Low cloud, drizzle and the wind blowing a hoolie from the west. Welcome to summer on Dartmoor. With a few thousand teenagers attempting Ten Tors just across the way this weekend a slightly more modest number prepared the airfield for aviation.
Once the rain had stopped and cloud base had lifted first up with CFI Don was new junior member Peter Clifford from Plympton. Despite the very windy conditions he still came back after two flights with a smile on his face. Hope to see him and his dad back at DGS soon.
My turn next.
'I reckon the ridge at Cox Tor will be working today, shall we go and have a look?' says Don, more of an order than a suggestion.
'Why not?' says I through gritted teeth. Having made sure I had a phone with plenty of numbers of people to ring to come and fetch us when we land in a field, off we go.
1500 feet off the launch, 180 degree turn and we are off like a scolded cat down wind to Cox Tor. 'Down to a thousand feet Don' 'Down to less than a thousand feet Don'. Airfield seems a hundred miles behind us and the ground perilously close.
The vario comes out of hibernation and wails like a banshee. Lift! We are going up and up. Momentarily registering ten up. We beat up and down the ridge and even find a thermal, climbing back up to 1500 feet QFE.
'Time to go home' says Don. Airfield looks even further away now. Desperately scanning fields for suitable landing area just in case (good practice for my up coming cross country endorsement flight) we pick up some helpful lift along the way (thermal, wave?). Who cares?! We are back in circuit at the airfield with plenty of height to spare. Air brakes fully open, nose pointing at the ground, demonstration of energy dump, round out and land. Simples.
Just to prove it wasn't a fluke Jerry Wellington, Sandra Buttery and Mike Jardine all have flights to Cox Tor and back. Jerry's flight reaching 2500 feet QFE. Seven launches, four flights between 18 and 30 minutes.
Not bad for a dull and dismal day.
Thanks to Mike and Rick for winching and Don for taking us out of our comfort zone.
The evening rounded off with Don’s presentation and burger-fest for ab-initio pilots and anybody else who could stay awake.
Darren Wills
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