Expectations of Brentor remaining rain-free until this afternoon were dashed as I drove past Launceston this morning (on the way from my home in North Cornwall) to find the airfield shrouded in low cloud, with not a hint of brightness upwind. On the positive side, Steve Raine had - single-handedly - opened up the hangar and clubhouse, got the vehicles out and Di’d and then, with the help of Dave Rippon, changed ends with the winch to accommodate a benign (by recent standards) SSE wind, and inspected the cables.
A 'quorum' of enthusiasts trickled in, and after steaming mugs of tea, it was out to the launch point with DMX, followed by a waiting game for a clearance. One gap did appear, enabling John Rogers and me to convert what we thought was going to be a simulated 400 foot launch failure into a 'proper(-ish)' launch through a hole in the cloud to 800 feet. We then fiddled our way down through the murk to a respectable landing by John (impressive, after a six-week layoff).
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| A nice approach ....... |
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| ....... leading to a nice touch down. |
Talking of 'laying off', so excited were we at doubling our expected launch height, that we failed to allow for the cross-wind sufficiently and the cable parachute went over the hedge. No harm done though, and when winch driver Rave Rippon arrived apologising for winding in the cable too slowly, we kept quiet about our own perceived deficiencies and accepted his apology gracefully.
As we opened the cockpit some serious rain arrived, and under a darkening sky it was back to the hangar with regrets coupled with gratitude expressed to the rest of the team.
DMX started the day in an 'agricultural' state due to mud having been frozen onto the glider in the arctic conditions of last Saturday, and ended today with a second coating of mud and manure of a more liquid variety. This helped to soften up the 'undercoat', and with the help of Vice-Chairman Colin Boyd and his gleaming new 'hose-toy',the glider was restored to its usual smart state and tucked away safely ready for next weekend.
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| Adrian looks on while Jorg flies the simulator with Ged instructing from the back seat |
Back in the clubhouse, John Bolt fired up the woodburner to max, fellow-instructors Ged and Steve set about some 'seasonal simulating', and I attempted to reveal the mysteries of circuit planning and launch failures to pre-solo pilots Adrian Pike, Jorg Beasley and John Rogers.
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| John, Adrian and Jorg concentrating on Bob's lecture |
Finally, around teatime, having spent a while setting the world to rights around the fire, beer can rings were pulled to mark the end of a frustrating - but nonetheless enjoyable day in good company.
Bob Pirie
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