Today – Sunday 5 August –  was a cracking day ay Pendleton for the Gatineau Gliding Club. The skies were crisp, clear and blue initially with myriads of cumulus clouds as the day wore on. As it transpired it was a good thermalling day for most, even if a little challenging. We had a record turnout for this season, with 32 flights in all. After a few training flights at the beginning of the day’s flying, an array of private owner ships looked like the take-ff grid for the Nationals, and were launched by two tow planes in quick succession. Most of them, once launched, were gone for the afternoon, and included: Ulli Werneberg; Wolfgang (in M7), followed by Rick Sudycko later in M7; Roger in ‘AT’; Jarek in his new (SZD-55) toy; Dan in 2D (the first time the 3 SZD-55’s at the club were up together; Nick Bonniere; Ian Fortin (who had two flights); Ron Smith; Jacques Asselin; and Ulo Okapuu.
Nick landed out at ‘Williams field North’, down near Prescott, and being a 3,500 ft., strip, was able to be towed out by Simon Dufour in the Pawnee. When I left for home, the only one still aloft was Ulo Okapuu, and I hope he arrived back, without circumnavigating the globe. I was on duty in the morning but ended up instructing until the close of operations, alongside Gord Jeremic, the afternoon instructor, due to the increasing numbers turning up at the airfield to fly. Gord and I, each flew Evan Dewe, the newest SAC bursary holder on one flight each, and I checked out Roberto Figeuroa to go solo in IFX. I also gave Len Faskin a couple of flights in the Puchacz and cleared him for a flight in our L-33, Tango Romeo. I also flew David ‘Jeneton', and his son, both visiting from Cambridge, England. David bought a 5-Pack, and I flew his 12-year-old son as my guest. David and his son came with David’s father, who is Canadian, and who Martin Lacasse and I met at the breakfast fly-n at Saint Andre-Avellin a couple of weeks ago.
Martin Lacasse, Greg Baumeister, and Tom Hastie, each had a flight in our ASW-20. Rob Williams had a couple of flights with passengers in the Puchacz, and I completed the day with Peter Muhl, who has artificial claw grips where his hands were (lost in a machine press accident), on a Freedom’s Wings flight. Peter, who is getting married at the end of the month, exhibited remarkable dexterity, with his artificial hand replacements, performing turns onto headings and thermalling under guidance.

All in all, we had five flights in BQN, five flights in the Puchacz, three flights in the ASW-20, one flight in the L-33, and six flights in the Super Blanik. One other event worth remarking on was a call down fro Air Transat Flight 209, at 40,000 ft., heading into Toronto from Europe. I had hoped to make John W., jealous by flying with Sandrine, at the time, but she was probably already awaiting his return in Montreal.

Sky in the Gatineau Hills – by Martin Lacasse in RM at 5,000′

Doug L-L.