Dartmoor Gliding News-Sunday 2nd November 2014

With the deluge of rain that poured overnight on Saturday it was touch and go whether we would be able to fly today but, upon arrival at the club - to be greeted by a smiling Roger Appleboom who cheerfully confirmed that the rain was indeed still bucketing down over Somerset - it was apparent that the water had run off the top and not settled.

Today's One Day Course student Shaun Redgrave from Farnham, Surrey.

We were very few on the ground, however, which was to the advantage of our One Day Course student, Shaun Redgrave, from Farnham in Surrey, who was able to ‘bask’ in the undivided attentions of Mike Jardine and myself, and flying uninterrupted by the intrusions of other gliders in the queue. So he romped through the various exercises that took him to using all three controls together, and showed great interest in the overall operation, including the winch (first day back on line for the ML - a bit wheezy to start with but rapidly back in the groove) and retrieve.

One of a number of rainbows between the showers we endured through the day .

With a moderate to fresh SW’ly the wind was 45° off the centreline, but still we were able to achieve launch heights of 1,200ft or more, and that with the winch sited within the boundary. The problem, however, was not with the wind, but the weather. It is often said (well by me, at least) that glider pilots are like farmers - nothing’s ever good enough for them, and that, in particular, applies to the weather.

Hugh Gascoyne on a Stub landing from the North

 So today, having started grey and overcast and then cleared to bright sunshine, became ‘conditionally unstable’? ie. it rained - in short, sharp showers which developed quite readily as the rapidly building cumulus sped across from Kit Hill (see photo). Now whilst this wasn’t enough to send us running to the clubhouse, it was sufficient to literally put a damper on the lift that had begun to show some promise, and generate some spectacular rainbows (see photos). Thus it was that the longest flight of the day was only 11 minutes, by Mike and Shaun, and that before 1130.

The K-13 during longest flight of the day, showing rapidly growing cumulus in the background.

In the afternoon Hugh Gascoigne made another welcome appearance, and so we were able to progress some post-solo training with Jerry Wellington and Hugh managed a couple of ‘displaced circuits’ (i.e.. a landing on the stub and a hangar flight) before it was time for me to make an untimely scarper to Plymouth and the delights of National Express.

Recently re-joined former Instructor Hugh Gascoyne, with rainbow...

Thanks go to Roger Appleboom for his all-day winching, and to the flexibility of other club members who at times resembled one armed paperhangers: simultaneously holding wings, working the hand-held radio and operating the Netbook log. With the evenings drawing in it is becoming progressively more important to get the show started as early as possible and I am indebted to Roger A for getting the kit out well before my arrival at 0845.

Martin Cropper