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Cap’n Carol’’s Chronicles

Monday 28^th July

Another hot day here in Lusse. The organization is slowly but surely coming together and the briefing hall is being well equipped with hundreds of tables and bench seats ready for the first official briefing which will happen tomorrow. Up to now it has been unofficial training, with no briefings and ‘free for all’ flying. All somewhat relaxed.

This morning our two gliders present filled up with water and went for their scrutineering. Our friend, Art Grant, from Canada is a familiar face to be found there. Laurens is smiling as he is still under weight with the engine and full of water, so he can now personally fill up on pasta!! Quintin however also has an engine (a sustainer) and he will have to drop a bit of water each day – not very much, so he too is relatively happy.

Have also now done all the registration and dealt with all the paperwork aspects for those of us that are here, so that is finished and completed. The only “missing piece” is a new weight & balance certificate for Laurens’s glider. It has different wing tips now fitted for Laurens and the competition to the ones, which the owner normally uses, so a new certificate is required from Schleicher. But that is now organized and will be faxed today.

Yesterday Quintin tested out the motor at the end of his flight and ironed out a problem or two that he experienced – so now he knows what to expect and at what altitude he should prepare to get it out, if needed, but obviously we hope he won’t need to use it to get home. Laurens’s glider is self-launching and despite what seemed a very long take-off run, all was well and once airborne the glider climbed well.

Sadly our team ‘ huts’ are parked behind the hangars out of view of the airfield and the ‘ action’ – not ideal at all for seeing everything that is happening. But on the plus side we do have an internet connection and power, so guess we are thankful for that. We are busy with getting our big antenna (thanks to Herbert Martin) erected and then we should have radio comms with the pilots.

So gradually things are happening and Team S.Africa is coming together.

Steve Thomas is already ‘ on standby’ and has been putting information on the SSSA website when I send him updates – he says look above the pics of the team members for the day’s reporting, and/or under news on the l.h.s. index on the SSSA website.