Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 11 March 2026

What a difference day makes.  The forecast had been looking promising for a few days.  A strongish wind right down the runway but thermic most of the day.  After the wet winter months that the Wednesday Wavers have endured this forecast was slightly unbelievable.

Skysight's Windgram predicted a nice thermic day to come

It was a slow start for the Wavers.  The concerns were the state of the airfield and the strength of the wind.  Would the wind break up the thermals as is often the case?  After the morning brief by Scratch I offered my services as a soaring coach.  Although I was Mike Jardine's Basic Instructor today we had no visitors scheduled so I was at a loose end.  Lance, Michael M-S, and Viktor were keen to learn what they could.  I briefed them on the BGA's soaring protocol on thermals and gave some insights on thermalling techniques.

If the Wavers launched from the south side of the track at the east end, and didn't take any vehicles near the launch point bus then we could operate with care.  Hangar unpacking commenced.

Colin arrived and elicited some help to turn CCY's wing in the workshop.  The aileron hinge repair is complete and the aileron reinstalled.  All that remains is applying fresh Ceconite fabric to the access holes previously made to do the work; superseam, iron, dope, undercoat and top coat.  All in a day's work for a Part 66L senior engineer.

The conditions were deemed too windy for the K-8 so it was walked back to the hangar

Gliders ranged ready for their Daily Inspections

While the Daily inspections were underway three privateers rigged: Andy (Libelle), Phil (DG300), and Steve Fletcher (Open Cirrus).  Steve's 17.7m wings which would prove suitable in today's conditions.

Dave Osment and Andy discuss the rigging of his Libelle whilst two wannabe glider pilots put the world to rights.

After the morning briefings Mike Bennett and John Smith set about removing the old wood burner.  After many years of use and much abuse by "stoker" Ged we received a very kind donation from Mary Wells of Saltash who had seen our plea on social media for a replacement.  Mary is having a bit of house remodelling done, and her wood burner was going to be removed.  We are very thankful she found a new home for it with us.  Many thanks Mary.

While the building team set about removing the flue and the old one. I checked out what we had got.  A 6 Kw multi fuel burner with "air wash" ventilation.  Five inches wider and two inches deeper than the original one.

A helpful comment from the Fleet Manager; "If we need spare parts just look at the maker's plate on the back....." Yes, it's in French!

A man holding his pipe (other captions were available but not chosen)

When the flue came down it was shot through with holes and would need replacing.

John and Mike in "fluent" discussion.

The new wood burner was cleaned and inspected.  Yes it would require replacement baffles in due course, but the imperative is to obtain a new flue.

Our "new" wood burner, in place, and looking resplendent. We were also given a stove fan.

Also delivered to the club by Mike Bennett were two four-drawer steel filing cabinets.  The Fleet Manager needed more space for the spares and documentation of the burgeoning DGS fleet.  "My name is Gavin. I am a gliding addict and I can't stop buying gliders for the club. I need to quit this expensive habit".

With the final privateers rigged it was time to go flying. Mike Jardine had a weather check flight, enjoying a high launch height and told us it was game on.  Mike had a light dance card today; trainees David Osment, Michael M-S, Lance Whitehead, solo pilot David Archer, and a returning member from Cornwall, Harvey Hunt.  We last saw Harvey in July but his work and life got in the way.  He had been making good progress last year and despite the extended layoff it was clear that he had forgotten little.  He certainly met the German glider pilot definition of frühlingsblume (a spring flower which comes out when the sun starts to shine).

Cunningly Harvey was trying to bring life and passion together by bringing his long term girlfriend Kate Jones to the airfield (I'll let the reader decide which way around these priorities are). 

After the DG300 is rigged it's time for the Open Cirrus to emerge from its trailer and take to the air.

A lovely, albeit hazy, sky at 3,000 feet AGL.  Phil in his DG300 was out there, but Steve missed him with his camera!

Steve Fletcher's overhead view of the airfield

Steve eventually topped out at 3,200 feet AGL south of Lifton.  If you zoom in you can probably see diesel on sale at 195.0p a litre!

Unsurprising by the number of aerial photos Steve took he made "Man of the match" with a flight of one hour and 34 minutes, Phil was the runner-up with 14 minutes less, and Andy achieved 29 minutes.

