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Mt Beauty Gathering of Moths
YFT great weekend.... at Gathering of Moths
The plan was set many weeks before to have a great weekend of flying. They say time flies when you’re having fun, I just can't believe that the year has gone so quickly. It only seems like yesterday that I was doing this same plan, and yet another year has flown by! So the plan was to get as many aircraft together to fly to the Mt Beauty Gathering of the Moths. The weather was looking good and the pilots were keen to do this flight.
Friday.... Pilots start to arrive by lunchtime and at six o'clock they were all at YFT for a briefing. The plan is to have wheels up at 0600 hours in the morning. This meant that we would beat the main group of aircraft that had planned to arrive to get the golden tie down. The weather was looking good, with a possible change late in the day. So, from a briefing stand point, it was a goer.
Saturday... Pilots started to arrive at 0500 hours. This was good sign and it looked like we would be on time for departure. Wheels-up was just after 0600 hours, the air was good and the aircraft were all heading in the right direction, towards the mountains. We began with a tailwind, but as we reached the mountains the wind turned into a head wind. “How normal!” did I hear you say?
We turned down the Ovens Valley and then we all made a left turn into Happy Valley. It was a quick flight over the range and then a right turn into the Kiewa Valley, which would us put on a ten nm final for runway one four. You can see the runway as soon as you turn down the valley. This was good experience for the new pilots as they were learning how to fly down a valley safely, by not just flying down the middle of the valley. Calls were made, and one by one the aircraft arrived, were marshalled to the parking area and we all shut down for the day. Our day had now started. First off let's walk into town for breakfast. As the YFT group moved into the cafeteria the seats disappeared very quickly. Mt Beauty had done it again. We were now over MTOW, and the walk back to the Aerodrome helped towards getting us all back under MTOW. The day was spent talking with other aviators and looking at aircraft coming and going. Lunch was a BBQ run by the glider club, and most of the afternoon was spent sitting under the wings of the aircraft keeping out of the sun and trying not to get sunburnt.
All of a sudden we noticed that pilots starting to move towards their aircraft, engines were starting up and the aircraft were departing. The YFT group decided to get ready to depart as well. One by one we lined up and departed on runway 32, heading down the valley for home. Yes we had a headwind. That's normal, isn't it? The flight was smooth and the chat channel was busy with conversations about what had happened during the day.
Arriving back YYWG (Yarrawonga) it was a quick circuit then down the taxiway and into the hangars. Time for a drink and to reflect on a great days flying, socializing, and fun. A big thanks to everyone at Mt Beauty for putting on the Gathering of Moths. We will be there next year, you can count on it.
Comments
YFT great weekend.... at Gathering of Moths
The plan was set many weeks before to have a great weekend of flying. They say time flies when you’re having fun, I just can't believe that the year has gone so quickly. It only seems like yesterday that I was doing this same plan, and yet another year has flown by! So the plan was to get as many aircraft together to fly to the Mt Beauty Gathering of the Moths. The weather was looking good and the pilots were keen to do this flight.
Friday.... Pilots start to arrive by lunchtime and at six o'clock they were all at YFT for a briefing. The plan is to have wheels up at 0600 hours in the morning. This meant that we would beat the main group of aircraft that had planned to arrive to get the golden tie down. The weather was looking good, with a possible change late in the day. So, from a briefing stand point, it was a goer.
Saturday... Pilots started to arrive at 0500 hours. This was good sign and it looked like we would be on time for departure. Wheels-up was just after 0600 hours, the air was good and the aircraft were all heading in the right direction, towards the mountains. We began with a tailwind, but as we reached the mountains the wind turned into a head wind. “How normal!” did I hear you say?
We turned down the Ovens Valley and then we all made a left turn into Happy Valley. It was a quick flight over the range and then a right turn into the Kiewa Valley, which would us put on a ten nm final for runway one four. You can see the runway as soon as you turn down the valley. This was good experience for the new pilots as they were learning how to fly down a valley safely, by not just flying down the middle of the valley. Calls were made, and one by one the aircraft arrived, were marshalled to the parking area and we all shut down for the day. Our day had now started. First off let's walk into town for breakfast. As the YFT group moved into the cafeteria the seats disappeared very quickly. Mt Beauty had done it again. We were now over MTOW, and the walk back to the Aerodrome helped towards getting us all back under MTOW. The day was spent talking with other aviators and looking at aircraft coming and going. Lunch was a BBQ run by the glider club, and most of the afternoon was spent sitting under the wings of the aircraft keeping out of the sun and trying not to get sunburnt.
All of a sudden we noticed that pilots starting to move towards their aircraft, engines were starting up and the aircraft were departing. The YFT group decided to get ready to depart as well. One by one we lined up and departed on runway 32, heading down the valley for home. Yes we had a headwind. That's normal, isn't it? The flight was smooth and the chat channel was busy with conversations about what had happened during the day.
Arriving back YYWG (Yarrawonga) it was a quick circuit then down the taxiway and into the hangars. Time for a drink and to reflect on a great days flying, socializing, and fun. A big thanks to everyone at Mt Beauty for putting on the Gathering of Moths. We will be there next year, you can count on it.
Great adventure YFT! Here is windy, foggy and rainy +5°C... Hmmmm it will be a good idea to join to your group in warm weather... i wouldnt forget to fly, maybe :)
Thanks for sharing peter I love the adventures of down under and your mob of trikers.that looks like the aera where you and i flew to palpunka. Time flys with us we just have to find a way to keep it upwind.
Sounds like a great flight YFT, headwind both ways and at MTOW! ;)