DGS News - Saturday 23rd June 2013

Forecast for strong gusty winds, low cloud and rain. Sounds like a summer day then.

The early drizzle and low cloud kept the gliders in the hanger and the assembled members busied themselves with the myriad of tasks in and around the site. A hardy group fitted a new set of cables to the ML winch. The last set had definitely lasted well thanks to the care taken by tow out drivers and winch drivers alike.

In the club house, Don was supervising the training efforts with various briefings and use of the simulator.

In the hangar, apart from looking at the “new” K7m , the work on the Pirat continues. All tasks are now complete with the exception of some minor plumbing work for the instruments. So it should be ready for test flying soon prior to re-joining the club fleet.

Picking up the old cables ( in the rain? )

 After lunch the cloud had lifted a little, so K13 out and off to the launch point. Today BI instructor Sean Parramore did some site appreciation flights so that he can help out on the instructor rota. Junior Peter Clifford and trainee pilot Jerry Wellington both took some flights with Don.

Is the winch too powerful? No,  just another field landing

With the wind 240 at 30 knots at flying heights another flight in the “Dartmoor Ridges” project seemed to be in order. Cox Tor was working well but the return trip was always going to be the main event. The plan was to push back to the airfield and, if they fell below the glideslope, just to drop back to Cox Tor to soar up and try again. Good plan except that a line of heavy rain was approaching rapidly and would have enveloped them if they had turned back to Cox Tor, leaving the only option a field landing in the large field on the south side of the airfield. More derigging and rigging practice then.

Collection the K13 from it's field

We got the very best out of the day.

Steve