The gliding venues in the Southern Hemisphere are moving into top gear
as the weather improves. Long flights are being made from venues like
Pokweni and Bitterwasser in Namibia, Gariep in South Africa, Tocumwal
and Corowa in Australia, Brazil and Argentina. Europeans who either
hire gliders locally or ship their gliders out for the flying season
make the bulk of these flights. The local pilots are also stretching
their legs not to be shown up by the visitors from the north.

It is a form of tourism that is becoming more professionally run. The
flying operators will arrange everything from glider shipping, licence
conversions, accommodation and transport. They even go so far as to
arrange local tours to game reserves etc for family members whilst the
pilots enjoy the flying. Some operators hire youths for the flying
season to help on the airfield and crew on the often-long retrieves.

Most of the operators have web pages where their services and contact
details can be found. So instead of watching the snow fall - make like
the birds and head south.

The weather forecast for Gariep today indicates thermals of 6m/s and
thermal tops off the chart (i.e. above 18 000 ft- probably close to 21
000 ft).

Clinton Birch
LAK 12