first comp day

So, yesterday was the first competition day with a task around thunderstorms in similar weather conditions as the day before.

top crew enduring the humid heat before launch

I got a freeloader joining me for the ride and he was hilarious! He boarded the glider just when I was closing the canopy to launch and positioned himself comfortably on the dash. He seemed bit suspicious to start with and hasn't moved much for the first hour or so. After that he started wandering around the dash and having a look. I'm not sure how he handled the altitude without oxygen but he clearly enjoyed the cooler air stream from the vent. About three hours into the flight he positioned himself at the edge and observed me carefully before he dared to risk a jump on my shoulder and then back onto the dash. He disembarked the aircraft just after landing when the canopy opened and didn't even say "thank you for the ride". Bit rude my little flying buddy grasshopper :)

he's there, holding tight

I have to say that I had a good day yesterday. I am actively trying to improve my flying addressing one identified issue in every flight. The biggest achievement is that I now know what stops me from speeding up. It's all in my head and I know how to work on that now. I'm not really competing in this competition as I will have to skip a day next week because of a very important, not re-schedulable appointment in Adelaide. We're here to have fun :)

Murray river, Waikerie aerodrome and town

north of Waikerie - hundreds of unlandable kilometers

there were quite a few of these around yesterday