Dartmoor Gliding News–Wednesday 7th May 2014

The weather was always going to control today’s activities. The morning started with some rain but after this had clear through, it left a showery SW airflow which increased in strength and gustiness as the day wore on.
 

The K13 ready for another flight

It was decided that, given the conditions, we could not fly air experience flights today and that all pilots would fly in the 2 seater with an instructor. This was particularly disappointing for our One Day Course candidate Peter Lillywhite. Peter was introduced to the club and it’s operation and was able to at least see a few flights in progress. He made good use of the simulator. By the end of his second session he was able to fly the simulator with some skill and in fact completed a short cross country from Brentor to Plymouth and back finding plenty of thermals for the return trip. This simulator time will greatly help Peter when he comes back for his flights.

Peter flying the simulator. He is approached Brentor from the south after a simulated out and return to Plymouth

 Every club member who wanted to fly to experience the lively and, at time difficult, conditions did so with instructor Ged but by mid afternoon it was obviously time to return the K13 to the safety of the hangar.

Elsewhere, the K8 wiring fault was corrected and it’s electric variometer is now working correctly. The “new” K7M G-DCLT had it’s C of A completed and is ready to fly as soon as a copy of the insurance certificate has been supplied to the CAA.

The new radio in the Landrover.

The Landrover Discoveries now sport new radio transceivers tuned to the club ground frequency thanks to the efforts of Vice Chairman Colin Boyd. Complete with the roof mounted antennas this is a huge improvement on the handhelds previously used.

Also of interest was the arrival of club member and farmer Phil Hardwick who arrived with a proposed replacement mower in tow on the back of his Landrover. This machine will provide a cutting width of 20 feet as opposed to the 8 foot width of our current machine greatly reducing the effort required in mowing the airfield. I get some photos of the when it gets tested.

Steve