Dartmoor Gliding News-Sunday 24th March 2019

"With the K6 out of the trailer for her first breath of fresh air this year, there was limited expectation of extended flight, but by flying north to developing cloud over Blackdown, and nursing fragmented lift below 1500 feet, a climb to an eventual 3,000ft cloud base made an entertaining Sunday lunchtime posible.” With those words of account from Roger Appleboom need you read further? Well of course, because that was only one of the 34 lauches that took place today. Now, are you sitting comfortably..?

After yesterday's moist easterly today's dry north-westerly clearly (ahem!) called for a change of ends – thanks to those earlybirds who put this into effect before them who unreasonably demand breakfast first had even arrived at the airfield! By 9am the gliders were ready to roll and by 10am we were up and running, which was 'key', as RASP predicted only a narrow soaring window, between approx 1130 and 1:30pm (cf. Roger's report above...) However, in the event, RASP was wrong.

Ed Borlase latching onto a thermal off the NE corner of the airfield.

We welcomed two visitors today for trial flights, plus a returning Temporary Member: George Beale, an engineer who works at Broadley Business Park, Graham Milton, an ex-PPL holder, and Gail Barr, who first flew with us in January and was keen to build on those early flights.

Visitor George Beale receives his pre-flight brief from Peter Howarth.

Visitor Graham Milton is ready to fly with Peter Howarth.

Returning Trial Lesson student Gail Barr.

Whilst those who launched early got the best of the day, the northerly airflow appeared to flow around the E-W ridge of the airfield and, spilling around its NE corner, set up a stream of thermals that, towards the end of the afternoon, sent Ed Borlase (with Pete Howarth) and Steve Fletcher (with Martin Cropper) spiralling up to 1,700ft for 17 mins over the point-to-point races taking palse today at Cherrybrook.

Ed Borlases’ view of fields to the south, including the point-to-point races
 (the airfield is in the top right of the picture).

So, has Spring finally arrived? With the weather set fair for the forthcoming week, let's hope so.

Martin Cropper