Jason Reid <<email>> writes:

Just a quick update on conditions at Dalby over the weekend. We were not able to operate fully as we were down a couple of tug pilots and were relying on Smokey towing us between training students with his ultralight business.

Only Cameron McNeill and I flew both days and we managed approx 6.5hrs air time across the two days. Saturday was very hot (41 in the hangar at 12 noon) with moderate SW breeze and a lot of dust in the air. We launched at 12.40. Cam took the rope at 1000agl and had to go for a re-light. I was already in the air watching and waiting. It was difficult to stay in the area with the wind strength, but I managed it and we hooked up 30mins later climbing nicely over some headers working the paddocks towards Kamkillenbun NE of Dalby. The flats were working very well and soon we punched through the heavy inversion at 4500 and screamed up to 8500ft.

We started to get excited about the prospects of flying to Noosa and landing on the beach (crossing some pretty nasty mountains and forests), but to our surprise as soon as we left the flats the lift died off and the inversion became stronger. We struggled to Cooyar on the eastern end of the Bunya mountains and then tippy-toed across to Yarraman, headed north to Nanango and slowly up into the back of Bjelke Petersen Dam south of Murgon for a nice landing beside the dam.

It was a difficult, but fun 4 hr flight over some great country that I am sure we will see again soon. The day was very strange in the way it switch off so quickly after leaving the flats and in the way the wind shifted from SW to SE then back to Southerly during the flight. We spent the majority of the flight in 100-200up and around 4000 – 5000ft. The whole time we could see a nice band of cu's forming just a few kms in front of us, but always moving too fast to the north to connect with. These cu's eventually formed into a band of storms 100kms north of us and moved off to the coast. The flight was only 141kms, but very memorable. We were joined by three pairs of very friendly eagles along the way as a bonus.

Sunday early morning looked like it was going to be a brilliant day with cu's popping all over the sky at 7.30am with bases at approx 4000agl and a light breeze from NW Unfortunately the cirrus came in just as we were about to launch at 11.45am and the shade left grey sky and light westerly breeze. By carefully working the darker paddocks and any farm machinery we managed some good climbs through to 6500ft and had a great flight back to the east eventually landing at Highfields Tavern (north of Toowoomba) after 2.5hrs in the air. Pplenty of ice cold beer and home to a roast lamb dinner at my place by 6pm.

Yep, you can probably tell. I love flying Dalby.

We have a rain band running through Dalby and to the coast today and forecast to stay wet for two days (no big falls recorded yet). After this the long range forecast looks good for the week of the Big Air so we have a pretty good chance of great Dalby flying.