Our last club meeting was on Tuesday 4 February at 7:30pm at the Weston Creek Labor Club. The topic presented by Phil Lyng was airspace, and how we go about flying in and around it.
Club meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month except December (which is our Christmas party instead) and January.
Attendance
Rene Sedlmaier, Wes Kilham, Allister Higgins, Peter Evans, Phil Robinson, Alistair Dickie, Kevin Beavan, Sharon Dowling, Nick Lemon, Bilal Babadagi, Ken Crowe, Michael Hately, Phil Lyng, Phil Dieckmann, Ash Gosili, Doug Mathie, Alex Chapman, Mats Henrikson, Peter Kupsovsky, Mark Sullivan, Tony Murney
Apologies: Jim Astley
New Members/guests: Tony Murney and Mark Sullivan introduced themselves
Site Updates
Our ACTHPA site guide will be updated again soon and will be listed on the main SAFA site guide, so it is available to all pilots. Work on new sites, such as Tidbinbilla, has been hampered by recent bush fires and will need to wait until the fire season is over and access is restored.
Lake George Gates
Please ensure that gates are shut at all times, which includes any entry and any exit. Leaving a gate open while retrieving from the lake bed could allow unauthorized entry. Closing gates is a condition of our access. Please do not leave cars parked within the paddock on top of the escarpment.
No Flying During Total Fire Ban
While there is a clear policy regarding Spring Hill when there are total fire ban days or days with extreme, severe or catastrophic fire danger, we need to develop a fire policy regarding Lake George. In the meantime similar restrictions should apply.
Airstrip at Collector
Winderadeen is the property at Collector, where there is a private airstrip. The manager of the property has asked that we avoid the airstrip and there has been extensive discussion about this issue within the powered flying community. We anticipate the matter will be resolved satisfactorily in further discussion.
Relationships with the RC Club
This group has had access to Lake George for many years and we have always had a cordial relationship. Recently there have been issues about sharing airspace and landing zones. The simple solution is for ACTHPA pilots to land to the south when RC pilots are active and as far as possible for us to avoid flying in their designated airspace.
Parachute Repack Night
Rene is following up on this, looking for a site. To be conducted by Stephen York.
Club Weekends
Easter we will go to Corryong and link again with the Sky High Club.
State of Origin in Manilla
Contact is Graham Rose.
Bright weekend
Possible date is the Canberra Day long weekend.
Other possibilities include Stanwell and the Blue Mountains.
Extreme Weather
The ACT and surrounding regions have been experiencing extreme weather events, including fire risk, high temperatures, smoke haze and intense storms.
All ACTHPA sites will be closed on days when there are Total Fire Bans. This obviously means no flying and no vehicle access.
Extreme conditions have created serious hazards for summer flying, especially during the middle of the day and pilots should seriously consider the risk of strong thermic activity, severe turbulence and for PG pilots the possibility of collapses. At Spring Hill it is wise to consult the land owner and other experienced pilots about when conditions might suit your level of ability and experience. Generally early morning flights and late afternoon flights will be safer and more enjoyable.
Smoke Haze
Pilots must observe the visual site rules.
The Club will consider writing a policy document regarding extreme weather conditions.
Wind Talker for Lanyon
Hopefully this might be agreed by April. Installation first requires an environmental impact assessment. Parks ACT has been understandably busy with bush fires.
Missing harness ? Harness found at Lake George…..possibly for tree climbing.
Awards
Eagle Award
Alex Chapman for a flight of 188 kms from Collector, a new site record.
Novice Award
Novice Award had many contenders.
Michael Hately flew for 5 hours at Manilla, achieving a height of 10,000 feet. Kevin Beaven flew his first XC of 6kms. Alex Boiko had a series of good flights at Bright, with one XC of approx. 26kms. Phil Dieckmann completed his 100th flight and his first coastal flight in SA. Awarded to Michael Hately.
FARK Award
Awarded to Mats Henrikson who landed his HG in a tree at Lake George. It was a smoky day and he reported turning too hard while trying to stay up and miscalculating. Lesson: Don’t be in a hurry to launch because the wind might drop. Try not to launch when stressed because other pilots are already in the air. Accept that you might not be able to stay up and make an early decision to land.
Phil Dieckmann reported a tail wind landing at Bright. Difficult when there is a sudden wind shift, but try to maintain situational awareness. Check instruments, wind socks, trees for wind direction.
Progression
Rene noted new requirements in the SAFA Ops Manual for PG progression. Regarding XC flights the new rule is five 40 km flights for PG5.
Pilots were requested to always use radios. Most common frequency is HGFA Open (472.125 MHz, no tone squelch). Check SAFA website for frequencies.
Doug Mathie and Rene Sedlmaier can help with frequencies and tuning.
Meeting Close followed by presentation by Phil Lyng.
