50km to Silver C – Rick Wiles 23rd August 2014

On Friday 22nd I checked the weather for Saturday. Looked like it could be a good day, time to look at the rasp. This was looking really good. Finally, my cross country 50km could be on.

I had another quick look at the weather on Saturday morning. It did not look so good over the gliding club and towards Okehampton. I checked through the hours and from 12:00 it was getting better, but from 14:00 it was looking really good. I arrived at the club and put the logger onto charge, checked Notams, Dawlish Air show was on but it was well clear to the North. I then checked the glider maintenance board which unfortunately revealed that the Pirat needed its monthly maintenance before I could fly it.

I talked over my plans with Ged and decided that when I get to the 50km point if it still looks good I will fly back to DGS, if it didn’t look so good then I will keep going and try for North Hill. It’s about 11:00 at the launch Ged is lined up first in his Open Cirrus, and I have the 2nd cable.

Ready for my first launch

The launch is going well 800ft and I hit a strong thermal which helps break the weak link. I used the thermal to climb and it takes me quickly to 1400ft. I am then really struggling to stay up and end up arriving back at the club. Ged is managed to stay up, but hasn’t climbed much higher. Being a typical glider pilot I try again, climb to about 1400ft and back on the ground. Ged is still near the club but is now climbing. I stop for a sandwich as Alan Holland climbs into the K8. He launches and then climbs quickly to cloud base. Steve Lewis takes the next cable and stays up. Right then, time to try again.

How miserable do I look?

 Time14:10 I take another launch to 1400ft. It doesn’t take long to find a thermal up to cloud base. Time to go and Dons words on a lecture spring into my mind. If you have height there is no need to stop for every thermal. On route to Okehampton I change to QNH and stop three times to top up height. Then I pick up another thermal, and it’s a strong one. Vario is measuring 10 up and with 3 turns I’m near cloud base.

The sky beyond Okehampton looks great.

Time to really cut the strings I line up for Crediton and off I go following the cloud street. Lift is still showing 10 up and I push the stick forward to speed up, ASI is showing 65 and I’m still climbing. I look for the best clouds on route slowing down in lift and speeding up in sink and only stop to top up height a few times, the thermals are still strong.

Approaching Crediton.

Just over Crediton I notice 2 other gliders which I am guessing are from North Hill. I push on and check the distance from Brentor which is now 48km away then 50kms I keep going got make sure that it counts, at 52km I decide I will keep going until I hit the 53km mark, I then make a decision - make for home or North Hill which I can see in the distance. About an hour after take-off and I’m at 53 km and I take a climb to 3800ft QNH its still working lets head back.

Still getting 4 knot average climbs

I am now flying into wind and the going is a lot harder. Height getting low I find a thermal, but it is not a very strong one and I’m being pushed back towards the M5. The next cloud is looking a lot better and I make for it and begin climbing back up to cloud base. It doesn’t seem long before I have to take another climb and I’m being pushed towards Exeter. I keep pushing on looking for the best clouds. North east of Whiddon Down and I’m getting low again, I see a field I like and keep it within reach whilst still looking for a good thermal. I’m climbing, but slowly being pushed the wrong way. The next cloud does look better, I make for it and the thermal is good and I am back near cloud base. Let’s push on, not much further to Okehampton then the wind will help get me back.

I cross the A30 heading for South Zeal and am getting low again. I see 3 fields that I like the look of, then spot that one has a power cable running along it. I pick the one that has just been cut. The bales are still in the field on the edge and the farmer is loading his trailer. The field ticked all of the important boxes! The ground is closer now about 1000ft. I am still trying to find lift and keeping an eye on the field. 800ft and decide it’s time to commit to landing. I turn downwind then left turn and left onto the approach. Touch down and I could not have picked a better field. Half way in I come to a stop. Right let’s find the farmer, not hard as he is walking towards me with a smile on his face.

All quiet and safe in my field

A long time coming and finally I have my Silver C!!

A big thank you to Ged Nevisky, Steve Lewis and Dean Hitchins (Scratch) for coming to collect me.

Rick Wiles