Flatlands XC encampment

Holiday of a Lifetime at Birchip (aka Flatlands XC encampment)

I. In summary.

The promised story of Personal Best's (PB's) and great flights. As you can only hope for the weather was brilliant which added to the great success of this trip. Even though I really only flew 2 days (with hurting my leg on the 2nd day), those 2 flights were PB's of 166km (4hrs 6min) and 162km (4hrs 15min). The 1st with clouds rising from 6500'-7500' agl and the 2nd a 10,000'+ blue day.

• There were 3 groups present, The "Geelong / Dynasoarers" group led by Rob V, The "Berrigan Boy's" (and Gal, Jo), and Our group from the "Melbourne HG Club".
• The weather was consistent but not overly hot like later in the season.
• With a few other groups also present there was a social side and not just flying.

From our group (Jeff Rickard, Leif Gorander, Jason Gorander, Steven Ross, Darrin Willie and Andrew Medew).

• We flew 5 days straight (and came home a day early as most were flown out).
• Four (4) of us flew at least PB's for distance (multiple 100km and 100mile flights).
• Some also flew PB's for height gain and/or duration.

See you all there next year or read on for a longer account if not convinced.

II. The Planning.

Well this trip has actually been a few years in the planning. Since I had started flying short XC flights in the flatlands (towing), I had started hearing stories of Rob V and the Geelong Boy's making epic flights on their yearly pilgrimage to Birchip for a week in late November / early December. In the last couple of years I had also read or been told more closely reports which had been backed up by my now local knowledge of the potential conditions at this time of the year. So the chase was on to gain interest to attend with our own small group.

This year it all came together, and another 5 pilots (Jeff Rickard, Leif Gorander, Jason Gorander, Steven Ross and Darrin Willie) joined me. The plan was to be in Birchip for the week (22nd to 30th November) and for Jeff, Leif, Jason and myself to fly as far as we could while Darrin and Steven shared the driving (renumerated) and flying between them. This week of course coincided with the Geelong / Dynasoarers group to add a larger potential social aspect.

III. The Build up.

The plan was going well and after getting up at 5am on Saturday 22nd (to finish packing), Carmen dropped Leif off at my place to share a lift. We then met Darrin when we stopped for petrol on the Calder Hwy and later had a bite to eat on the way at Malmsbury.

At Birchip the conditions were overcast with a moderate to freshening wind, but we met Neil (who was up just for the first few days) at a paddock to try things out. Unfortunately the wind did not like Neil's glider and damages arose after a premature takeoff while setting up. This put a dampener on the day (zero launches, minus 1 glider), so we packed up and headed back to camp (Neil went home to ponder life).

The Sunday was looking even less conducive to flying so we spent the day socialising with the Geelong and Berrigan (a group that normally tow at Berrigan) Boy's at the house they had rented for the week. You know the normal Hang Glider spare day, discuss previous flights, talk about the latest Gliders & Harnesses, bleed tow gauges ready for more action, etc., etc.

IV. Flying Day 1: The real start to the flying.

Monday morning and it was all systems go. Jeff, Jason and Steven had now arrived (just in time for the good weather). So with a light to moderate Southeasterly and nice cumulus clouds popping by 10am we raced out to the paddock.

Now the plan was to, set-up, mark the paddock with the GPS, tow, and then fly as far as you could (reporting Distance and Bearing to the paddock so the driver could keep track of you and later find you). This worked fantastic for Leif and Jeff who towed first and were soon blasting along and reporting distance at about 150degrees (~SSE). But after a few issues I was nearly going to called it a day (while stuck in the tow paddock), but after another look at the beautiful clouds and pilots from the other groups climbing over the paddock I gave it another go.

So at 3:20pm I released for another flight (3rd tow for the day) and decided I was getting out even if it was going to be to the paddock behind the tow paddock. After getting up to cloud base (about 6500'agl) the first 80km was quite easy. Vario beeps, take VG off, turn in circles until you hit cloud base, pull on VG, fly opposite to GPS arrow (pointing to tow paddock), start sequence again, (Oh and occasionally report the distance and bearing to driver, most important).

