Sunday - August 23, 1998

Subject: Sunday Out and About

Saturday, they say, provided good but choppy thermals from 10:00 onward.
Sunday, the lift gods slept in until 11:30 -- a weekend opportunity for
us all, eh? -- and then they suddenly formed a large CU right over the
field that sent the few of us at Stanley scurrying.

Pat Tye launched the Smyk and I right into a thermal that averaged 3kn
to 4500' and the game was on. There was a tempting cloud line to the
west but, as often happens, the The Minas Basin weakened thermals for a
few miles beyond Windsor.  Rather than tip toe I turned southeast and
ran as thermals strengthened and cloud bases rose. By 12:30 five knot
averages and 6,000' were available and winds were westerly at just 9 to
12 knots -- the day was a boomer!~! 

Over Bedford a max thermal gave a smooth climb to 7,500'.  Halifax
Terminal kept following and contacting -- he could see me on radar when
I was moving in straight flight but filters removed the image when
stopped for thermaling. 

Turning northeast, I traveled along Grand Lake's western shore and aimed
at Truro.  Halifax Terminal called a soutbound commercial letting down
for Halifax and vectored him to ensure we didn't get within five miles
of each other (a good service and a reason for regular contact when on
x-country.)  I monitored one exchange with interest.  A commercial asked
if the glider was using transponder. The reply was "negative, only one
has a transponder and he is not up today" -- They are getting to know us
well!

Just short of Truro, I turned west and flew under a line of cus,
thermaling only once, all the way to Windsor at an average 70 knots,
dropping only 4000' feet along the way. Magic!~! Even western pilots
would have been delighted -- and it was not like Brandon at all.

Cheers 

Charles