David Daniel <<email>> writes:

We are using my Dragonfly to do the Aerotowing, from a town called Postmasburg in the Norther Cape Province, near Kuruman.

Only three pilots arrived on the 3rd December: Toni Raumhauf, Reinhard Popl and Gunther Tschurnig. Stefan arrives tomorrow.

Toni and Reinhard fly ATOS, and the other two fella's are flying Moyes Litespeeds.

On our first task, 5th December, I planned a dog-leg task, first going East, and then swinging in a North East direction towards Johannesburg. All three pilots were aloft by 11.30am local time. All three pilots made it to within 20km radius of Klerksdorp, the first goal. Potchefstroom was ultimate goal. Gunter, in the Litespeed, had a straight line distance of just short of 400km (about 391 if I remember correctly - they are all sleeping now after last nights retrieve. The other two on rigids, Toni and Reinhardt, achieved about 380km each. I don't remember exactly.

The second flyable day, 7 December, I planned a 380km tri-angle task. All pilots aloft once again 11.30am, and all three pilots returned to base after 7 1/2hrs. Gunter achieved 300km (actually 299.76), and the two ATOS came in at about 265km ea. I think this was an amazing achievement. It was an especially proud moment for me when I saw all three of my chickens coming home to roost:):)

I went out to the airfield about 45 mins before sun-down to hopefully welcome one pilot home. I climbed into the Dragonfly and went out in search. I can't describe the good feeling when I spotted the first glider. I flew over to wave. It was Reinhard. I was so stoked I promptly did a 'victory loop' in the Dragonfly :).  I landed, waiting for Reinhard, and looked up into the evening sky, and whadda ya know, there were all three gliders, orbiting overhead in late evening still air. What a sight, what an achievement.

Day three, yesterday, was not an easy task, with thunderstorms predicted along the Eastern side of our task leg. The task was a straight line, about 400km. Reinhard and Toni both managed over 300km (like I said, they are still sleeping after recovery, so I don't have exact figures), and Gunther did not fare too well, bumbling into 6m/s sink all the way from cloud base to ground. He just couldn't get out of it. His flight lasted only 110km.

I must share a little joke with you, about Toni. He landed, late in the evening, on a Game Farm. He only realised this when he could not get out of the camp he was in due to the extra high game fence. He was retrieved last, in the early hours of this morning. The other two fella's, Reinhard and Gunter, called him on the satellite phone (all pilots carry sat phones, and also the retrieve driver), and told him to be very aware, because there were lions in the game farm where he had landed:):) Poor Toni never slept a wink, jumping at every little noise he heard all night. He has literally passed out:):) totally exhausted., thought his life was over, mauled to death in Africa.

OK, that's it for now.

I will let you know if we achieve any more note-worthy flights.