Dartmoor Gliding News – Sunday 6th October 2013

Gliders in the mist

Saturday's Indian Summer weather continued today, with a classic early morning mist that enveloped the airfield from 0830 until 1015, and then cleared within 10 minutes!  By which time we had everything ready to go, and as the sun broke through we launched into a full programme of Trial Lessons (5), club trainees (2 - the Swanns - Mike and Andrew (Junior), instructor coaching (1) club solo (2) and private aircraft (4) - oh, and Trevor Taylor (1) that eventually totalled 29 flights - not bad for a late start. 

A group of ‘mystical’ glider riggers

The same scene 10 minutes later

 The wind was delightfully light and westerly, enough to get to 1,100ft on the launch with the cable easily retrieved; the cumulus developed into streets from the SW and it was, again, shades and t-shirt order all round.  The thermals were not particularly strong, or wide, however and took some skill to master - thus it was really good to see that Nigel Williamson, in the club's new K-8, claimed flight of the day - he saw the opportunity, flew straight to the cloud and managed to reach 2,000ft for 33 minutes (Trevor Taylor may have flown for longer but he - with his Jantar 1 (>45:1) doesn't count! (and was only 15 minutes longer than the K-8...))

The view to the east as the cloud clings to the Tavy Valley

Our visiting trial lesson students were David and George Pretty from Exeter (hope you pass your RAF interview, George), carpenter Thomas Watson and, later in the afternoon, Andrew and Kevin Yates, from Launceston (Andrew's girlfriend took photos/video of his flight which have been posted to our Facebook page).
 

Visitor David Pretty

Visitor and RAF candidate George Pretty

Visitor Andy Yates

 After flying his immaculate K-6CR Robin Wilson jumped into the winch, making a welcome change to the usual line-up, Dave Parker and Roger Appleblessim vied with each other for the shortest K-6 flight of the day (they came first equal with 3 minutes, surely this could be limboed under next Sunday..?!), there was strong language and scenes of a violent nature between Leith Whittington and the undercarriage of his Dart 17R, and Mike Jardine was able to get some BI training in before, as the sun began to descend, the air rapidly cooled and fingers of cloud stretched back over the airfield at 800ft.

We all felt so elated we decided to hold an impromptu hangar party - for a good 45 minutes - with K-13s merrily dancing around each other, the Zugvogel playing wallflower and the K-8 gate crasher (all that was needed was coloured lights, disco music and a handbag) before we finally managed to get the thing packed correctly and shut the doors... 

Thanks to everyone (including the weather) for being so supportive on my first duty as a fully completed Asst Cat’.

Martin Cropper