Wednesday 21st March 2012–A Game of 2 Halves

With a RASP forecast showing some thermal activity by 11:30 and shutting off at about 15:00, and a possible Easterly Wave forecast included, I was keen as ever chasing my 2 bronze legs to take the day off work and get up the club for an early start on Wednesday. Despite a number of operational tasks: DMX needing it's elevator fitted; the blue Landrover needed waking up with the Red Disco and quad US; and needing to change ends, flying started by about 11:00, just in time for the predicted conditions and promising looking sky.

Colin Boyd in the Beautiful K6 G-DFUB

By early afternoon the flying list started to fill up with a cue of 4-5 gliders lined up at launch point including some private gliders blowing out winter cobwebs: Colin Boyd and Robin Wilson K6, (although not so many cobwebs on that k6 I'm sure!); Alan Carter and Sandra Buttery's SF27; the Twin Astir with Phil Hardwick,
Bob Johns and Robin Wilson getting comfortable for the new season ahead.

Mike studying the clouds as he waits to launch the Zug

My second launch in the Zug connected me with lift and an energy line E-W directly down the strip which I took to cloudbase at 2600ft, but with a drift that left me a good 2 miles downwind in a strengthening Easterly. However pushing forward under cloud with the good glide of the Zug and circling back a few times I was able to stay with the energy to watch my first 30 minutes bronze leg go by, then my 1 hour cross country leg go by, and after a small lunch snack in the cockpit (just to prove to myself I could) I decided to bleed off my height and land after 75 minutes to let someone else have the fun with the club Zugvogel. By this time there was lots of good flying by others making the most out of the challenging conditions of small and concentrated lift low down down in a strengthening Easterly.

K13 returns after a good soaring flight

Alan Carter was chasing his 2 hour, and very nearly succeeded with the longest flight of the day at 1.5 hours and ended with a very well executed out landing in a good field at Longcross, 2.5 miles downwind. I was nominated / volunteered to go and retrieve Alan with Sandra, and after a couple hours we were back at the airfield parking the trailer under a blue sky with thermal activity obviously over for the day.

Mike, Alan and Sandra parking the trailer after the retrieve

I was therefore then surprised to see only one K13 sitting at launch - with everything else up in the WAVE that had set up after the thermal activity had died! So only one thing to do really, and taking Dons' brief, I took the awaiting K13 and cable and launched straight into my first ever flight in Wave, that lofted me in beautifully smooth air to 3500ft over Tavistock, Whitchurch, Cox Tor and surrounding area to watch my second 30 min bronze leg go by. After another 1 hour, time to practise some stalls and spins to get back down to an eagerly waiting ground crew at 5.30 to put the gliders away.

Mike took this photo of Mary Tavy  while flying the K13 in wave for his second 1 hour flight of the day 

The club gliders were kept busy all day, with instructors Don and Steve in the K13's and Steve Raine enjoying some early soaring in the K8 and John Howe also managing 28 minutes.

John Howe on final approach in the K8

What a day, obviously pleased with getting my 2 bronze legs plus my cross country flight of 1 hour on the same day, but the longest flight goes to Alan Carter with 1.5 hours, best height was Colin Boyd 4200ft. All told there were 6 flights over 1 hour, including Dave Rippon with his 1 hour cross country leg, nice one Dave!

Thanks to Dave Rippon and John Howe for winching, sorry If I missed anyone, and sorry to those that ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time and so not able to make the most of the day - my commiserations, I know how that feels!

Mike Gadd