For those enthusiasts who turn up rain or shine each week, Brentor Wednesdays are always a bit special. But although today might be described as 'extra-special' - it being both Ash Wednesday and St Piran's Day (St. P. being the patron saint of Cornwall) - operationally and weather-wise everything was very similar to a week ago.
We started the day with clear blue skies and our customary crosswind and, as the day went on, the first hints of (sadly unproductive) cumulus deteriorated into practically total cloud cover and life got colder. As per last week we still had to contend with a muddy airfield and only a single working drum on the Guslaunch winch. But by the time the ten or so of us present had all flown, we were prompted to call a respectably early halt to proceedings as shivering set in and the winch ran out of fuel.
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| The passing cumulus teased rather that delivered |
Not a great day for soaring, with John Bolt scraping the longest flight of just 11 minutes, but we all enjoyed some fresh air and exercise - plus a few laughs. And most of us helped to demolish some 'hand-crafted' (?) doughnuts provided by John Rogers. Although bad for the waistline, at least they helped to fortify us for the coming privations of Lent. Aircraft-wise, we campaigned just the K13 and K8, with the K7(M) held in reserve at the launch point and remaining mud-free. In addition to all the efforts of solo pilots to stay current, Jorg Beasley and John Rogers made real progress towards safe and elegant cross-wind circuits and landings.
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Some of the Wednesday gang.
From the left Bob Pirie, John Bolt, Allan Holland, John Howe, John Rogers
Far right is David Rippon sporting a more sensible hat than last week. |
So a good day at the sharp-end, but not a bad one 'back at base' either.
For starters, Don Puttock had worked wonders with fettling the cockpit canopies of both two-seaters, which are now useable and safe, but which will benefit from a polishing session being planned for this weekend.
Vice-Chairman Colin ('D'Artagnan') Boyd was on-site early to discuss fencing matters with a specialist contractor, and to meet with a diesel mechanic who had arrived to fit the expensively-but-professionally renovated fuel pump back onto the ML winch.
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| Colin and Ged getting covered in grease while fitting new wheel bearings. |
Little was seen out on the airfield of my fellow instructors, Ged Nevisky and Steve Lewis, because they spent an amazingly productive day resolving technical issues. Both of them, assisted by Colin worked wonders in restoring the collapsed cable retrieve trailer to working order, but probably the most welcome news of all was that thanks in no small measure Ray the diesel mechanic, the engine of the ML winch had been fired up successfully. Therefore things look promising for a two-cable operation this weekend.
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| Completed cable trailer with 2 wheels and new bearings. |
While I made my excuses and left early to indulge in St.Piran's celebrations this evening at our local pub in North Cornwall, a stalwart band of washers and brushers set about washing off what seemed like half of Dartmoor from the underside of our hard-working gliders.
Bob Pirie
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