Dartmoor Gliding News-Sunday 15th July 2018

Yet another good soaring day, with RASP predicting 4.5  during the afternoon. And so it proved from the get-go, with first launch Ed Borlase, in the K-8, managing 53 mins, achieving 4,000ft plus (see photo), to be succeeded by another in the afternoon of 32 mins.

Ed Borlase’s view from the cockpit of the K-8 as he passes 2,400 ft during his 53 min morning flight.

Indeed conditions were so good that we were treated to a visit by our CFI at lunchtime, no not in his car but by air, although he didn't land for a cup of tea as 'the sea breeze was already in evidence' and so he headed back north to the clouds and guaranteed lift.

From 4,000 ft, sea breeze approaching from the SE is clearly in evidence;
there were still some areas of strong lift, however, as the cumulus shows.

Back on the ground there was a definite 'teccy' feel to the day, as Inspector Colin Boyd sought to rectify instrument faults with newly ARC-ed K-13 HXP, whilst Dave Downton investigated problems with the ASI in his immaculate K-6E. The K-13 problems occasioned a happy coincidence as, without prior warning, we were visited by Les Saker, Technical Officer from Mendip GC, who just happened to be in the area with his wife attending a dog show. It wasn't long before his head was in the innards of the K-13, the instrument panel screws virtually undoing themselves in respect of such expert attention. Once Les had completed a re-plumbing of the varios, a second test flight showed that instruments in both cockpits were in general agreement, in celebration of which we extended the flight to become a 2,500ft half-hour tour of the local area (which he didn't know).

Mendip GC’s Technical Officer Les Saker gives Colin Boyd a hand with the K-13.

Later in the afternoon (by which time the sea breeze had really begun to seep in) Ed Borlase's F&F guest, Steve Goldthorp was given a quarter of an hour's tour of the same area.

Ed Borlase’s F&F guest Steve Goldthorp is ready to go with Martin Cropper.

As the sky became bluer, albeit there were still areas of strong lift to be found, the intense sink between those areas caused us to question if those who wanted to had, and those who hadn't were happy not to – as a result of which we repacked the hangar happy in knowledge of having two K-13s back in service, and a K-8 that had spent more time above 2,000ft today than below it.

Placing the winch in the middle of the top field gives a really encouraging advantage in time and finding thermals (launches to 1,200-1,300ft, instead of 900-1,000ft) and getting centred in them – well done to whoever thought of it..!

Martin Cropper