Dartmoor Gliding News-Wednesday 10th June 2015

With a gusty NE crosswind and thermal and/or wave activity in prospect, it was obvious that this was going to be a character-building (and maybe even enjoyable) day for the hardy few who turned out to share the experience with either Ged Nevisky or David Jesty in K13 DMX, or to take to the air alone in Zugvogel, Astir or ASW20F.

The K13 launches again

Trial lessons and the one day course having been cancelled due to the weather, we were entertained by watching Chris Matten having the cobwebs blown off him and Kit Smith continuing his training in the K13. However, the show really got on the road when Ged and new member Dave Downton climbed away for a 43 minute soaring flight.  The day continued with a mixture of circuits, soaring flights and some definite 'failures', including my own first couple of attempts to get away in the ASW20F. Clearly wave- rather than thermal-hunting was the wrong approach for the first half of the day!

Kit and David in the K13

Hard work this gliding business

Utilising what David Jesty later described as 'reliable thermals and strange, inexplicable and rough energy lines', some decent soaring flights were achieved, including Andrew Beaumont (Astir 33 minutes), David Jesty and John Rogers (K13 40 minutes), Alan Holland (Zugvogel 1 hour), Adrian Irwin (Zugvogel 47 minutes) and Davids Jesty and Bourchier enjoying 1 hour in the K13 while everyone else was waiting to go home. As for my own fortunes, on my third attempt I climbed to 3,000 feet in a thermal, then found wave which took me halfway to Okehampton and back a few times - occasionally topping up to 3,000 feet using productive wisps developing off Dartmoor into strong thermals. After about an hour and three quarters, I was 'well happy'.

Bob in the ASW20F

Big 'thank yous' today to the Jolly Launchers team of Barry Green (winch) and Heather Horswill (cable retrieve plus clubhouse cleaning), aided by Bob Sansom, who took over winching in the afternoon. Also to John Rogers for providing doughnuts for the whole Wednesday crew. Finally, we all owe a big debt of gratitude to Colin Boyd, Alan Holland and David Bourchier for all their work on K13 G-CHXP, which is now ready for weighing and getting back on line.

Bob Pirie