Last night we needed one final visit in Bariloche, to the Antares restaurant of course – actually a microbrewery whose “Scotch Ale” just seemed appropriate. And the forecast for today was poor so why not.

Then the day dawned, and despite steady rain in the mountains there was as usual some better looking sky to the east. Declared a double out and return which had the first two legs as a 1006km o\r. Launched at 10:40 local and went through the start sector shortly after. Almost turned back due to soggy soft wave conditions as far as Chapelco. But after that things were very different. The best conditions I have ever flown in would be an apt description of the middle 300km of the 500km leg. As the pic shows, yes that is 32.5kts on the Lx averager…

With 50km to run to the turnpoint I thought that the world record (the preliminary one only a few days old) was at serious risk and the Antares just revels in the high speed running. But it’s never that simple, and pushing through sink still left me having to spend a whole 30 minutes finding good air again. Despite that and a soft finish the overall average speed came out at 198kph, 18kph quicker that my end October run. Leaves you thinking about what might have been, and whether I should have carried on with the last two legs for a crack at a declared 2000. But the prediction of rain coming in later in the evening, a flight to catch the next day and enough landings in near darkness after Sunday all contributed to the common sense early finish. But it was a wonderful way to finish what has been just an extraordinary experience during the last three months.

I’m just starting to get a perspective of what may be possible here and there is definitely unfinished business to be attended to on a future trip – I hope. Maybe Bruce, who has the Antares at his disposal for the next couple of weeks, will raise the bar a few notches more.

Meanwhile its over and out from me, its been a huge pleasure to be here and to try to share some of the sense of the place on this blog. Thanks for the many kind words I’ve had from its readers.

Buenas noches.

I have been known to ridge soar on big flights and this one duly obliged with a big massif of a Volcano with its summit above me at c. 17,000ft as I started the return leg. Keep pushing, use Scottish techniques for working scruffy 7 oktas in the cordillera (the energy line of the first leg east of the mountains was now all but blue). Did well until excessive greed had me fall down below cloud near Chapelco after 800+km and that put an end to record thoughts; they were rapidly replaced by wonderings about time and darkness and alternative landings. After a whole series of really marginal calls it seemed that getting back home was just on. And it was. But only after some lengthy clenching, turning the ipaq back to front to illuminate the asi and an offer from ATC for me to land on the lit international airport. Might have thought about the latter if I’d had the necessary extra 500ft to get there. Thanks to Bruce and Jean-Marie and Anne-Marie for keeping vigil and parking a strategically lit car on the threshold. Time for bed, tomorrow I’ll download the flight trace and ceremonially burn it.

Bruce and JMC had rather a good day, starting a bit in front on the same task and finishing a LOT earlier. Really quick, but I’ll leave them to tell that story. The existing record is held by a certain Frenchman, Jean-Marie Clement at 203kph. As he said at the time, he got his 1000km diplomathat day but narrowly missed his 5hrs…

But the sky looked good in afternoon, and Bruce spotted it first, pushing 27m of Nimbus around a500km o\r at 180kph.

I arrived half an hour too late, couldn’t get into the upper system and suffered from great looking clouds that looked like 10 knotters but only delivered an unrekiable intermittent 2. See pic below. Still beats xmas pud and sofa in front of Queen’s speech.

Cold front going through tonight, will have to be an early check ‘cos it might be good behind it. Must start packing too…

Still it was pretty, Tronador volcano on the skyline and yesterdays fresh snow on the tops made it all the more so. 

However the nights are drawing in now too, only around 16 flyable hours each day. Maybe I could start to think about coming N again – but in 5 days time seems obscenely premature. Any sane person would wait for the swallows to send the right signal.

Now waiting to do damage to an Argentinian cow for a group Christmas eve dinner chez nous. With no turkeys and several French folk present it just felt like Beef Wellington was the right choice. But not too late, tomorrow 0400 may have to be tried again.

Seasons greetings to all

But even launching to 9000ft failed to contact the super high lenticulars that caused the excitement in the dawn. But there’s always manana, or 48hrs away… The one certain thing is that if you’re not out there waiting and going for you’ll miss it. You can always sleep on the plane on the way home – which is getting rather close for comfort. 

I’ve been mulling over what to go for (if the weather co-operates) in the remaining 11 days before heading back to the cold dark north. Bruce made a good point today – if you do a badge flight you always have it, while if you achieve a record they’re likely to be temporary.  

And how. Delighted as I was to put in a claim for the 1500km out and return record it only took 13 days for a faster flight to be done. Its a privelege to be able to try your hand at this sort of stuff, but its a cruel game. My 13 days must seem like a lifetime to some. I haven’t seen the claims yet and do not have the facts, but if the rumours are true you just have to spare a thought for Terry Delore.  It seems that his outstanding 2500km flight over the tougher terrain of new Zealand made a record that was superceded here just hours later. Chasing records may be addicting and exciting; it can also be a very cruel master.

Watching for the hoped onset of a decent jet tomorrow – problem being that the stronger wind is to the south, but from a direction where the terrain to the north works better. Decisions, decisions. Then the view out the bedroom window at 20:00 local is rather appetising.

Seriously considered going back to bed, but after reparing all items I decided that this run of events couldn’t continue and accepted a wingtip hold (even though I’d already decided to remove the wingtip wheel fairings – I think that they can sometimes trap gravel making the wheels jam and grab) from a passing club member. Declared 1000km o\r to the North, launched, straight into good wave, through the start sector and did the first 201km in 47 minutes. Then noticed that the Lx seemed to want to go to a different turnpoint – must have mucked up the declaration in the messing about earlier. Maybe someones trying to tell me something – if things are going that wrong maybe I should listen and just get back, land safely and lie down.

After doing just that and almost being surpised that the car didn’t break down on the way home, downloaded the trace to discover that the declaration was actually fine and a shot at the record (held by Jean-Marie at 203kph) was indeed on. Ah well, tomorrow is another day.  Scunnered at missing a 2000km day, planned to get going earlier on Monday. Declared 2000km triangle and after not much sleep launched at 0630 local. Despite similar synoptics the day was almost blue with only tiny hot spots of lift to 9,000ft. Landed back and went to bed. Congrats to Jean-Marie on 1500 triangle and Pierre-Alain with Bruce as P2 in the Stemme who did a 1,000 – both on the 13th…. Not to mention two 2000+ flights from Chapleco (one in 15m) and a huge 2500 in NZ – superb.

Time to remind self of advice given freely to others – all you can do is be ready for a day when it comes and give it a go. I failed on the first one but the frustatration of that may help prevent a repitition. Now that big bit of jetstream that covered NZ on the 13th should reach us in a few days, shouldn’t it?

So no flying for the foreseeable, but there are compensations, at least as far as Wendy and her friend Pam are concerned. There are worse places to have breakfast on a December Sunday morning.

And then there is time to catch up on domestic things. Like walking into a Bariloche barber and being pleased at the ones language skills “corte” for a cut, and “seis semanas” to indicate the amount. Flushed with success and nodding agreement to have the facial hair trimmed too – a good job and good value too. Then another question and another nod, and in a flash my chin was bare for the first time in forty years! She seemed to think that a gaucho ‘tash should remain. Ah well, more work on the language required. Glad she wasn’t a surgeon though..

And a final pic with Bruce and I being patriotic, in his case after a hard day’s polishing 27m of Nimbus wing, sometimes size has its disadvantages..