Dave Osment heads back to the airfield

In the strong breeze the thermals were staring to line up.  More German gliding terms; Wolkenstraße - a long, linear alignment of cumulus clouds, and hence lift, that forms parallel to the direction of the wind.  Or as we term it in the UK a Cloud street.

This meant that there was some reliable soaring to be had if you could connect with a cloud street.  The Duty Instructor did with David Osment (16 minutes), Lance (12 minutes) and Harvey (12 minutes).  I did with Michael M-S (15 minutes), and Lance (34 minutes).  On the latter flight Malcolm joined us several times in the Astir CS77 (54 minutes) as did Harvey with Mike. 

Alas, we are normally a winch launch site.  So when it was Viktor's turn there wasn't any soaring to be had in the blue gaps between the cloud streets.  But it gave him a chance to try and reach some lift and then plan the return to the airfield in stronger winds.

Mike Jardine and Harvey's view, in FGR, of Lance and Gavin, in FSD, perfectly positioned on the opposite side of the thermal.

After I finished soaring coaching in FSD I handed the glider over to Scratch.  Harvey had been busy when not in the air and had arranged for some flights for Kate.  Obviously not deterred by the day's introduction to gliding, she had two flights with Scratch.

Kate Jones prepares herself for a Friend's and Family flight with Scratch

By mid-afternoon the wind chill in the brisk breeze was overcoming the efforts of the sun.  Spring might have sprung but boy it was cold!

As the day drew to a close hangar flights were made, and we put the gliders to bed.  We were out on our timing by about ten minutes as an unexpected rain shower came in while the hangar doors were still open.  Up until then we had avoided the rain showers that had been active in the distance during the afternoon.

What a difference a day makes.  Twenty-six flights with ten of them soaring flights.  The season has begun.  The Wednesday Wavers were elated.

Gavin Short

Dartmoor Gliding News - Saturday 7th March 2026

The weather forecast showed an on coming warm front due to arrive around 5pm. Before that increasing cloud and very little wind was the order of the day. RASP ( Regional Atmospheric Soaring Predictor ) was very optimistic giving  serval hours of thermals. This needed sun on the ground to work properly. Curiously as there was 8/8 high cirrus with low cumulus at 1200 ft or so right from the start, I think that the cloud cover forecast part of RASP was just plain wrong.

The cloudscape early on

Although there was probably not going to be much soaring the air was beautifully smooth. This is of great benefit to trainees and low hours pilots alike as they practice their aircraft handling skills. As an experienced pilot I still find conditions like this delightful.

My instruction as photographer was to look windswept and interesting.
Rick, you need some acting lessons.

Jamie looking very relaxed

We started nice and early trying to maximise the flying opportunity. Rick made steady progress through the training list and the solo pilots kept both the K8 and Astir busy. Flights were just circuits until Malcolm bagged the K8 at about 11.30 and managed 13 minutes. 

The K8 off again

View from the K8

Mary Tavy

An interesting view from the K8

Cockpit view of the club's CS77

I watched the wind ( 2 knots or less )  gradually move around to the south which seemed to encourage a few buzzards into the air. By now the cloud cover was thickening and looked decidedly unfriendly but curiosity got the better of me and I took a flight in the K8. On the south side of the airfield, at the west end a shallow valley comes up from the south east, This valley was encouraging little thermal bubbles and I spent 22 minutes ( flight of the day ) riding the bubbles at 900 ft above the runway, At one point a little thermal kicked off which allowed me to climb about 200ft. Great fun.

In my capacity as Chairman I had to talk with Zack about wearing Speedos on the airfield

By 3.30 the cloud base was lowering and thickening ahead of the front so it was time to draw stumps , clean the equipment, and put it safely in the hangar. At this point, John Allen disappeared into the gloom driving the tractor and roller to repair ruts and smooth out the grass ahead of the coming season. He kept at this until darkness stopped him.  Thankyou John.

A good club day.

Steve

Dartmoor Gliding News - Saturday 28th February 2026

Well, February was about to go out with a bang. There was a lot of work to do and the airfield was packed with club members attracted by the surprisingly hopeful weather forecast. RASP was forecasting a few hours of gentle soaring in the light winds. The clubhouse was standing room only for the morning briefing.

