“What on earth (or words to that effect) are they doing down there??” How many times have you heard, or said, that at Brentor? Being a convex - i.e.. brow of a hill - site it is not possible to see what’s going on at the other end, and the absence of knowledge is frequently ‘frustrating’ - even when ‘they’ are frequently working as hard as possible either to repair the cable or get the gliders back on-line etc.
Or not. As occurred when Pete Howarth arrived at the other end of the airfield, having been given a low launch failure by CFI Don Puttock as part of his Introductory Flight Pilot training, resulting in them being greeted by Lyons ‘Nippy’ trainee winch driver Dave Parker, replete with tray, pot of tea and Hob Nobs! (Clearly some VHF induced conspiracy here??!) Back at the launch point we could have no idea that everything stopped for tea!
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| Dave Parker awaiting arrival of the 1058 K-13 Launch Failure Service |
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| CFI Don Puttock 'hob nobs' with a certain irresistible comestible! |
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| Everything stops for tea! |
After yesterday’s spectacular wave day, the forecast was for the wind to back north westerly (so no wave then) and we started by changing ends. We were able to make good use of both K-13s, with Don focussing on Pete Howarth in HXP, whilst I worked with the club trainees in DMX. Although the overhead was gin clear, the ground was subject to early morning mist, clutching the base of Brentor church, and producing some orographic fingers which crept over the launchpoint, causing Pete Harvey and others to land long for the first few launches (or should that be land long - for tea..!)
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| Early morning mist clings to Brentor whilst Pete Harvey keeps a good lookout. |
In the launch hut we were assisted for a couple of hours by Elliot Acton: Elliot who, along with Dad Chris, was celebrating his twelfth birthday - and where better to do so than a sunny Brentor (see photo). Roger Appleboom (K-6) and Leith Whittington (Dart) were the triple-syllable soloists today, their levels of difficulty being increased by the freshening crosswind (windsock approaching the horizontal) thus making precision approaches and landings all the more satisfying.
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| Elliot and Chris Acton celebrating Elliot's twelfth birthday. |
Whilst Pete continued to be ‘beasted’ by Don (now role-playing the part of ‘Bloggs’) I flew with daughter Paula Howarth, who accomplished the entire ‘up, round and down’ sequence without intervention from me, despite the crosswind.
Following which Don, who had obviously had/seen enough of Pete, allowed father and daughter to fly together, for the first time! It was refreshing to see Tony Deane present himself for a check flight today - ex-ATC Instructor Tony travels from deepest Cornwall and, after two landings on the stub runway, a launch failure and a hangar landing, now knows that the K-13 flies at 45 knots, not 50 - so my day (and his, I hope!) was made.
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| Peter and Paula Howarth flew for the first time together today. |
Huge thanks go to Dave Parker and Colin Boyd for winching without flying, to Roger Appleboom for winching and flying, and to Richard Roberts for neither winching nor flying, but otherwise being determined to do everything he can to increase the launch rate.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the airfield…
Martin Cropper
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