Dartmoor Gliding News-Sunday 10th May 2015

"Socked in, then?!" came David Bourchier's greeting on his arrival. To which we could only agree: with cloudbase below the level of the club's height above mean sea level, 'socked in' is what we were... 

So there was nothing else for it but to resort to the 'To Do' list, on which the most significant item was to be rectified by the aforesaid Dave Bourchier, namely 'Repair brakes on quad bike'.  For which Dave had come equipped with new pads, to which were added, courtesy of a 'flying' visit by Rick Wiles, some essential special to type seals, all of which were out in place and bled through by Dave by lunchtime. Except the lever didn't work..! Step forward Motorcycle Instructor Roger Appleboom, however, with a fistful of HP air from the compressor and...job's a good'un, stops on a sixpence (for those of you who remember...)  So a serviceable quad bike at one end of the field

- and at the other, Rich Roberts extracted his newly acquired K-6CR 'FHZ' to remove the turn and slip to check for earths - or as the Old/Bold Pilot said, "If you've got earth on your T&S it's probably time to get out as you've struck the ground..!"

Richard Roberts's newly acquired K-6CR, 'FHZ'.

After lunch we retrieved one metal and one wooden five bar gates from the airfield to the hangar area, the first to replace the bent one at our entrance, the second to be broken for firewood.

Let's hope for better weather on Wednesday.

Martin Cropper