A nice sky 

K13 on the wire

Right from the start circuits were extending a little in the buoyant conditions. By 11.30 the thermals were lurking under most passing clouds and the gliders were soaring well. It was nice to see that the solo pilots were all sticking to the "15 minute rule" so that they would all get a chance to try a little thermal soaring to blow away some of the winter cobwebs. Longest flights of the day were recorded by the K13s but even then these were deliberately curtailed.

Looking back at the runway

Steve Flying with Michael as balast

Two of our solo pilots

We had 2 visitors today who attended for Air Experience Flights.  Sarah Ramdatt and James Nind both enjoyed soaring up to the 2200ft cloudbase and left with big smiles.

Sarah

James

In the hangar it was busy. A small team reweighed a privately owned Standard Cirrus. If you don't know, every 10 years ( or after major repairs or additions ) gliders have to be weighed and measured to establish the Centre of Gravity and calculate the minimum and maximum loading limits. After this K13-GCFGR was reassembled after it's recent ARC / C of A inspection ( similar to the MOT on your car ) and returned to the fleet. In fact it was taken to the launch point, test flown and put straight to work.

Replacing FGR's aileron tape

Preparing to weigh the Std Cirrus wing

Wiring of the Twin Trainer underway

A nice start to the season. 

Steve

Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 4 March 2026

The first day of flying in March and the Wednesday Wavers were the lucky ones.

Forecast; fair weather and some thermals.  Has Spring finally sprung?  I'd been having dreams of leaving the circuit and heading cross-country.  What had triggered these thoughts?  A memory from March 2012 while competing in Germany, from Grefrath-Niershorst airfield, north of Mönchengladbach.  The task for the club class sent us due south into the Eifel region.  After some 50 km the conditions got difficult.  The "save" was the cooling towers at the Weisweiler power station at the town of Eschweiler.  I found myself climbing nicely in a gaggle, but the smell of the dirty lignite coal was truly gross.

After a top-up in height was achieved we headed south into the sweeter smelling air.  It was slow-going in the freshening southerly breeze.  Things weren't working as the gaggle were scratching for lift that seemed to be fighting the effects of the southerly down wave from the Eifel mountains.  And so it was, over a fifteen-minute period five of us landed out in a suitable field.  We dragged the gliders up to the access road and waited for our retrieve drivers.  In true German gliding style the first retrieve driver had his trailer quickly unhitched and was dispatched to the nearest village to collect a crate of ice-cold beer for the pilots and crews!

Five thirsty competitors in their field

Time to stop dreaming of conditions past and come back to the present.  The field was dry enough to operate from the west end, launching into a light easterly airflow.  K-13, FSD, K-8, GDK, and the Astir CS77 were inspected and taken to the launch point.  That wasn't all.  The hangar was emptied completely.  The Puchacz was brought out into the sunlight and inspected ready for a check flight if the runway proved firm enough later.

The sky was blue, the wind was down the runway, it was a great flying day.  So has Spring sprung?  The Duty Instructor started recency and training flights.

Christopher Morris, Seahawk Gliding Club, handles the controls in FSD

Mike Jardine observes the hazy view to the southwest of the airfield while Christopher is busy

Mary Tavy and orographic cloud over the Tors, that persisted all day

Back at the clubhouse maintenance almost ceased. The tea ran out. The Chief Flying Instructor's tea swindle had failed.  Instant coffee didn't quite cut it.  How would we make it through the day?

What of K-13, FGR that was at the back of the hangar and last to see the daylight?  On its last outing the variometer system wasn't working and needed investigation.  A crack team was put on the case.  After pneumatic tube tracing the solution was embarrassingly simple.  Despite the "foolproof" five-way connectors fitted in our club gliders two tubes from the instruments had been reversed during FGR's recent maintenance.

John Allan enjoyed the delights of the Astir CS77 while training continued in K-13, FSD

The Wavers found that the wind veered to the South East at height. The launch point was busy with three club gliders and two privateers; a DG300 and a Libelle.  Initially there was little thermal lift to be found.  Maybe a hint of gentle wave.

The wind strengthened and veered more southerly during the day.  Approaches became turbulent, even "character forming", on occasion.

