Dartmoor Gliding News-Saturday 7th November 2015

Saturday roared into life with the first real storm of the winter. Overnight there had been torrential rain leaving flooded roads and fallen tree branches every where. A first light the rain had reduced to heavy drizzle but the wind was SW and gale force.

The first task undertaken at the club ( after the first cup of tea and lighting the woodburner ) was to redirect the water cascading off the airfield away from the car park which resembled a lake and then set about draining the car park itself. The skill with which this was accomplished must be due to many hours with bucket and spade on the beach in their younger days.

The rain water running off the airfield.
There were several other tasks undertaken. Rick and Simon changed the bearings on the ML winch pay on rollers. Rick also worked on the small tractor starting system. Later Rick and Simon replaced the Simulator’s computer and commissioned a new smaller screen to display the instruments separately from the main screen. Interesting.


Rick seemed less than impressed with my attempts at reversing the ML into the hangar
Rick checking out the simulator with it's new instrument display
As the day wore on the conditions cleared and enabled Steve Rain, Mike Jardine and myself to undertake a strop hunt along the whole runway and in the surrounding fields. The reward was a blue strop recovered from the south field.

Mike and Steve repairing the recovered  strop
We welcomed a group of cubs from the 11th Plymouth troop who attended as part of their aviation badge. Peter and Paula Howarth along with Mike Jardine did a good lob of showing them the aircraft and equipment including a chance to fly the simulator.

Today's visitors.

A productive day.

Steve

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