Yesterday half the field turned up for a practice fly and to sort out accommodation here at Dalby.
7 Kiwis have already set up at the campground at the airfield, which is free and has electricity, a toilet and shower (no hot water). All sorts of accommodation are here from small tents to buses and massive caravan rigs. Last year a few pilots turned up in their private plane. Things are well set up here with a beer fridge in the hanger full to the brim and at $3.50 a beer you can have a few after landing back at the hanger after a good flight.
This year we have an open air movie theatre at the camp ground and Mad Max, Fury Road was showing last night. When you're in Australia, native wildlife is always in abundance, with plenty of birds to be seen but it gets a bit worrying when a shed snake skin is lying in the camp ground and it is over a meter long. So far only a few magpies and three resident frogs in the toilet have been seen, which is a good sign as if the snake was still around the frogs would not be here.
Saturday started off blue but by around midday clouds had formed and it was looking like it could overdevelop. The queue for the tow line grew very quickly and pilots were released into light thermals above the airfield.
Lift was light until more altitude was gained and then the climb increased until cloud base was reached at 7500ft. Once there it was easy flying from cloud to cloud or along the cloud streets.
Most pilots got back to the aerodrome and those that arrived today managed to get a test flight in. NZ pilots who crossed the Tasman; John Smith, Hagen, Guy Williams, Tish & Chris, Paris, Derek, Mark Alton, Neville [Free Flying] and Lisa [Free Flying].
With over 60 pilots having registered for the comp, numbers are up on last year by 20%.
Dalby Big Air is becoming a popular event due to its great flying and well run pilot friendly comp.
