Dartmoor Gliding News-Sunday 9th June 2019

Useless. Utterly useless. The Met Office forecast for General Aviation users below 10,000ft included an area encompassing most of the western approaches in which the viz could be expected to be 30 km with no weather, and where cloud would be isolated, but occasionally scattered or broken over fronts and troughs to the NW of Scotland.

“...An ominous looking cloud appeared from the south..”

So it was with some trepidation that we viewed the early approach of a large grey cloud from the south (see photo) as we sought to get some club launches away prior to arrival of the first Trial Lesson visitor at 1100. Fortunately, the cloud diverted from its course to intercept onto a more easterly heading, just clipping the south side of the airfield boundary. Obviously, its presence so soon in the day was indicative of an unstable airmass, and so it turned out to be, with plenty of vertical energy to be exploited.

Visitor Alan Tremblett was BI Roger Green’s first trial lesson.

The first to do so was newly qualified BI Roger Green who, flying with visitor Alan Tremblett, spotted a neat little cloud marking a thermal to the north which kept them airborne for 15 mins. This sparked the flint for our returning visitor from Kent, Brian Tansley, who in the K-8, found strong lift to 3,000ft or more directly over the site. Solo pilots Roger Appleboom, Steve Fletcher, Leith Whittington and Martin Broadway tried their best to better him, but it was not until the afternoon when he was eventually toppled by some very courageous flying by Pete Howarth and Allan Holland who both, under a slate grey afternoon skies, managed to achieve 30 minutes apiece.

Visitor David Rowe and...

 ...Alan Jones are members of a local social club.

Our visitors, as is so often the case, provided a rich mix of diversity and interest. They were Alan Tremblett (aforementioned), David Rowe with Alan James who arrived with a very colourful and entertaining entourage from a local social club, and Angie Liversedge. Angie, who hails from Truro, first flew with us 30 years ago. She was then trained, and sent solo, by Allan Holland, and so was delighted to see that Allan was still an active member of the club, as our photo shows. In view of her previous training, Angie was given a second launch, this time with Asst Cat Pete Howarth as PIC who was able to give her control during much of the flight, following which Angie declared that she may well be back..! Let's hope so.

Visitor Angie Liversedge first flew with us 30 years ago...

...and was delighted to be reunited with Allan Holland, who sent her solo.

Thanks go to Steve Fletcher for winching, to Leith Whittington for driving the retrieve, to Ed Borlase and Dave Westcott for turning up and disappearing early, to Hugh Gascoyne for turning up late with his daughter and helping us to pack away, to Brian Tansley (our visitor from Challock) for remaining to generally help out, and most of all to Roger Green, for being a perfect ambassador for the club in his first day as a newly qualified Basic Instructor.

Martin Cropper