Dartmoor Gliding News–Saturday 26 July 2014

With the need to ensure that we do not over use our instructors, today was designated as solo pilots only giving the instructors a chance to fly their own aircraft.

The warm weather continues with a change in wind direction to westerly. There was to be some high cirrus cloud to complicate things but with a bullish soaring forecast plenty of pilots turned up to fly. 

We owe special thanks today to Mike Gadd who turned up solely to enable others to fly by driving the winch. Thanks also to David Bourchier who spent his day dividing his time between helping out John Bolt with the maintenance on CLT and driving the cable retrieve.

We welcomed back ex RN helicopter pilot Dick Masters who will be returning to Brentor to fly after a couple of years absence. I am sure he will regain his solo status soon.

Bob Pirie keeping fit while waiting to fly the ASW20

And the flying? Well, initially, even though there were clouds within gliding range there was little or no lift to be found. So we did what glider pilots always do in this position and waited for things to change. By about 2pm the sun had warmed the hills sufficiently and the game was on.

Pilot Rick Wiles in the Zugvogel

Gibbet Hill, just to the north of the east end of the airfield started to give off thermals. These were narrow and tight but we were up to the challenge and soon several gliders were climbing in the same thermal. Notable flights were an hour from Allan Holland flying the club K8 and an hour from Bob Pirie flying his ASW20.  Longest flight today was me flying the Jantar1 for and hour and a half.

Allan Holland is a picture of concentration in the K8

The blue thermal conditions were fun and, with climbs topping out at 3500 feet, Bob and I were able to escape from the airfield area to explore the fabulous soaring along the western face of Dartmoor. Great fun.

A view of Tavistock from the Jantar cockpit with the Tamar Estuary at Saltash top right.

Thanks to everyone who turned up and made today the fun day it was.

Steve