Tobi Geiger went to Benalla this weekend (17-18/02/2007) to do a bit of flying with Michael Sommer (he's a member of GCV now).

The mountains worked very well on Saturday (before it overdeveloped and thunderstorms formed) and he did 612km (Benalla down to East Gippsland (some 45km north of Lakes Entrance), then to Jindabyne and back over Benalla to Dookie and home to Benalla.

Sunday was the pick, though. Tobi did 824km and averaged 122km/h over the task. He could have flown another hour after he landed (Michael did in the Duo Discus) but he was a bit tired and didn't trust the weather (it shut down very rapidly on Saturday). He flew from Benalla to about 30km past Boree Creek, then 75km northwest of Hay (very scary there, no one lives in that area), then past Benalla for another 30km (near Moyhu) and then back to Benalla.

This was Tobi's longest flight in terms of distance so far and he wasn't prepared one bit (just took off and decided to go North first and then West). With a bit of preparation he could have done over 900km.

IGC files from both flight can be downloded from the club's Cross Country Flights Register. They are also available on OLC: 17/02/2007 and 18/02/2007.