As our season winds down and the cross country potential fades, I begin to focus more on doing tandem flights. I got my tandem rating a couple of years ago to share the sport with my nonflying friends (spare me your smart ass comments). No explanation or watching people fly can give you a true understanding of why it is we fly. Not until you have taken to the sky in a hang glider can you really begin to understand what it is that drives us.

The forecast looked good for today. High of 31 and light winds out of the north west. The soaring forecast looked good with cloud base at 14,000’ and lift at 700 – 800’/min. Some model’s calling for stronger winds some calling for moderate winds out of the NW.

Finally. Like most pilots, I’ve wanted a hundred mile flight since I started flying cross country. I was confident after getting close several times’ last year that this would be the year I break through the hundred mile barrier. In Australia hundred mile flights are a lot more common. In Forbes they often call 100+ mile tasks. With all the rain this year conditions were softer than normal and I was unable to make goal on the longer days. Coming home my hopes were for a big flight in May on the prairies. Most hundred mile flights in Canada are in Alberta in May.

I’ve been putting a lot of effort into improving my skill and ranking over the last three seasons. Breaking my collar bone two seasons ago put an end to that season. Last season I was hoping to get 100hrs for the season. The weather turned poor in the late summer and fall. I stalled at 92hrs. I got a great start this season in Australia in January. After some good flights in Arizona I thought I might hit a 100hrs by early summer. Again I was stalled by terrible weather all summer. Finally the sun came out and I was able to break the 100hr mark this season.

Scott wins again!

Day five nat’s. The forecast was for light west winds, strong lift and a high cloud base. I’m a little sceptical with all the rain we’ve had and don’t believe the lift is going to be that great. We decide on a double out and return to Parson. This will help to keep pilots bunched up so you see lot’s of gliders on course. The total distance is 126km. We push the start times back to 3:30 to let the day develop and make sure it’s soarable before making pilots launch. I’m thinking it will get better later so I launch later and plan on taking the last start gate.

Nat's day four called due to rain.

Timmy packing up after pulling off a challanging landing.

Shaunia and I getting ready for our morning flight.

Looking sw from launch over the LZ