will ever wear out.
All up we have done a total of 9.2 hours of instruction in 7 flights. All have been over a wide range of conditions and also included Nic's first solo.
A highlight of the week has been the start of some gliding lessons. Unfortunately with the focus being on balloon training I have not had the time to focus on the gliding but I have had two instructional flights in an ASK21 mi and will have another this afternoon. This little baby is a fantastic little motor glider that has a tiny radial engine an prop that folds away behind the cockpit. It is fully acrobatic and a real pleasure to fly.
No landings yet but I am getting it around the circuit and lined up on final which feels great. On my second flight I got to weave in and out of the top of a little cumulus cloud – it felt like I was zipping in and out of a mountain!
I am going to have to come up to focus on the gliding for a few weeks some time, it is so much fun.
Back to the real world soon which is on one hand a bit sad because the people up here have been great to hang out with and despite flying so much, I have been feeling the most relaxed I have felt for a while.
Next stop, the Nationals. I can't wait.
Thomas and I getting ready for a flight in the ASK21 motor glider.
The view towards Mt. Warning as we approached cloud base in the glider. Just an amazing place to be flying balloons and gliders.
Me and Nic after she nailed a landing on top of a hill one afternoon. Great spot to land.
Nic and Matt Scaife on an afternoon flight near Byron. Here we are only about 1km in from the coast (out of shot on the left!) This was the second training flight and the grin just got bigger as the week went on.
