The upbeat trend which has been developing on recent Wednesdays - at least the flyable ones - continued this morning, with a healthy turnout of early-arriving club members getting the kit out, rigging both club and private gliders, changing ends and getting part of the fence down, because the wind had changed to a crosswind from the south, with a bit of east in it.
One day course candidate Terry Newman from Kent, visiting relatives in the west country, was 'chomping at the bit', having been foiled by the weather on a couple of previous occasions last winter. (He soloed in a T21B at Lasham with the Boy Scouts many years ago.) Then a succession of trial lesson candidates started pouring through the gate, including another one-time glider pilot, Derek Hoskings (85) from St Ives, whose wife had given him his lesson as a birthday present last year. (Later in the day both Terry and Derek demonstrated that they had not totally lost their touch and their sense of humour, and Terry will be coming back in November to complete his allocation of flights.
 |
| Visitor Derek Hosking |
 |
| Visitor Richard Pope |
 |
| Visitor Margaret Lowe |
But...! Those flights were indeed much later in the day, because a blanket of thick fog which had greeted us when we arrived persisted and it was not until noon(ish) that we were able to start flying. Then we were knocked back by the K7M having to be taken offline temporarily due to a paperwork issue. We got it back eventually, but these factors, combined with several cable breaks, threatened to throw the day's club and visitor flying programme into chaos.
Despite these setbacks, good teamwork and hard work by everyone enabled us to achieve more than 30 launches in the short time available to us. All the visitors got flown, but once again our regular and 'regular temporary' members bore the brunt of the situation; inevitable in the circumstances, but unacceptable. I am sure instructors Ged Nevisky and Steve Lewis join me in thanking you all for your understanding and patience, and in apologising for any disappointment you experienced. You worked hard, and we did our best, but sometimes these things happen.
 |
| Rigging the "new" K8 |
 |
| K8 G-CGDK ready to join the club fleet |
On a more positive note, foggy mornings can have their advantages. Today, led by John Bolt brandishing his weight and balance charts and a huge set of scales, we rigged and weighed the 'new' K8, which came as part of the package with the K7M. At the end of the day, with C of A, ARC and insurance formalities completed, I test flew her, and phrases like 'an oldie but a goody' come to mind. Or, in the words of Bernard Matthews (or was it Jamie Oliver?) 'she really is a little booty!' There's no need for full forward trim and stick on the dashboard at the start of the launch, which her predecessor tended to need. She's also quieter, less draughty and generally more comfortable - with a much more generous maximum cockpit weight. The Committee (in acquiring her) and John and his team of dedicated helpers (who fettled her) have done their job. Now it is down to us, as club members, to look after her.
 |
| Bob surveying the sky before test flying the K8 |
Having enjoyed the privilege of carrying out the initial test flight, I then invited John to give her a go. From the ground you could sense the fun he was having, and this was further evidenced by an ear-to-ear grin as he emerged from the cockpit.
 |
| John Bolt definitely looks happy. |
Bob Pirie
No comments:
Post a Comment