Dartmoor Gliding Society Club News

Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 29 April 2026

It was Groundhog Day for the Wednesday Wavers. The wind was forecast from the east, great, but it was too strong yet again. Just like last Wednesday with powerful bursts of rotor from time to time. So no flying, and we didn't have to wait for the Duty Instructor to arrive to be able to declare that.

I was today's Basic Instructor, so I phoned our One Day Course candidate early; Phil Hayward from Dartmouth. Despite the clear blue sky I had to gently break the news to him that the wind was too strong and gusty for his course, and so he would have to rebook. Imagine my surprise when Phil said that he was expecting my call having consulted MAVIS (the Met Office Aeronautical Visualisation Service) and Form 214 (Spot winds/forecast chart of upper winds and temperatures at low levels). All was revealed; Phil has a Private Pilot's Licence and went on a gliding course at Bicester a while ago. He was close to being sent solo, and is now thinking of taking it up again. Phil, we look forward to seeing you soon.

This Wednesday we had something to keep us busy. The new Site Manager, John Smith, had hired a jack hammer and a self-propelled roller for the week to repair the centre track. The track gang had been busy since Monday and had made great progress. It was hot and physical work under a relentless sun in a clear blue sky on Monday, but a cooler in the wind and cloud cover on Tuesday.

Jackhammer and scrape!

Then fill

Cue a very proud Site Manager with his boy's toy to roll things flat

Many hands make light work

The Secretary's arty "Into sun shot"

Waiting for the roller to compact the next repair

Today in the morning the main track was finished, and the track gang broke for a well-earned lunch. Colin joined us in between his repairs of the air brake box in GDK's wing. I took a break from clearing out old papers and junk from the tech office whilst Neal enjoyed the bright sunshine and fresh air. Early on Viktor had been here cutting and cleaning a piece of angle iron for repairs to his trailer. He also helped me fit a new dolly wheel to my trailer.

After lunch the Wavers turned their attention to the cross track leading from the hangar apron to the runaway. The strong easterly wind kept the workers cool despite the bright sunshine.

It was too windy to open the hangar doors so several planned jobs couldn't be done. However, that didn't stop Dave Archer conducting some risky fettling on his K-6. Ian Mitchell arrived from North Hill to conduct the annual inspection and ARC of Peter's mighty Kestrel. The fuselage was pulled out of its trailer and carefully aligned to the wind which still had a surprisingly large amount of north in it.

What a sky. At the "glider rack" Peter and Ian inspect the Kestrel.

More "Chain gang" than "Track gang"!

The cross track gets some attention and now includes drainage channels to minimise the winter erosion from water streaming off the airfield.

In amongst all this Lance managed to make progress on signing off on club introductory briefs and also had a ground school lecture with the Duty Instructor.

By late afternoon the Track Gang had completed the work on the cross track and put the tools away. The "Track Boss", perfectionist that he is, put out a call for Navvies on Thursday to finish off the job. He had spotted work needed on the hard standing and frontage of the clubhouse. It will look good when it's done.

Today, we had wind from the east. The Wavers long for it but as in life sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. Let's try for some convective lift next time and a chance to get the gliders out.

Gavin

Dartmoor Gliding News - Sunday 26th April 2026

With high pressure to the north, today would have a light easterly flow with a possibility of thermals during the afternoon. The Sunday Soarers set the field up to fly from the west end. A K13 and Twin Astir were joined by 3 K6's, Libelle and DG300.

Trainees Aiden Hughes and Edward Bailey each enjoyed three flights with me. Aiden is doing all the flying and getting well through the training syllabus, so one of his flights was the inevitable practice launch failure. At the other end, Edward is starting out getting used to coordinated flying and trimming the aircraft.

Aiden flying well.

Edward getting used to those control checks.

We thought our visitor today was Stuart Payne, but the flights had been purchased for his wife Marcella who enjoyed two flights with duty IFP Steve Fletcher.

Marcell ready for her flights with Steve.

Marcella and family with Steve.

The three K6's were each flown by Viktor Skochko (DKG), Ed Borlase (EWO) and Adam Hoskin (BVR). Andy Davey also enjoyed a flight in his Libelle. The third trainee to fly with me was Misha Skochko who is also well through the training syllabus. His first flight of 18 minutes showed his dad Viktor where to go, who also managed 18 minutes. Both could claim flight of the day for their efforts. Misha also experienced a practice launch failure.

Misha in straight and level flight.

Three brightly coloured K6's.

Adam Hoskin brought two of his fellow Air Cadets to the airfield today to experience another airfield and different aircraft types. Harley Brockhouse and Grace Cartwright each had two flights with me. Both marvelled that we do checks from a mnemonic and not a check card. They also enjoyed flying the K13 and the views of the local area.

