These are genuine kilometers, unsullied by any form of electronic logging.

No notably long or fast flights in my antique Glasflugel Kestrel, but plenty of slow ones. 85.5 kph overall for the season, about 5 kph down on last season. No outlandings.

Other individuals did much longer flights and up to 22,000 km over the season, as I recall. Much of this was recorded on the On-Line Contest.

My impression was that the season was sub-standard, mainly due to several unusually severe incursions of moist tropical air from the north; however it turned out that Benalla was perhaps the gliding site least affected.

We were prevented from going more than 200 - 300 km north of Benalla due to weakening conditions on a number of days. The Snowy Mtns. 200 km E of Benalla were out of bounds virtually all season due to persistent moist air coming in from the east coast. West and southerly tracks from Benalla were unaffected.

O and R Narrandera at about 98 kph.

Light NE wind, 26 deg C and cumulus.

A wander east to the foothills, then west to Colbinabbin.

Patchy conditions with cumulus at 6000 ft.

Stable, 31 deg., light wind, stubble fires.

Peechelba - Howlong - Milewa.

The only useful cumulus were over the hills near Beechworth in 4500 ft airspace. Clearance from Albury was refused because aerial survey work was in progress in that area.

Stable, with weak, isolated cu's only over the hills.

Unexpected hole in general cirrus cover centred on Benalla.

Humid to N and E, mod. NE wind.

Progress E of Corryong thwarted by moisture coming over Snowy Mtns from E coast, but better conditions on 2nd leg SE to Eildon via Mt. Buller with good cu's. 97 kph

Lt E wind, 36 deg, good cu's except to W, with showers in N of task area.

Boobooran (S of Hay), E to L Urana, Merrijig (near Mt. Buller).

Spectacular downburst near Urana, with lightning, heavy rain and walls of dust to perhaps 4000 ft.

111 kph

Hot, blue and stable, with good cu's deep into the mountains well S of Mts Hotham and Buller

Mod. W wind, 35 deg C. Isolated cu. over mtns, heavy cirrus W of Benalla.

A slow, high trip to mts Bogong and Feathertop

Better than yesterday. Cu's only N of Murray R, reaching 11,500.

113 kph

Calm, blue and stable day, with tantalizing isolated cu's over the hills that retreated eastwards.

Met up with Bob Nicholls E of Mt. Buffalo, chasing scraps of cu towards Mt. Bogong. We then found a weak convergence marked by cloud from about Cleve Cole Hut on Mt. Bogong all the way across the High Plains to Mt Hotham, gradually climbing 2000 ft above cloudbase to 10,000, where we headed for home. Not a ripple until about half way back at Mt. Emu.

35 deg. C with Cu's to 9000 ft, lowering at turn point due to wet ground and trough. Followed a good dry track via Jerilderie and just W of the Colleambally rice area and the Griffith irrigation.

A good run: 108 kph.

Blue to far W, trough still E of Albury .Good Cu's over the task area.

98 kph

A stable blue day with light NW wind, 24 deg. C. A large band of cirrus from the NW blanked out Benalla in mid- afternoon, but left the run west to Bendigo unaffected.

Slow progress due to broken thermals, initially to 4000, increasing to 6000 ft. One low spot of 2500 ft..

71 kph overall

Blue, weak and stable with light N wind and some patches of high cirrus.

Pair flying with Louise O'Grady. A slow trip N with several low spots, improving to 5000' max at Urana. Return trip again a struggle near Murray R. A difficult day with several outlandings.

Light N wind, 32 deg. C max, humid with thunderstorms forecast to the N of Benalla.

A late start at 1.45 pm, about the earliest one could confidently head off. Slow and blue at first, but some feeble soggy cu's at about 5000 to the N. Conditions gradually improved heading N, becoming very good from The Rock to about Lake Urana, with cloudbase reaching 8500. This area had escaped the general 50 mm of rain over the past week. Some deterioration and lower cloudbase further W around Jerilderie, then a rapid collapse south of there with dead cu's to about 20 km south of Yarrawonga. 1500 ft short of final glide at Y, but a reprieve from still-active cu's S of Wilby.

104 kph overall

A fairly stable day, max 22 deg and light NW wind, with cu's mainly on and E of track. A slow start, but conditions much better further NE. Max 7000 ft near Henty. Things died early on return trip, being very slow south of the Murray. Last feeble lift near Wangaratta gave final glide.

A cold unstable air mass remaining from persistent southerlies and snow showers earlier in the week. Light wind, cumulus, 20 deg C. max.Snow on Mt. Kosciusko clearly visible from above Benalla.

