DGS News – Wednesday 12th June 2013

Today's weather arrived exactly as forecast, with low cloud and increasingly heavy rain, so our first call was to the club's trial lesson administrator, Mike Keller, so that he could phone his customers and deter them from making a wasted journey and, of course, get them booked in for another day. .

After all the recent good weather and flying activity, the decision to scrub today's flying programme was made with great regret. However, with 10  members present, here was a great opportunity invest some time in carrying out maintenance of the airfield, the gliders and the ground equipment ready for the coming weekend.

How many glider pilots does it take to DI a Dyson?

Under the watchful eye of  'Supervisory Gopher' John Bolt (his words, not mine!), Steve Lewis and Colin Boyd made great inroads with some of the tasks that have been delaying the maiden flight of the 'revived' Pirat single-seater. While Alan Holland and Dave Bourchier set about re-furbishing the K-13's main wheel, I carried out routine cleaning and maintenance of both that glider and its sister ship, the Zugvogel, after which the three of us succeeded in getting the wheel and wheel brake installed and working.

Meanwhile Roger White continued to work on our quad bikes, then ended the day tackling some welding on the cable retrieve trailer.

Most of us in the hangar were able to avoid the worst of the weather, but Robin Wilson, Scratch Hitchen and David Rippon spent a good part of the day getting soaked, yet still managed to keep a smile on their faces. First of all, having checked the forecast wind direction for this coming weekend, David and Robin changed ends with the winch and launch control caravan, in order to facilitate an early start on Saturday morning. Then Scratch and Robin got stuck in to earth moving, and with pickaxe, shovel and small trailer, managed to transfer the heap of road planings from beside the clubhouse to some potentially glider- and vehicle-damaging holes on the north side of the airfield centre track.

In response to a signal from our Ground Manager, Phil the Farmer, that the airfield needed cutting, David Rippon discovered that the main drive belt on the big agricultural mower was broken, so he and John Bolt embarked on a shopping expedition to an agricultural engineering company in Launceston.

The result of spending the day in the slightly "damp" tractor seat

It's a shame no one got to fly - especially our trial lesson and one day course visitors - but at least the kit and the airfield are in good shape for when the weather does improve; hopefully this weekend.

Bob Pirie