Manilla, NSW, Australia
Sorry for the long delay between updates, but there’s not been much to write about until now. Right now I’m in Manilla, it’s raining, and according to the locals it won’t be good until Sunday possibly Monday. (I’m writing this on Friday night)

I finished my studies in Sydney on Monday, on Monday night I went to see a consert with Live in Sydney Entertainment Center – It was very good, wild crowd, and lots of classic material mixed with songs from the new album “V”. I forgot to bring enough money to buy any of the fan T-shirts and hats, still kicking myself for that one.

Tuesday morning I checked out of the hotel and picked up my glider at the Moyes factory. We went to Stawell to fly, the guys had lot of new gliders to test fly. I got in the air and it felt like I had no control, my flight shape was very rusty after a few months of no flying. I flew for 1:30, and it gradually got easier to fly again, the landing was described as “interesting”. Since the glider had a right turn in it the Moyes boys make a few adjustments to the glider to make it go straight, and Craig testflew it for me again. After a night in a hotel where a freight train passed every 30 minutes, I went back to Stanwell for another flight, but it was rainy and weak conditions, so I packed up and drove to Manilla.

I drove under a gradually improving sky, close to Manilla it looked like this at 6 in the afternoon – “Cloudstreet road” (Klick on the photo for a larger version)

Cloudbase is at 2600 meters, the pilots here said it was inversion up to 2000 that was hard to get through, and the longest flight was only 90 km…

The car stalled in a intersection in Gunnedah, and would not start again, the starter motor had overheatet. So I had dinner at the same McDonald’s that Kjell and I waited at when we flew the first XC from Manilla and got lost 2 years ago. The food still tastes crap. After the car had cooled down it started again and I finally arrived at the Imperial Hotel in Manilla. “Hi Oyvind” is the first thing I hear walking into the pub, Coleen who run the place recognized me at once. Feels almost like home, this is a great place to stay for relaxed XC flying.

Today I went by Godfrey Wennes place, as it was obviously not flyable, and had a chat with him. There’s a team of French paraglider pilots here to set new XC World records. They are here for 2 months, and have not had good conditions the last 6 weeks they have been here. Tonight all the French are drinking hard as it’s most likely gonna be crap weather tomorrow as well. Godfrey have inherited our very tall roofracks from last time, and put them on the Borah Basher, that meens I can get a ride with the basher to the top, and have my car at the landing. Have to get a driver, or team up with some of the other pilots around if conditions look good for XC. Right now I only need more airtime to get into flying shape again, as well as get to know and tune the glider just right.I spent the rest of the day going to Tamworth to have the AC in the car fixed, and buying some things I need.

I wish the cloudstreets were back soon…