Around the 80km mark after looking at all the magnificent colours of Lake Tyrrell (a dried salt lake) I got low for the first time. At this time I radioed my location and that was the last time I had positive contact with the driver or other pilots. It seemed like forever but I eventually persevered, dribbled along some more, moved, persevered some more and then eventually cracked one back to cloud base which was now about 7500'agl. Here (at cloud base) I noticed a large eagle, it would have been handy if he had helped when I was low, but it was nice to see a friend to say hello too.

A glide from here took me to near the start of a large section of trees (Hattah-Kulkyne National Park) and near where I knew Leif had already landed (for a 115km PB flight). After taking a glide with the intention of landing, at 2000'agl I caught a light but smooth 200fpm thermal (normally I had been passing up anything less than 400-600fpm). I think being slightly tired and not wanting to have to work to get down was as much inspiration to stay with this thermal then actually wanting the challenge to cross 25km of trees at this time of the day (~6:15pm).

So I stayed with this nice smooth but light thermal until I had a safe glide to some small landing areas near a town about 10km into this tiger country. Then I moved a little and found the real core and took a 500fpm ride to cloud base. This gave me a safe glide to the open paddocks past the tiger country and time to take in the changed scenery below me.

Later at about the 150km mark and having no luck contacting the others that I new had been picked up I was climbing in a lazy thermal (at 7:10pm) when I saw the retrieve car heading south (I was still flying north). So a quick calculation and I glided to the deck and landed at 7:26pm (4hrs 6min) for 166km (a PB and my first 100miler). On the ground I grabbed out the trusty CDMA mobile phone and 30minutes later I was drinking ice cold retrieve car beers with the other happy pilots.

Thanks for the inspiration to keep chasing you Jeff and a special thanks to Steven for the tow and retrieve.

Day 1 summary: Leif 115km (PB and first 100km flight), Jeff 170km (PB and first 100mile flight), Andrew 166km (PB and first 100mile flight). A nice start to the week, life was good on a Monday. :-)

Day 1 tracklog

V. Flying Day 2.

On day 2 the clouds disappeared with the approaching High-pressure centre (I think that’s what happened). So out in the tow paddock the wind had eased some and the direction gone more East.

This day Jason flew 108km (PB and his first 100km flight) and Jeff landed after considering trying to fly back to the paddock from a little over 50km out. Leif unfortunately had ‘paddock suck’ (very technical term) and I injured my leg while landing back in the tow paddock after my first tow. Darrin drove for us and Steven was still trying to acclimatise to the conditions after 2 weeks at Teewah.

The day 2 tow paddock

VI. Flying Day 3.

Day 3 was lighter and now from the ESE. Leif and Jason today both got the treaded "paddock suck", while Jeff again landed at Hopetoun after again considering trying to fly back.

Adam & Vanessa (also on their way home from Teewah) dropped in for a few days. Vanessa got to tow this day and screamed out of the paddock on her first tow.

An interesting thing I watched that day was a pilot on another strip attempt to launch without being HOOKED IN. Now you might think that you do not have far to fall while running along the ground in a flat tow paddock, but consider that one end of the tow bridle is connected to the glider and one end is connect to YOU. So once you call GO GO GO you are going along for a run (drag) as the glider starts to climb nicely. Trust me this is not a pretty site and even though this pilot managed to walk away, do not try this at home. Any flying, HOOK IN and ALWAYS do a HANG CHECK.

After that excitement, I had 1 tow late in the day on Steven's FUN190 to test my leg, climbed about 1000' after release and landed 4km’s down the road. Thanks Steven, nice and easy to land those FUN's.

VII. Flying Day 4.

Day 4 and the beautiful blue skies were still here and we had a light NE. The boy's were still at it and racking up the hours, even if the lighter winds meant that longer distance was a lot more work. Leif flew around 70km, Jeff (now flying Steven's FUN190) flew around 45km, and Jason managed to land about 10km's from the paddock.