In the glorious sunshine Colin continued repairs to CCY's wing by remounting the aileron hinges.  Later he amused himself working out how to mount an oxygen bottle in my Standard Cirrus.  Not an easy task as the original fittings for a bottle proved to be unworkable (out of reach).

Colin check fits the aileron on CCY's wing to check the position of the newly mounted aileron hinges

Colin ponders oxygen bottles for a Standard Cirrus while enjoying the sunshine

Unhelpfully Schempp-Hirth mounted the belly band for the oxygen cylinder about two and a half-arm lengths back, deep into the fuselage.  Do we have any juniors to assist fitting, please?

The day was warm.  Spring had indeed sprung.  Some soaring was had by Malcolm (19 mins and 10 mins), Steve Fletcher (16 mins in weak wave), David Osment (11 mins, with Mike Jardine observing from the back seat), and Andy (9 mins and 9 mins).   The warmth and sunshine enticed Colin to the launch point for a well deserved flight.  When the Wavers had had their fill the air temperature started dropping.  With the hangar packed and doors shut the Wavers departed, satisfied with the day's flying in glorious sunshine.

32 flights in total.  Much more respectable than the previous two months.  As the weather warms the wind should dry the field quite quickly.  The Wavers had welcomed in the gliding season.

Gavin Short 

Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 25 February 2026

Three degrees.  Just three degrees.  No, not a Royal love interest from when he was a prince, but today's maximum forecast separation of air temperature and the dew point.  Meteorologists will know that means a low cloud base.  Glider pilots use a rule of thumb, 400ft per degree Centigrade, giving the cloud base height.  Today was all about those three degrees (on a nice summer's day the separation should be at least ten degrees).

But in the morning, we hadn't got to that temperature separation yet.  So the cloud base was too low to go flying.  Indeed, the forecasts, except for Skysight, weren't very optimistic so it was a slow start while we waited.  This gave the management team a chance to discuss insurance renewal premiums and a plan for the fleet to reduce costs.  It's amazing how the warmth of the wood burner and a hot cup of tea can improve one's cognitive abilities.

The Chairman gets stuck in to the Daily Inspection of the Volvo
 (yes, it was a late start for the Wednesday Wavers!)

Hangar doors open.  The gliders emerge.

David Osment manoeuvres K-13, FSD on the apron. 
 Don't forget to check the Total Energy probe during the Daily Inspection.

The Chairman and DCFI get stuck in moving the glider up the slope.

Despite the Waver's keenness to fly, it wasn't going to be a great day for visitors.  So, after discussing the prospects with the duty Basic Instructor, me, John cancelled his Friends and Family flight.  Hopefully his daughter, Jane, can come back when the weather is better.

Time to remove the Swiss competition letters and put the correct trigraph on the fin of Phil's DG300

A "Swedish" trailer.  Everything organised and engineered to perfection. 
 Perhaps this is the SAAB of glider trailers.  Does that make farmer Phil an architect?

The final result, nicely split across the fin and the rudder.  Phil surveys the results.

The cloud base was lifting slowly.  Time to go flying, but notice how moist everything is.

The Duty Instructor ready for a weather check to establish
whether the cloud base is high enough for us to go flying

Andy, ready to take the second launch of the day at 1232 (yes it was a late start)

Meanwhile, in the hangar, CCY's fuselage is moved into the daylight and
 K-13, FSD's wings are laid out for inspection as part of its annual.

Mike Bennett rises of a nose wheel after a field change
on the K-13, FSD, prior to inspection and repair

 

Mike and Lance return. The approach made challenging by the increasing southerly cross wind

As the flying ceased and the toys were packed away, the separation of the air temperature and the dew point steadily reduced and lowered the cloud base to the deck. 

 

At the end of the day, the "Three Degrees" become zero
 According to the flight log, John Allan achieved the flight of the day with a circuit.  The suspicion was that the log keeper was tardy in recording his landing time.

 

A late start for the Wavers but recency flights and Pilot Annual Reviews for those who needed it, and currency flights for others in the K-8.

 

A dreary looking day but successful on the flying front with 15 flights made. Also, a successful day on the maintenance front with K-13, FGR ready for some final small jobs and rigging on Saturday when we expect to see it returned to service.  Thank you to Colin and all those who assisted him today.

 

Gavin Short