DGS News–Sunday 13th June 2013 Cows and Cream Cakes

Grey and gloomy over the A30 turned to grey and drizzle over the A386 after Sourton, so it was no surprise to see Brentor Church shrouded in misty rain; not a gliding day for the faint hearted, or as it turned out, a gliding day at all.

But it is for this weather that the DGS Sunday Sizzler was created; this week, Lincolnshire sausages with black pudding, bacon, beans, freshly laid duck eggs, and home-baked chilli bread fried in goose fat, washed down with mugs of hot tea. A convivial and leisurely feast, which gave CFI Puttock plenty of time to reflect on todays chores and briefings.

First up, Dave Parker and the Bronze exam, always best sprung on an unsuspecting someone after a hearty meal, so with dishes washed and stowed, Dave was sat with Sunday Papers he hadn't been expecting.
Which left Don free to deliver an impromptu briefing on meteorology using his newly acquired PPL biased CD-Roms; computer based pilot training which is interactive, informative and fun. This flowed seamlessly into briefing number 2; an in depth analysis of one of Don's flights yesterday to Cox's Tor, examining the likely air flows and thermal activity along the Eastern edge of Dartmoor in a moderately strong Westerly; all part of the 'opening up' of the Dartmoor ridge for soaring; Brentor to Cox's Tor, along the ridge to Sourton, back to Brentor, with 'get out of jail' fields plotted along the way; an exciting and tantalising prospect.

With Don's enthusiasm, determination, and current meticulous planning, this could be likely as a training cross country route in the near future.

One of our Caledonian neighbours

The clubhouse activity was obviously much too intriguing for one of our neighbours who was seen sauntering through the trailer park towards the hut; Hamish the wandering Highland heifer looked to be joining us for lunch, but was headed off, and lunch was postponed for an hour or two while he was returned to his bovine mates, and the perimeter fencing inspected, and strengthened courtesy of Colin Boyd.

And that left just enough time to run through Dave's completed Bronze Exam - narrowly  failed just one section - and have a final Puttock briefing on 'speed to fly' and gliding an energy line, over home made Victoria Sponge and home made scones laden with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Looking at photograph of the cream tea in progress, the geezer in the red jumper seems very 'hands on'........wonder who that could be?

I wonder which CFI this is?

All in all, and on more than one level, a mouth watering day.

Roger Applebloom