Harley ready to go.

Grace wrestling with those straps.

The final two flights of the day introduce Ed Borlase to flying from the back seat of the K13 and getting used to the different views in that position. Two good flights starts his journey towards BI and possible FI(S).

Thank you to all at the airfield today. A good day flying that didn't quite live up to the forecast, but all enjoyed themselves.

Peter Howarth

Dartmoor Gliding News - Sunday 19th April 2026

Last week five people at the club. This week 5 trainees, 4 visiting pilots from other clubs, 1 one day course candidate, 8 solo pilots, 2 instructors and 1 Basic Instructor, it would be a busy day. The start of the day was delayed due to one short cable that required additional cable to be added so it would reach the launch point. Once flying could commence, the trainees and visiting pilots who required site checks were divided up between the two instructors. Ed Nicholson was first to fly with me and Aiden Hughes would fly with Chris Bryning.

One for Ed's mum.

Ed enjoyed a 19 minute soaring flight in the increasing buoyant conditions.

Our view to the south past Tavistock.

We were joined by David Swailes for a one day course with us. After the usual briefings, David started his course with duty BI Richard Roberts. Recent duty days for Richard have been non flying days, so he was also happy to be back flying our visitors.

David receiving his certificate from Richard.

The flying was interrupted with a change of wind direction causing a change of ends. When we started flying again, I flew with new junior Edward Bailey and Chris Bryning would later fly with David Moorley.

David getting ready with Chris.

The visiting pilots from other clubs were:-

Chris Morris (Culdrose GC), Nic Beretta (Culdrose GC), Chris Warnes (DSGC), Sarah Parkin (Cotswold GC) and Jack Boyns (Cotswold GC). Chris Morris has flown with us several times so was able to fly the Astir. Nic had a check flight with Chris Bryning and was cleared for the Astir. Chris Warnes had a quick flight with Chris Bryning. Sarah and Jack flew with me and they could both add another club to their log books.

Sarah & Jack were given certificates to remember us.

The solo pilots today enjoyed flights of various lengths. Most were only circuits, but Steve Fletcher (CGY) had 23 minutes, Viktor Skochko (DKG) 15 minutes and Phil Hardwick (HME) 2 hour 24 minutes to claim flight of the day.

Solo pilots line up ready to launch.

Viktor in the RED Bear.

A day that presented several trials to overcome, but everybody coped and managed a busy day's flying. Thanks to all at the club today.

Peter Howarth

Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 22 April 2026

A wave day for the Wednesday Wavers! Perhaps?

The forecast was for an east/southeasterly wind 20-25 knots but with gusts up to 40 knots and in excess of 50 knots at altitude...mmm! I packed my flying gear for my glider, and parachute, in my car, but didn't expect to use them. By mid-morning Skysight had updated, and the wind strength was getting worse.

Skysight's forecast

This was the wave predicted at 3,000 feet QNH if you could get into the air in one piece. Yes, those wind barbs with the pennants over the firing ranges indicate 50 knots.

Did I say that it was windy?

The Wishful Wavers hardly need to wait for the verdict of the Duty Instructor. It was: "No!, The rotor at the east end is incredibly violent". Andy Davey, currently at Portmoak (home of the Scottish Gliding Centre and a wave site) asked the DGS Soaring group what the conditions were like and remarked that he was glad that he hadn't driven down from Portmoak to sample the Dartmoor Wave today.

At 1000, it was very windy, and strengthening. It was clear the Wavers weren't going to fly today, at least not in gliders. Jobs to be done: Winch cable change; Tail wheel hub, tyre, and inner tube survey and stock take; Canopy edge painting for HBK; Tech Office clear out; and work on the wings in the glider workshop. That lot will keep the Wavers busy.

On the airfield at 1100 the winch cablers reported that they had to lean into some of the gusts. It was probably 40 knots in the gusts and a steady 25-30 knots.

At one stage the windsock went vertical in the rotor.

So the team of cablers set up the winch and the cable drum carrier and tow out trailer ready to put two fresh 4.5mm cables on the winch for the forthcoming season.

The winch was positioned at the very northwestern end of the field.
The cows were interested in all the mooving about!

The windswept cablers assemble

The first new cable heads off into the distance

After twenty minutes the second cable heads out

Only twenty seconds later there was the radio call; "Dartmoor, we have a problem". The wooden cable drum had disintegrated on the carrier. That meant that it had to be removed and wound out by hand; a tedious and time-consuming job.

