Dartmoor Gliding News-Sunday 7th January 2018

With the wind forecast to be in the NE, an hence a possibility of wave there was some anticipation in the clubhouse early on. Forecast wind speeds aloft (35kts at 2,000 ft) and gusts in excess of 25 kts at ground level tempered that anticipation, however, as we waited for sufficient members to arrive (which included a welcome visit by Wynn Davies, from DSGC).

The 10am “Stewards’ Inspection”
(Phil Hardwick, Rich Roberts, Leith Whittington, Wynn Davies, Martin Cropper (and Ed Borlase (photographer)).

Looking SE the cloud continued in an arc downwind of Blackdown.

A 10am ‘stewards inspection’, however, revealed that the alligator closest to the canoe was not the met, so much as condition on the field, which remains waterlogged. With rising temperatures this would turn from crunchy mud into quagmire, and hence the risk of damage to the ground or the winch becoming bogged down if we attempted to move it from its ‘safe haven’ to the east end of the airfield was assessed as being too great. Which was, indeed, a shame, as Ed Borlase’s photos show some interesting cloud formations which could have been explored had conditions on the ground had allowed us to get into the air, at least early on in the day.

Some interesting cumulus at the east end, looking NE.

Cap cloud over the western fringes of Dartmoor.

After beating a tactical retreat to the clubhouse, we worked on aspects of the Bronze C for Ed’s benefit, before the howl of the wind through the trees confirmed the increase in gusts and overall windspeed and hence our eventual departure.

Martin Cropper