A slow run east to Mt. Bogong, where the S- facing gullies appeared skiable. Turned SW at Mt. B. because conditions further E appeared unreliable. Proceeded past Mt. Feathertop where there was snow in the gullies but no State government ministers visible, then a good high run across the donga to Mt. Buller, reaching 8500 ft at times. Still some snow boarders there playing just S of the summit.

Proceeded NW past Benalla to Tocumwal before returning to B at 6.30 pm almost on the last gasp!

A good (if somewhat delayed) start to the season! 95 kph.

Lt. E wind, 30 deg C. Smoke S of Shepparton and Echuca.

Cu's almost continuous after Shepparton, apart from a blue area NW of Moulamein. A vast sand desert in far NW. Max 9000 ft.

100kph

Lt. ESE wind, 29 deg C. Blue to W, then a few cu's E of Benalla later. Bushfire smoke N and S of track.

86 kph

A bit groggy after anoxic trip yesterday, so oxygen remembered today, with beneficial effect.

90 min grovelling over Benalla waiting for the inversion to break (and observing the long queue of gliders on the airfield), then a fabulous run at 125 kph average under similar conditions to yesterday. Cloudbase 15,000 ft, the highest I can remember! Very noticeable sea breeze front later at about the latitude of Nagambie.

Personal total of 300,000 km passed (all without a logger)

Late start, then cu's everywhere except to NE. Lt NNW wind, max 42 deg, 12000 max. 114 kph

38 deg C, lt. winds. Nice and relaxing under Cu's N of the Rock. 108 kph

Blue, S wind, RASP forecast of convergence zone towards Mt Buller (which did not happen)

Launched very early before Nationals pilots

Blew the 100 km opportunity (again) by launching too early and had a re-light after 45 mins trying to stay afloat.

42 deg C, moderate NW wind. Cu's to 13,000 eventually, but only N of The Rock. 117 kph.

A fabulous day!

Lt. winds, 33 deg. C. Cu only N of The Rock and in the hills to the east. Good example of sea breeze front just E of the spine of the Snowy Mtns., with cloudbase about 3000 ft lower.

Max 10,000 ft. Turned Mt K. at 4.50 PM but got home without drama.

101 kph

Good cumulus to 10,000 after trough moved further east. 100 kph

20 kt S wind, max 23 deg C, good cumulus cover S of Benalla, but very sparse to the north.

Explored S of Benalla with Jonathon Walker in his Discus for wave over the Strathbogies, without success. Pushed into wind to just S of Seymour, following clouds over the edge of the hills. 80 kph

Strong SW wind, 26 deg C. Cu's over area flown, blue further N and W. Some good streets. Max 6500, min 4000, 108 kph overall.

Mod SSW wind, 27 deg C max. Very good conditions from Holbrook to Corryong area. Dead areas with cold air intrusions from the south near Mt.Youngal and N of Dartmouth Dam. Max 8500 ft, no low spots, 98 kph overall.

Very strong W wind with heavy and increasing cirrus to the N and W of Benalla, cu's over the hills, 27 deg C max.

Chris towed me downwind to where it was still sunny and working, Benalla being completely dead. It was then a matter of following weak cumulus over the hills and gambling on getting high enough for a final glide back under the cirrus. Max 8500 near Bogong, with some weak shear wave above the cumulus. 83 kph overall, no low spots.

E. to Mt. Townsend (near Mt. Kosciusko), NW to Yerong Creek (just south of The Rock)via Tumbarumba area, Benalla. 96 kph overall, no low spots. Light NE wind, 27 deg C max.

Conditions weaker over hill country, mainly 3 - 4 knot climbs, with some dead stretches. Cloud touching the top of Kosciusko. Extensive snow cover on Snowy Mtns from K area as far N as Mt. Jagungal remained from southerly outbreak a few days earlier. Conditions much better on last leg back to Benalla with 5 - 6 knots and cloud base rising to 9,000 ft.

RASP forecast (which I hadn't bothered to get before launching) correctly predicted the best area as being the Benalla- Rock stretch, but was overly pessimistic in suggesting that the hills to the east would be very weak.

Heavy overcast approaching from N and W associated with a trough. 28 deg C, light Ne wind. It was just possible to fit in a short tour eas to the N end of the Kiewa Valley then W to Peechelba, passing round the S edge of the Albury airspace before it became unsoarable at Benalla. 92 kph overall

Relaxed trip north to Barellan (on rail line, east of Griffith). Fabulous cu's to 11,000 ft eventually, but some high overcast south of Murray R. Easy final glide from Oaklands. Country very green north and east of Narrandera.

