23rd August – Quick update here.
Have had some enquires about the weather and condition of the strip and roads leading to Oily Hand.
First up – as usual the weather will clear by Friday out here for Oily Hand. Friday will be early fog, then sunny and calm. So get going early. The strip is open between noon and 4pm and afternoon tea will be available. We will also take registrations so you can get cracking first thing Saturday morning. Saturday is set to be fog then sunny, which means calm conditions. As we are up away from the river the fog shouldn’t be too bad. The firebucket and brekky will be on from dawn. Sunday is predicted to have some cloud cover but it will be calm all day, probably dead still early on.
Second – The strip is in top condition as usual. It is not wet and soggy as this land drains well. We have managed to keep up mowing of the strip and parking areas over the winter. The roads to the strip are all ok. The lane in is good condition (a few erosion rilles so take it steady). There are two fields for free flight. Both have a four inch cover of lucerne. Both are adjacent to the main field so we will use whichever one suits the prevailing wind. You are asked not to fly free flight from the main field. Canola? The two paddocks on the east of the lane have canola in flower. They should not be a problem if you have trimmed your free fighter well.
Third – there are significant flood mitigation releases from Wyangla Dam at the moment. This means that most of the little bridges along the Lachlan are under water. So stick the the main routes and don’t go on any little back road adventures or you may have to turn around and back track.
See you all on the weekend – Andy