Joeyglide 2006

The hike to Leeton started on the 28th of December taking Tim Wilson's LS6 "LP" from Benalla. The weather looked like it was going to be good for the comp as through the Years Leeton in January has usually turned it on. I arrived at about 7pm and it was straight to the pub for dinner to catch up with a lot of people that I hadn't seen since the last comp and some new faces I had never met before. I had a couple of days the get sorted out flying the 6 and what a lovely machine it is to fly.

Day 1: Proved to be a bit of a tricky day but very good at the start. An AAT task of Boree Creek-Bribabee-Mason. Around the start was looking quite promising with good climbs an plenty of cu I turned early in the first sector which turned out to be a good move because it all started to clag in and thunderstorm over the task area seemed to bring a lot of people undone who turned late in the first sector outlanding soon after. I got up to the top of the second sector but things got a bit dicey as the storm was moving north straight through where I had to go. I managed to catch Adam Woolley over West Wyalong and we ran the 20k in front of the storm for 50k with an L/D of 100 to 1 we got into the last sector and turned back east to try and get back around the storm but it was not getting easy Adam kept pushing on but I found a big gap and decided to head through it in a run back to Leeton with about 60k to run on the other side the air was smooth and no lift at all I groveled for a while but ran out of height just east of Barellen so I landed in a nice big stubble paddock only 20k from home. It turned out only one person got back and the rest of us outlanded so I was quite content with 5th place for the day.

Day 2 didn't happen until the New Year and a system had come through and sat around for a few days. The Task was a 300k speed task The Rock-Temora. The weather was quite good with cu up to 7000ft but the other side of the Murrumbidgee was blue which proved to be very tricky which was my downfall for the day and getting low near the rock didn't help much either. On the other side of the river was good working my way back up and a 50k final glide after Temora was not too bad. 10th for the day bit slow but still learn from your mistakes

Day 3 My worst day for the comp. the task was a 4 hour AAT to Naradahan- Bribabee-Skinner, so to do well in an LS6 you have to fly over 500k in those 4 hours to do well which was always going to be difficult. I seemed to dash up the first leg pretty well nearly maxing out the first sector. I think my main problem was I was a long way from home and was being to cautious and trying to stay as high as possible which probably was not such a good idea when there were constant 6 knots about and I was stopping for 3 I was already along way north heading east so I ended up in the northern end of the second sector which was ok. The day was starting to die heading back south. That's where it got real ordinary, I got into the last sector and just nipped it then a stuffed up my final glide which cost me big time, I thought I had it then I had to stop in 2 knots because I was not going to make it 20k out, I hit heavy sink and it was there I had blown it. 14th for today. Not very happy at all.

Day 4 The day I redeemed myself thank god a speed task of Temora-Ungarie 300k was set we all launched straight up into 7500ft, it was going to be a good day so I had to fly as fast as I could and just concentrate on not taking anything less than what the day had. 7 knots was my aim for every climb. Full of water I had to fly at 120knots between climbs to make it worth while. I started with the rest of the group and worked my way out to my first climb on track I saw 2 gliders thermalling so I went straight to it. Hello I thought they are going up and I'm not. This isn't good I spent 5 minutes trying to get into it and I couldn't, decision time I was 40k from home then I had blown it then and there already, so I turned for home getting lower and lower, I thought to my self this is going to be embarrassing. I got back to Leeton at about 3 still full of water and it was 1430 I found a decent climb and restarted, by this time most people were turning to Temora 100k away. This had just turned into a catch up race now I barreled across to Temora and always looking at my watch I had a mental focus that I had to be there at that time no matter what 45 minutes I allowed for 100k it worked but I was down to 4000 by the time I turned Temora but I pushed on lower giving my self another time limit for Ungarie I gave myself about an hour because I was pushing into wind I got quiet low over Barmedman but found a good climb over a farm house which got me back up. I had made Ungarie on time, I found a climb over the top of the town and got as high as I could as it was pushing me home and a street was forming just to the east of where Leeton was, I was 3000 below glide, so I jumped on the street and flew fast and pulled up in the good air which got me up to final glide I rode it until I knew I was home. Final glide of 100k without a turn, what a day, the fastest I had ever flown 300k at 134kph still only good enough for 5th place because of my handicap but it was great fun.

Day 5 Final Day a 2 hour AAT of Mason- Ariah Park-Skinner-Yanco the weather was not looking like it was going to go at all but Ingo took a launch in the IS28 and groveled away downwind until we couldn't see him anymore, then gave a call he was at 7000ft along way downwind. Our fearless Comp Director Nick Gilbert basically said righteo on your bike you are going, well the moans on the grid where deafening, so off we went it was alright except a fair old Northerly was blowing and we all hate working into wind, I got real low past Ariah Park having to Dump all my water and grovel in a knot for quiet a while but it was just one of those days where you just had to make it home cause for me it was not going to really matter the only the top 3 had a points race, but in the end I worked out alright I did jump a couple of places, 8th for the day.

I ended up 7th overall which I was pretty pleased about considering I had not been flying all that much, and flying a different glider as well, but we were mainly there for fun, the social life is fantastic and just catching up with some old mates, comp flying is just a bonus for it. I urge anyone who is thinking about doing Joeyglide or even just want to come for a look, I assure you, you will have a great time.

I would like to thank a few people for making it all happen. Tim Wilson a new member of the GCV for letting me borrow his LS-6 LP for free, you're a Champion mate thanks and It will be looking spot on the next time your up. John Switala for all his help in trying to find a glider for me, and donating the Victorian team shirts, great job thank you. Mike Kornhauser for sponsoring me and paying for some of my tows, great effort thanks very much, everyone at the GCV for all the support, the Leeton and Wagga Clubs for putting on the comp and Nick Gilbert for all his support and time he put into the Junior Nationals because without him we would not have a competition.

The Competition will be in mid December at Gawler this year with Victoria trying to put a team together. We are also looking for gliders to fly and some sponsorship as well, if you are interested in helping us out email me at adam.ianson@gmail.com and if any one in the clubs wants to find out what the juniors are all about go to www.joeyglide.com. It's well worth a look.

I strongly urge all the juniors to have a look as well. They do provide cross country coaching with some of Australia's top pilots for the ones who are not quiet up to comp speed. It's worth it. So have a look at joeyglide.com or contact me and we will organise something.

Adam "Charlie" I'Anson