Adam also flew this day and from memory flew over 100km.

Darrin had shot off home to surprise his wife on her Birthday, so Steven took off on retrieve while I assisted Tracy on the Dynasoarers strip for a few late tows.

Jo from the Berrigan group coming in to land

VIII. Flying Day 5 and another epic for me.

Day 5 and with an expected trough and possible late Thunder Storms the prediction was good for an early start, great lift and good distance with the increasing wind assistance. By late morning the only visible cloud was light but approaching high cloud preceding the approaching trough. The wind had come around some more and there was already a reassuring strength.

Briefly the others, Jeff flew Steven's FUN about 35km, Leif flew approx. 70km flight and Jason flew 123km (for another PB). Jeff's account, "35km in two thermals, each of which went over 10000' asl (at which point I pulled out, not wanting to breach airspace regulations)".

My plan was to set-up quickly and go for more distance (after my self imposed 2-day break). Plans are great but this time I found myself releasing at just over 500' agl at 3:40pm to try and get away. Well at least the thermal I released in took me straight to 7500' agl and I was on my way, with a 30degree drift (roughly NNE).

Unlike the first day the first 30km's took me an hour and was a real struggle with many low saves after that first good thermal. But after grovelling for ages I was rewarded with a strong climb to bloody high which was also very very cold. Then the next part of the adventure started.

The next time I was low was around the 120km mark (well 4000' agl seemed low after being so high for so long). The countryside this far to the south had started to change, with irrigation and nice green areas. Then to my dismay there was a mountain range in my way. Calling up the near waypoints on the GPS and Halls Gap came up, and then it twigged that this was "The Grampians". OK, time for some mountain flying.

So at around 7pm I searched for a thermal to get me high enough to push back onto and follow a brilliant looking and western facing rock escarpment. Patience paid off and soon I found myself at 7:30pm cruising at 10,000' over a fantastic sunlit rock escarpment amongst green trees. It was most spectacular and the type of inspiration that keeps you going on your flying journeys.

Trees stopped further progress and I landed in a lush green field at the base of ‘The Grampians’ at 7:55pm, after launching from dusty Birchip 162km and (4hrs 15min) before. I again took out the mobile phone (probably didn't need CDMA this close to civilisation) and gave the retrieve car my GPS coordinates. I packed up watching brilliant colours as the sunset shone onto the rock escarpment I had just been flying over. A few phone calls later (to Mal and my parents) to talk about the flight I had just experienced and the retrieve car arrived with ice cold beer to top it all off.

Thanks Leif and then Jason (123km) to focus my chase on, and Steven again for the tow and retrieve.

Life doesn't get much better than that. :-)

Day 5 tracklog

IX. Conclusions.

• This time of the year the weather is consistent to epic 10,000'+. The temperatures are milder compared to later in the season, making the tow paddock a lot more bearable.
• Dress up for the milder conditions, as that 10degrees on the ground makes base very very cold.
• Be prepared to be more selective for paddocks to land in, as some will still have unharvested wheat in them. (Personally I found plenty of paddocks to reassure me when occasionally low and the mixture of wheat, stubble, and dirt paddocks, and with harvesters driving around paddocks made for easy thermals (IMHO).)
• All landings should be treated with the same 200% concentration. I personally make sure that I am concentrating this 200% when performing outlandings (where assistance is not available). But occasionally when landing back in the tow paddock my mind is probably on "why didn't you get out ...", made worse by trying to make it fancy right next to the end of the tow line.

X. Finally.

Geoff Combs from the Dynasoarers group (who did not fly on the first day) flew over 200km twice. So I guess I will have to return next year to go higher, longer and stronger. :-)

Thanks to the others pilots that attended and helped bring my plans to reality, and a special thanks to Darrin and Steven for giving up their time to drive for us.