Dartmoor Gliding News–Sunday 16th February 2014

Today promised to be a good day, forecast sunshine, light winds, Cold weather passing through the day before and the prospect of a hearty Breakfast to start. Initially icy, the slippery stuff disappeared around 9am. But it was still cold.

K13 and K8 waiting at the launchpoint

The K13 was out and the K8. Don kicked off the proceedings with currency checks with Leith Whittington and training for Mike Swann, Mike Larkin and Andrew Swann while myself and Roger Appleboom managed the winch and retrieve.

The light S-SW forecast made most of us think it could just get going thermally (I know!!!), and on the grass we had Pundit predictions of between 11am and 1pm. for when thermal activity might start. Thermals actually started at 11 am over on the moors to the south in the nice winds and started 1 pm over us. But by then the light winds soon became the DGS norm and we had a crisp southerly x wind. The field was very soft and muddy. Despite the sunshine it was cold.

Thermal activity over dartmoor

Actually though, this was a great day to learn something, in these very variable conditions. It was hoped that the thermal activity would be better developed and allow for a ½-1 hour flights to get Glider Pilot Licence (GPL) durations in reasonable conditions. But, apart from the 20minute flight managed by Don and Mike Swann thermals where extremely narrow and affected by strong winds to the degree that thermalling and monitoring your gliding range in the light K8 became the main flight management task. In the K13 this was not such a problem apparently because of extra ballast taken on board in the form of hobnobs.

In the K8 though as the Southerly wind srengthened during the day it was very easy to find yourself after 3 or 4 nice turns in 3-4 up well over Brentor Church being whisked away in a northerly direction. In the K8 at 1400ft you would think not so much of a problem, but the moment you headed back into wind towards the field and you hit ‘blue 6-8 down’, it made it very interesting when you opted for a north circuit and found a classic grabbing hand as well rapidly changing your comfortable thoughts of a nice parallel landing alongside the launch point.

Southern circuits were not much better. You still managed to find 4-6 down and the need to increase speed to 60+ making for fast base leg and final turns.

The day was really interesting and fun, all but one of the trainees flew and Dave Parker got his ARC done on his far too clean K6 (examiners words). Roger Appleboom, myself and Allan Holland flew the K8. And young Andrew Swann in the K13 got the first of his ‘interesting attitudes’=‘you have control’ training. This
picture said it all, after just being announced

Is Andrew ( on the left ) really worried? I don't think so.

Our Gus winch did what our Gus winch seems to want do…. Show its displeasure on a cold day and threw loops at the last moment on the last flight. Meaning Dave , Alan, Andrew and myself where hand clearing loops and repairing an end of the day cable break in the dark (the strain of having to drag far too many Hobnobs Into the air!) and the K13 being dragged back by torchlight.

Sadly Luke didn’t fly but spring must be around the corner because Trevor popped up to show his medical is all in order.

Tony Dean