Dartmoor Gliding News- Wednesday 16th July 2014

Overnight rain followed by low cloud provided a pretty miserable backdrop for the arrival of members and visitors alike, but such was their faith that things would improve that it was soon a case of ‘out with the kit and on with the day’ – albeit an hour or more later than usual.

But before getting the show on the road, we all adjourned to the clubhouse for introductions and paperwork (there being several new faces present), a briefing, and a discussion about the British Gliding Association Technical Audit which will take place at the club next Wednesday.

In order to clear the decks (around hangar and clubhouse) to allow space for the auditor (accompanied by Ged Nevisky and Colin Boyd) to do whatever auditors do, I am asking all members who want to fly that day to get to the club by 0900 hrs. for a short briefing. If the audit team needs any assistance, we’ll provide it. But otherwise, it will be onward and upward with the day’s flying programme.

As ever, we’ll need everyone to contribute to the operation of the airfield, but for starters, Steve Lewis and I will share instructing and duty pilot duties, Phil Hardwick and Steve Raine will drive the winch and cable retrieve, and Chris Jones and Ian Osbourne will operate the tower.

Now back to today…

One Day Course Candidate Marilyn 

Accepting a crosswind from the southwest (nothing like last Wednesday’s northerly) we got the K13 out, with Steve Lewis achieving the longest flight of the day with one day course candidate Marilyn Sheppard-Vine. His next students were enthusiastic brother and sister Fraser and Kiyomi Hanson. These new Junior Temporary Members live with their parents in Dubai, but have a family home locally where they are spending their summer holidays.

Kymomi

Fraser

 Then I took over flying with Ian Osbourne, John Rogers, Chris Jones, Jorg Beasley and finally a spot landing hangar flight with John Bolt. If the K13 felt lonely at the start of the day, it soon gained some companions in the form of the Twin Astir (with various syndicate members generating lots of launching revenue for the club), our ASW20F flown by Martin Broadway, and the K8 flown by Jeff Cragg, Alan Holland, and Bob Sansom.

The Twin Astir was busy all day. Here Vice Chairman accepts a flight from Ged.

 In all we achieved 31 launches. Once again Steve Raine chose to spend most of the day on the winch, both driving it himself and coaching John Rogers, who is now delivering some respectable launches. John Howe arrived dispensing home-grown cucumbers to the chosen few then spent the day at the launch point, but opted not to fly.

A playful Vice Chairman, Colin Boyd, discussing club policy with member John Rogers 

Having started the day supervising an inspection of our buildings by a professional electrician, Colin Boyd devoted most of the day to equipment maintenance, along with Dave Bourchier and Ged. During the morning the deceased grey Land Rover Discovery was towed to the great scrapyard in the sky, only to be replaced during the afternoon by a red one (an oldie but a goodie by all accounts – Ged having performed some welding magic on its suspension).

The "new" landrover.

Also on the vehicle front, Chris Jones, who is about to acquire a new conveyance, offered the club his neat little Suzuki Jimmy for just a nominal sum of money. Ged raided the Tea Swindle Fund and the club is now the owner of said vehicle. I understand the intention is to use it only for light duties, such as carrying visitors to and from the launch point.

Bob Pirie