I did all my silver in a TG-3, about 40 years ago.
I tried the Gold Distance downwind in a Ka-8 about
5 years later and got about 170 miles downwind, all
in North Carolina while I was in grad school. Last
month I tried again, in a Discus in Moriarty, with
flight computer, moving map GPS, etc., and finally
did a 300k declared triangle. I consider the Ka-8
flight much more noteworthy - just a compass, watch,
and a sectional.

At 13:56 28 July 2005, Alistair Wright wrote:

'Bill Daniels' wrote in message
news:kdSdncLVZoeII3rfRVn-

I seem to remember a story about a pilot who, after
getting thoroughly
lost,
landed 300km away after failing to identify his 50km
goal.

Bill Daniels

Ha, ha. One of my syndicate partners (Oly2b) went C/C
on a very windy day
from Meir (S-o-T) and managed to tear his map badly
en route. He flew on
for a bit and thought he recognised a building below
him. He took out his
packet of ciggies (we were always trying to stop him
smoking in the glider)
and saw that the packet (Capstan) had a picture of
this building on the
back. It was Nottingham Castle! Plenty far enough
for Silver, so he landed
in a public park nearby. When we arrived with the
trailer he was still
arguing with the park keeper as to whether or not any
byelaws had been
broken! This guy became a 'park' landing specialist
and did it again in
Stoke. He left the glider in the care of the parkie
and carrying his 'chute
and barograph returned to the Club by bus! It was
quicker than phoning the
clubhouse.

I have to admit to my shame that I generally had no
exact idea of where I
was when I landed out. the question 'Am I near.....'
always allowed me to
say 'Of course! I thought that was where I was....'
when my actual location
was revealed.

Alistair Wright