110 kph overall without ever exceeding 80 knots!

Good cu's to 6000 ft cloudbase eventually. 19 deg. C. mod. NW wind. Mainly 2 - 4 kts, occasionally 5. Completely overcast at Benalla by 5 pm, grading to blue well N of Murray R.

Light NE wind, max 25 deg C, good cumulus to 8,000 ft. Strong conditions to Buller, then good street to about Mt. Buffalo. Conditions became progressively weaker towards 2nd turn point. 90 kph overall, no low points, 2litres stbd. wing ballast water drunk by pilot (portion thereof discharged to undercarriage well not known)

O and R to Narrandera with Tim Wilson (17.5m LS6), Bill Anderson (17m DG200) and Shaun Driscoll (huge Nimbus 3). Generally weak - mod. blue thermals, eventually to 6500 ft., light wind. Tim overtook the two 17m pensioners just after the turn point by finding the only really strong thermal of the day. Shaun started later than the others and caught up by Narrandera

Wonderful Cu's at 8500 ft with light N wind, 33 deg. C. Most relaxing trip NNW to Hay, E to Narrandera Range, then S back to Benalla cruising between 5000 and 8000 with no low spots. Final glide from Narrandera, 200 km without a turn. Achieved L/D 200:1! (Not bad for a 1973 Kestrel 17)115 kph overall

Stable with very late start. Isolated cu's deep in the hills, but too late to go any significant distance.

An enjoyable jaunt in the general area of The Rock - Deliliquin - Benalla area with good cumulus at about 7,000 ft, in the company of at least six others. The first two legs were very fast. The stretch from The Rock westwards to Lake Urana was done without circling alongside Steve Turner(?) in his magnificent new 18m flapped Schleicher machine which cost a king's ransom. Hubris tempted me further W. beyond Jerilderie almost to Deniliquin, whereas all the others followed the clouds back S to Benalla, or deviated E to enjoy the good conditions. My last cloud was just short of Deniliquin and it was blue all the way home SE across the irrigation, which was as dead as mutton. A dry patch half way across saved my bacon, which enabled a long, slow climb to final glide height. 95 kph overall.

An interesting run in varied conditions with Bob Nicholls (Ventus 2), Jonathon Walker (Discus), Peter Hokkanen (Nimbus 3).Hot stable conditions, generally blue to N and W of Benalla. Cu's petered out on first leg to The Rock, but were still present for the other two legs. Run SE to Kosciusko very fast, 10,000 ft at K, then a slow, high grind W back to Benalla, despite good-looking clouds over the hills. 100 kph approx. overall.

A rare day: cumulus in all directions from Benalla! A good run with several others and cloudbase to 8500 ft. Light E wind, 28 deg. C. Speed 109 kph

Good clouds over hills for first two legs, blue from Culcairn on return. Conditions variable, eg weak near Mitta Mitta valley and over Snowy Mtns. Max 9500 ft. Speed about 97 kph.

1 pm start, cu's gradually rising to 10,000 ft by 4 pm. Blue S. of Murray R. on return. 113 kph, despite slow cruise of 70 - 80 kts. Best av. climb 11 kts!

Mod NW wind and forecast 32 deg. C. 13,000 ft. cloudbase and comforetable final glide from Oaklands. 100 kph approx.

Stable day with high approaching, 19 deg. C. Hung around Benalla area because of unreliable thermals

Cold, unstable air mass, light W. wind with cumulus. Task: Yarrawonga (blue N. of Murray R.), Myrtleford (overdeveloped and low cloudbase further E. in hills), Euroa (blue further W.). Cloudbase 4500 - 5500 ft., lift generally 3 kts., occasionally 5 - 6 kts. 80 kph average

Cu's at 7000 ft, 32 deg. C. Light wind

NW to Barham on Murray R, S to Maryborough, then ENE back to Benalla. Large detour on last leg to avoid cold air advancing from S up Goulburn valley. A varied and interesting trip.

95 kph.

32 deg. C with strong W. wind. Good cumulus at 9000 ft, except to N. of Benalla.

Conditions over irrigation good due to water restrictions in drought.

34 deg C, moderate NNE wind. Good cumulus at 9000 ft everywhere.

Route: NNW to road junction on Sturt Hwy. W of Hay, then east along Murrumbidgee R. to Narrandera.

A great run at 115 kph.