Text message from Garrett Russell at 6:48 pm yesterday (Friday) ... "Tomorrow's 1000 pax is cancelled (they are from Toowoomba). Leaving the 1100 decision until the morning. Any idea how wet the field is? The response via text message was ... "It was absolutely pissing down and had been for about 20 minutes when I left the field just before dark". In fact the rain on the hangar roof had  been deafening and the sky out over the showground had that green/grey hailstorm look about it as the storm had approached.  

Around 8.00 pm,  after subsequent phone calls from Peter Stephenson (Duty Instructor) and Ray Collie (Duty Pilot), and reports of very heavy rain within a few kilometres of the airfield, we decided to review the situation at 7.00 am this morning.    

From: Peter Stephenson  
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:02
Subject: Saturday 30th. Ops
To: CGC List
55mm of rain has fallen 6klms from the airfield so the field could be 
too wet tomorrow (Saturday).
Bob T and Kevin Rodda will be inspecting the field at 07:00hrs so please 
ring me on 0403 151 602 to check the ops status.
PeterS
:-( :-(

Bob Turner and Kevin Rodda were amazed to find the field relatively dry and the surrounds of 06, 12, and 30 all safe for glider operations. the cloud base was fairly low and it looked like it would be a day of dodging showers but we declared the day ON.   

From: Peter Stephenson
Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2010 07:21
Subject: Saturday 30th. Ops ARE ON!!
To: CGC List 
Airfield is quite serviceable so see you there!  :-) :-)
PeterS

 From: Peter Stephenson
Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:17
Subject: Saturday 30th. November 2010.
To: CGC List
Yes, this was indeed the sky at 13:00hrs today as we were packing up! It did not last long though, and so Kevin Rodda was not up for long. The longest flight of the day was our new student Leslie Behrens who was up for 23 minutes, admittedly from 3500' :-) Steve Chapman and Speedy were not able to stay up for greater than 19 minutes and did some mild wing-overs to use their height. Mike Brunt had his annual check-flight and Kevin Rodda finished off with an 18 minute flight.
Thanks to Karl Bodi for the towing and Ray Colley for Duty Piloting with no intention to fly.
So only seven flights in GYK, (a Blanik I have not flown before but she is a nice specimen), and all from Runway 12 into a stiff 10 Knot breeze.
Motto of the day: do not believe the forecasts! :-) 
PeterS

Ray Colley's phone call last night was to check re the likelihood of gliding operations at YCAB today as he was the rostered Duty Pilot. It is a 90 minute trip from Ray's home on the Gold Coast up to Caboolture and, understandably, a long way to come for nil result and then face a 90 minute trip back home. It was therefore suggested that Ray wait for a phone call from YCAB shortly after 7.00 am today before setting out from home (as we could cover from him until 9.00 am). Ray commented in passing that he had not missed one rostered day in his 16 years of CGC  membership and, while not keen to waste the day with 3 hours of pointless driving, would not want to miss taking his turn on the duty roster. When we called him at around 7.15 am this morning his immediate response was "I am on my way". Well done Ray! A great personal commitment to ensure that other club members could fly on the day and congratulations on keeping your perfect attendance record intact!