Today was a day of two
halves: the first cable and the second.
With a warm front predicted to arrive at either 1200 or 1430 (depending
on which forecast you favoured) and with Dave (The 'Voice') Downton having
confirmed that the father and son One Day Course had been rescheduled, at 0905
a very short conversation between the assembled throng ascertained a. that we
had sufficient to run the field safely and that b. Pete Howarth was concerned
to maintain his currency as handling Pilot in Charge. So without further ado we got the cables out,
a single K-13 and by 0950 we were flying.
So on a Sunday in the second half of August we were able to say “Welcome
to DGS's Shortest Day”.
The first launch
took Pete and Ed Borlase through some wispy cloud to a full launch height,
followed by a normal circuit (as posted by Ed on Facebook); the second took the
pair into a wall of cloud, an early release and hangar landing. By 1030 the gliders were back in the hangar
and the rain (early for once) had started.
 | |
| Peter Howarth and Ed Borlase about to launch on the first (and penultimate) cable.
The clouds in the background tell their own story. |
So having achieved all Key Performance Indicators (including the one
that says 'give the gliders a good wipe down, especially in the elevator
hinges, if they have become wet') by lunchtime we had called it a day.
Thanks go to Dave Downton
for winching, and to everyone involved for the swift, efficient manner in which
the kit was got out and prepared for use.
If only every day was as easy to set up as today...
Martin Cropper
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