Dartmoor Gliding News-Sunday 27th March 2016

With the going soft to muddy after last night's rain and some vicious showers and wind forecast it wasn't difficult to play the safety card and decide not to fly today. Instead, we did what all glider pilots love to do – sit around in the clubhouse setting the world to rights and celebrating Easter with some spectacularly tasty chocolate crispy thingys courtesy of chef de patisserie Paula Howarth. Great. Thanks Paula.

Easter wouldn’t be Easter without – eggs!  Thanks to chef de patisserie Paula...

That spurred us into action to do what glider pilots like second best – team building with hammers and tin snips! But not before we got the Guslaunch looking a bit springlike by refitting its blue mudguards. So back to the tin-snips: at the east end of the airfield there is a trailer park. One of the trailers, after many years of neglect, had succumbed to the recent gales by partly shedding its aluminium cladding, which was being blown about in the wind causing risk of damage to other trailers in the vicinity. So the cavalry, in the shape of Roger Appleboom, the Howarths, Rich Roberts and Chief Knocking Sticker Dave Downton mounted the 4x4s to rescue the situation. Within the trailer was an ancient Slingsby T45 Swallow, which the team carefully removed and rehoused in another – redundant but weatherproof - trailer in the park. Then came the task of 'recycling' the vacated trailer back to 'flatpack' form, a task at which Dave Downton proved surprisingly adept...

Paula Howarth refixes the blue mudguards to the Guslaunch winch.

The ‘A’ Team in the East End trailer park carefully moving the Swallow to a new residence.

Suitably armed Chief Knocking Sticker Dave Downton
with the flatpacked Swallow trailer.

After lunch it was time to shake the dust off the simulator and get on with other spring-cleaning tasks whilst Colin Boyd worked on the K-8 wings in the old workshop. And thinking of spring, here's a gentle reminder: the club membership year ends on 31 March, which means that renewals of membership are due on 1 April. If you need a form sent to you please contact Club and Company Secretary Leith Whittington. The new rates (which have gone up only modestly) will be on the website from 1 April and remember, you cannot fly without a valid, up-to-date membership (including, where required, medical certificate).

Anyone up for a spot of cloud flying?
Just one of the dramatic clouds over the airfield today.

Finally, the club's AGM takes place at 7pm, on Saturday 9 April 2016. This is your chance to examine the club's finances and vote for who you want to represent your interests on the committee.

And finally finally, the club's last instructor covered Wednesday takes place this Wednesday, 30 March, after which Wednesdays become Fridays (starting on Friday 1 April). See you there.

Martin Cropper