The DGS Formula One cable dispensing team get to grips
with the aftermath of the broken wooden drum

Sorting out the tangles

After extensive jiggery pokery two new cables were correctly wound on drums of the auto winch ready for the new season.

Back in the hangar a stock take of tail wheels; hubs, inner tubes and tyres were underway by Steve Lewis, DB, and I. Saturday's work was repeated as on the twin and single Astirs the orientation of the wheel and dissimilar thickness washers need to be placed carefully (in the right order!) to avoid rubbing of the valve cap or even the valves themselves.

We looked at HBK, DSL and HME. The latter two were quickly sorted to our satisfaction. However, we were not happy with the nylon (plastic) tail wheel that came with the Twin Astir Trainer, HBK. Professional advice taken last week indicated that they were OK for light single-seaters (Libelles etc al) however the weight of the tail or a Twin Astir was another matter. Before we fly it we fit a tail wheel with a proper metal hub from TOST. That's something we won't skimp on.

We got the Twin Astir Trainer fuselage out of its trailer to look at the nylon tail wheel. After about 20 minutes we had to put it back in sharpish as it was threatening to take off with just the tailplane on its fuselage cradle. Yes, it was trying to fly without wings (No Red Bull needed here!). The wings were still in the trailer! It took three people to get the fuselage safely back in the trailer.

However before it went back in the trailer there was time for Gavin and Steve Lewis to consult and plan the position of the DGS logos for HBK. The Twin Astir lettering is different. Nothing is ever standard.

After sorting a syndicate bank account for their new glider Michael M-S and Lance wanted to try on a range of parachutes. So they brought their trailer from the east end to place the fuselage on the hangar apron. By then the rotor was overhead, and it would be too risky to open a clamshell trailer, let alone a front-hinged canopy however much the "DG boys" wanted to show off their new baby to the Wednesday Wavers. On another (calmer) day then!

Phil and David Moorley decided that being inside was a better option today and undertook to repaint the canopy surrounds for the Twin Astir Trainer, HBK. Good job! When it's less windy the canopy surround on the fuselage needs painting next.

Rear canopy complete. The seal will be refitted when the paint is fully cured.

Front canopy complete but obviously interfering with Colin's lunch!

Also beavering away in the Tech Office was Neal who had nobly undertaken to carry out a clear out and deep clean. It needed it. The two four-drawer filing cabinets received new keys for later use. Lots of things were found including the club trophies that are now on display.

In the glider workshop Colin continued to scarf a repair to the front of an air brake box in the wing of K-8, GDK, before turning to K-8, FXB. Its elevator was inspected as reassembled and I conducted the duplicate inspection. Colin then installed the battery box onto the new, stronger, mounting plate. It's ready for a hoover out and rigging prior to weighing.

It was now windy in the hangar. The gliders were starting to move about in the gusts so the wings tips were weighed down with two tyres a piece. The rotor was getting worse and so the hangar doors were shut. It took ten people to counter the windage (oh and John Allan's finger!) to get them closed.

Our readers may have gathered that it was windy today. Some Wavers remarked that the rotor over the field and the hangar apron was the worst they had witnessed. It was certainly a lively day! The Wavers departed for home invigorated by all the Dartmoor fresh air that had been blowing about. Here's hoping for calmer conditions on Saturday.

Gavin Short

Dartmoor Gliding News - Saturday 18 April 2026

It was a day of changes. At short notice the Duty Instructor wasn't available, nor were any others, so it was an authorised pilot day only. The start was quiet and subdued with the trainees staying away. Thanks to those who couldn't fly who came to help. Members helping each other is what makes this gliding club work whether you are an ab initio trainee, pundit, or a hangar elve.

The Chairman detailed me off, and one of the other lucky pilots who flew, to write the blog whilst he busied himself in the hangar grappling with bits of rubber. More anon.

Skysight forecast a nice soaring day along the south coast. Let's get at it.

During the Daily Inspection of the winch we found that the fuse to the ground radio had blown. The Tech Office Cupboard just had full size blade fuses as I had tried to standardise our holdings. But, in accordance with Murphy's law the winch radio feed was a mini blade fuse. Cue much searching and lifting of car bonnets to find a replacement. My car does have mini blade fuses, in three separate fuse boxes no less, but fortunately I didn't have to cannibalise it as one was found.

Despite the promising forecast the weather wasn't playing ball. The cloud base was low and two of the Saturday crew had been rained on why driving to the club. There were subsequent light showers on site. Eventually it brightened up and it was agreed that we would go flying. John Allan, Phil and I were today's pilots. Mike Bennett the winch driver. Alasdair and David Archer would run the launch point.

