Dartmoor Gliding Society Club News: Dartmoor Gliding News- Sunday 28th September 2014

An ethereal view driving to the airfield

Depending on where you drove from to get to Brentor this morning your journey might either have been in fog, mist, or brilliant sunshine. Those, like myself, who come around the moor, could see the brooding September cloud clinging to the top of the moors, whilst those whose route followed the river valleys, were clamped in by mist, until they got to the airfield which was, refreshingly, in the clear.

Fog in the river valley

Thank goodness! For there was a lot to fit in: a long list of visitors pre-booked, plus the club training schedule and recently married Jerry Wellington to be converted to his new mount (stop it!) - K-6CR FUB!

It was a day for getting your glider covered in insects

In light airs with an easterly forecast we launched to the west (thanks for the tip, Saturday Sages, we went with what we could see, not the forecast and in the event the windsock draped in every direction but from the east) and with the winch in the top field were routinely able to achieve 1300ft, not far below cloudbase.

A busy launch point

With two two-seaters in operation it was great to see trainees Kit Smith, Boeing 747 driver (ret'd) Adrian Irwin and Chris Jones developing their flying skills, whilst retired GP Robin Wilson and ageing rock star Colin Boyd gave Jerry W some tips on how to enter the K-6 (that's enough..!)

Soaring with the Jantar

As morning progressed to pm it was no surprise, given the slight upward 'bump' in the RASP forecast around 1300, to see Trevor Taylor and Allan Holland appear and, indeed, exploit the cyclic conditions of the afternoon (Trevor managed 1hr12mins between 1400-1500, Allan 26mins and Colin Boyd 15 mins in a breakthrough of afternoon sun between 1645-1715).

Mike Keller also rigged and soared his K-8, both aspects of which are getting easier..! By the end of the day we had flown 7 visitors (see photos for names), 3 trainees and 6 club private pilots for a total of 30 launches.