Dartmoor Gliding News- Sunday 6th July 2014

A lot of these reports start with a word about the weather forecast, usually accompanied by some derisory remark as to its accuracy or derogatory comment about the ability if the forecaster (to look out of the window). Today, however, the BBC forecast was absolutely right: showers by midday (there were three of them), and then they went away.

Towing out the Dart 17R under a dramatic sky

And these were indeed silver lined clouds, for they gave the Sunday Soarers time to brush out the hangar, (once the preserve of the CFI) thus entitling junior member Luke (pictured) to be renamed Luke Skysweeper. 

Luke Skysweeper training to become CFI

 And those same clouds, or rather those after midday, certainly enabled the Soarers to live up to their reputation, with Jerry Wellington effortlessly obtaining over 15 mins in the K-8, Leith Wellington 42 mins in his immaculate Dart 17R, and recently returning motorcycle tourist Roger Applebeezer 39 mins followed by a staggering 2 hrs 17 mins in his K-6.

2100 feet over Tavistock

The trial lesson scene was dominated by just one event, a family affair, in the form of Zoltan Lakatos, an apiarist who subsidises his honey making income with work for First buses, his partner Aniko Birsos, who helps out with the hives, and grand-daughter Vivien Szabo, a Financial Adviser who works in Tavistock. 

Aniko in the glider with Martin, while Vivien and Zoltan look on. 

On the club training front 11 year old Elliot Acton and Dad Chris both had 3 flights each, although regrettably not all if those on the Flying List had flown by the end of the flying day at 6pm.  With conditions providing strong smooth lift to 2,200ft it was a day to savour the unique nature of our sport and the unparalleled patchwork of green, yellow, and purple cloud shadow that is the West Country viewed from just below cloudbase.

Thanks to Dave Parker for some excellent winching, and to the lean manned ground crew, including Kit Smith and Luke Botham, for managing to put up 24 launches between 1200 and 6pm, which is more than the recently named aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is currently able to manage!

Martin Cropper