Well, we made eight flights today. The clouds were tantalising but NOT full of lift. I took three launches but didn't get away. Phil took four and managed a 23 minute flight on his last launch by stumbling into a 1.1 knot climb just off the wire. John was a Jammy Dodger today (readers can feel free to provide a less polite second word to the phrase as they see fit) as he "got away" on his first launch. He soon established himself at height above Tavistock before heading south to the better weather.

Here is John's take on the day:

Just three of us rigged to fly today; Phil, Gavin and I.

As there was no instructor, it was authorised pilots only. We really appreciated the help from the few that turned up to help but sadly unable to fly.

I took the second cable with a launch to just 1,100ft towards a convenient dark cloud. I found a broken thermal and took it to cloud base at 3,000ft and headed off on my declared task; Brentor, Plymouth West (Saltash), on to Ivybridge East (twice) then back to Brentor, a total of 122Km.

The cloud base increased, but I took a cloud climb to 5,200ft before the jump across a blue gap to Plymouth.

Looking south to the City of Plymouth, the Sound and the Breakwater

Mostly cloud bases up and down the between Saltash and Ivybridge were about 4000-4500ft QNH.

Penelee Point and Rame Head.
Cawsand Beach and Kingsand are in the foreground.

After the passage of the cold front the air was really nice and clear. The sea past Rame Head looked like the Mediterranean.

After another short cloud climb to provide a better safety margin, I flew out over Cawsand to look down on Rame Head.

Rame Head and the golden beaches of Whitsand bay
stretching out to the west as far as the eye can see

Looking back at Plymouth Breakwater and Bovisand

The rest of the task went fine with a reasonably easy to read sky. On my return, after 2 hours 39 minutes, the kit had been put away and Phil and Gavin were busy derigging.

Heading home and saying farewell to the southern dockyard,
Milbrook and St. John's lake, south of Torpoint

John Allan

John's flight was posted on the BGA ladder.
Here it is shown in an IGC viewer.

A screenshot from SeeYou showing the terrain and route of John's flight

There was non-flying activity. Scratch was up early before his shift at work and was busy in the Motor Transport hangar with much revving of engines audible. Steve Lewis and DB busied themselves all day changing the tail wheels on three gliders and then replacing ageing or damaged tail wheel tyres ready for the soaring season to come. Colin was working on one of K-8, GDK's wings.

After Phil and I derigged we were able to help the Chairman stamp our corporate identity on our new(ish) acquisition; Twin Astir 1, DSL. We also have DGS logos for the Twin Astir Trainer, HBK, which will be applied soon.

DGS Logo in place on the Port side.
Lining it up was a difficult task as the Twin Astir stripe
and lettering follow the curvature of the cockpit edges.

The Starboard side. We are getting good at this.

The late afternoon, although a little breezier, was very pleasant in the sunshine and teasingly the cloud base rose. That's gliding for you.

After more tea and putting the world to rights the Astir CS77 and the Twin Astir were slid back into their places in the hangar, now the tail wheel and tyre work was complete, and the hangar doors were closed for the night.

The discussions in the clubhouse also covered the need for mini blade fuses.

After we departed for home John found a stock at home that he will kindly donate to the club. That meant I could cancel our order that I placed earlier with that legendary Greek female warrior. How could we ever hope to run a gliding club without smartphones and a strident woman?

Equipment interoperability problems overcome.

Gavin Short

Dartmoor Gliding News - Saturday 11th April 2026

The weather was going to be a challenge today. The front went through last night and left very breezy airflow. Wind direction was forecast to be NW so this was at least more or less down the runway. After checking out all the forecasts ( and his seaweed no doubt ) CFI Rick Wiles agreed to give it a go.

Two K13s were got ready and taken to the East End launch point and after a short morning briefing it was game on. Rick flew a solo weather check after which he announced that it was flyable with care for instructors and BIs. The aim was to give the assemble members experience a the somewhat boisterous conditions.

Definitely lively

This continued until 11.45 when a break was called to allow all the members to return to the clubhouse for the 12pm AGM during which the Chairman presented a very successful year which saw many improvements to the club infrastructure including the addition of two Grob 103 Twin Astir two seat aircraft to the fleet. The Chairman highlighted the great team spirit and effort from all the club members many of whom go about their tasks barely noticed ( unless you know where to look ) but vital to our success. The meeting also saw Mike Jardine step down as Treasurer to be replace by David Osment. Mike Jardine stepped down as Field Manager to be replaced by John Smith.

25 minutes later and it was back to the launch point. It was a little thermic and Rick and Zack managed 21 minutes. This was followed by Scratch and Mike Bennett with 27 minutes for flight of the day.