This weekend was one of those DNF ones, with loads of annoyance thrown in.

Saturday: I dropped off friends at Brisbane airport first, then drove up to Tamborine: but it's pretty much dead up there, windstreamer hanging limply, only two or three hangies lounging around. Phone Richard: he said he was at Beechmont and it was light up the face, so I drove there, everybody unpacked and set up, and then....it went dead. Again. We waited. We packed up (first time that day).

Drove back to Tambo as some hangies were heard on the radio boating around above launch. Richard drove like a madman, launched, got up. One other guy launched, just cleared the trees and had a low save, got up too. Then it went dead at launch yet again. We waited. And waited. Finally it's over the back. Packed up (second time).

Drove back to Beechmont. Set up and it died off. Packed up (third time). Then I drove down to the bombout to pick up two people who had had sleddies.

Sunday: We're at Tambo but it's mostly dead. Quite some people doing sleddies, then a thunderstorm starts coming up. Susan almost ends up in the trees off launch, has an extended sleddie in the end. Richard launches, boats around for ages. The thunderstorm comes closer, I can see the first lightning hits and decide not to launch and pack up: 5 min later it's over the back. Richard toplanded maybe 5 min before it started raining. Back into town, food, then another drive up the hill in the rain to bring a visiting pilot back to his place...

Net result of the weekend: lots of empty kilometers and waiting around.

[ published on Mon 29.05.2006 12:49 | filed in interests/flying | ]
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