DGS News Sunday 24th March 2013

A wind in the east always puts a trip in the step of the Dartmoor glider pilot, however Ged’s parting shot on Saturday evening: ‘I hope the cloudbase doesn’t prove too low for you’ proved, if not a harbinger of actual doom, that he has very good foresight. 

So whilst the Sunday “Soarers” laid out the cables and got the gliders ready to launch with typical verve and efficiency, their optimism was dashed by a wall-to-wall 400ft cloud base that just sat, and sat, refusing to lift all day.  As if proof of the wave were needed, just one very small chink of a slot was seen over the Tavy valley towards the end of the afternoon, but of course totally impractical to reach from a 400ft ‘simulated launch failure’. 

Wave slot to the east over the Tavy valley

So to other tasks the team turned, as Darren Wills, with ‘assistance’ from Sandra Buttery and David Jesty, got in some trailer towing practice by reversing the position of the club caravan, ready for Don’s return (the door is now on the downhill side – for whatever reason that might prove useful – ah, yes, access to the clubhouse!)  All it needed then was a good hosing down (both inside an out, someone said…) for which there was insufficient garden hose.

One driver, two marshallers.

In the hangar the electronics team (see photo of ‘Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil’) busied themselves wiring in the launch assistant to DMX’s instrument panel (it appeared to work, when Colin Boyd tried the wibers on the correct wire..!). 

"Hear no evil", "Speak no evil", "See no evil" inspecting electrical connectors. 

 Meanwhile, those classical art lovers Al Carter and Dave Bourchier made a very passable impression of Michelangelo’s ‘The Creation’ with Alan playing God and Dave Adam when connecting up a new amber flasher to the retrieve Range Rover (obviously it was Alan’s idea , as you can see by the light bulb that is lit above his head!)

Alan Carter with flash of insperation

Even Allan Holland turned up, looked at the low cloud, and went home again, whilst Trevor Taylor made use of our ‘NHS helpline’, asking for advice on the wave by phone.

Hopefully, the easterly will remain until Wednesday, and not cheat us completely.

Martin Cropper