Interclub League Day 2 – Trevor Taylor

Sunday 2nd June 2013

Washed glider,changed batteries,  daily inspection.  Had breakfast (bacon butty again) and lots of coffee. Briefing at 10.00. Oh did I forget to mention that the wind has dropped to 5 knots and that the sun has got his hat on hip hip horary! Its going to be a GOOD DAY!!!  Cloudbase up to 5,000 feet.

At briefing Director congratulated everyone on a safe days flying yesterday. Only one land out, amazing  considering the strong wind. He's not setting a 300km. because of long journey home (a few groans of disappointment). Task for pundits polygon KEE-CHV-BUC-WAN-TRO-KEE  245.8km. In longhand Keevil to Chieveley 58km.to Buckingham 65km. to Wantage 56km. to Trowbridge 61km. to Keevil 7km. Ok, launch when you like.

Day 2 245.8 km task

 Found someone to configure GPS to NMEA output (did it in 5 seconds. It’s great when you know what your doing)  .Feed turn points into LX4000. Magic, it works. The chap who sorted my Glider Guider entered today's task for me (still in See You so lots of page changing again) .

Lots of enthusiastic Air Scouts available to ground handle gliders THANK YOU. Have a quick chat with launch marshal that I would like 60 knots. on the launch as opposed to the 55 knots that I got yesterday.  Guess what?  A  perfect 60 knots all the way to 1,500 feet at 1.00 pm. These guys are really switched on.

Waiting in the grid

Sky looks good but struggle to contact lift, broken 1-2 knots. slowly drifting South towards Salisbury danger zone, lift just improving to 2 knots. steady when Glider Guider beeps airspace close , page changes as I’m trying to get page back BEEP BEEP Airspace infringement, page comes back, too late airspace has changed from blue to RED I'm in it. ****.

Thought for a minute. I know I'll go back land have a relight (start again). Come tearing back full airbrake, land, run up to Steve (task setter) tell him I've blipped airspace Can I have a relight? Yes get on. Off we go again .

Another perfect launch to 1,500 feet. 2.00 pm. Still a little difficult to get started . I’m keeping well away from Danger Zone. Eventually get to cloud base 3,300 feet. Heading for CHV approx.070, see one of many white horses carved in limestone, conditions not as good as it looks. There's some heavy sink around, making progress, get to CHV, Glider Guider beeps (in zone good this time) turn to 010 for BUC 65km. away.

Conditions improving.  cloud base going up. Approaching Didcot famous for its cooling towers (saved many a glider pilot). Most of them now demolished. Fly over Benson MATZ speeding up past Oxford on my left, becoming a bit hazy, some areas going blue but still working, passing Weston on green, Bicester old home of RAFGSA, did my instructors course there way back in 1968 makes me feel old.

Lots of gliders around (must be a good day) press on round BUC turn point there goes that beep again good.

Now heading just South of S W approx.210 towards WAN 56km.away. Make good progress, some gaps, high, no problems fly over Oxford quite pretty from air over 4,000ft.now. Dolphing along for quite a while now (speeding up in sink 70kts. -1flap slowing down in lift 40kts.+2flaps NOT turning) trying to keep on track only minor heading changes.Bing goes WAN

TRO next 61km. 240degrees. Maintaining height reasonably easily, only stop and turn if below 3,000ft. and lift above 6 knots. When LX tells me I'm 2,000ft. above glide slope for TRO (500ft safety ht.built in) I should arrive 2,500ft. above TRO more than enough to do the last 7km. to KEE.

So, no stop, no turn, say no more, really was easy peasy . Slow start ,rest ok, could have gone faster, need practice, 245.8km. 2.00pm start 3 hours.23 minutes. Average Speed 72.6 km per hour.

Task complete - great

Take both the SD card and the micro-recorder to Steve (task setter). Lucky me SD card is OK .He says I did quite well 72.6 km, all turn points ok,but he'll have to give me a 500 point penalty for entering danger zone!!!(in actual fact you are allowed to enter the zone when not active. Like ours, it wasn't active but Bannerdown make it a local rule do NOT go in). I would have come 3rd without the penalty. I thought the relight would have cancelled out the airspace infringement. I’m glad I didn't know about penalty until after flight otherwise I wouldn't have enjoyed the flight so much.

Overall a really great weekend. Thank you Bannerdown.

Trevor Taylor