Much like having to admit that Pete Howarth can thermal better than me, my
fingers are being forced to type that the weather was “BETTER”, yes “BETTER”
than forecast. With some sources predicting thunder-showers, lightning, and
SW’ly winds gusting 20kts+, what we experienced was fantastic visibility and
strong, smooth (6-8kt) lift under streeting cu to 2,200ft (although cloudbase
was variable, which just added to the fun).
Although today’s One Day Course cancelled, we had a trial lesson booked for
1pm, and Duty Instructor Pete Howarth naturally planned to get some training
launches in with Rave Downton prior to that.
And naturally all proceed in
accordance with that plan until - the start of launch No 2. At which juncture a
well-known gliding club character, ‘gremlin’, put in a terminating appearance,
just as our visitors were arriving (of course). These arrivals provoked Rich
Roberts to metamorphose into ‘elastic man’, simultaneously populating both ends
of the airfield as he cleared ‘work-in-way’ from one end of the airfield whilst
putting a solution in place at the other (well he did have a little help from
others, and the tractor) such that we lost only 90 minutes before being able to
resume operations. Which was all to the good since in that time a few light
showers crossed the airfield that would have precented launching anyway,
following which some very promising cu began to appear.
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| K-13 HXP launching to the west. |
Martin Cropper managed 38 mins with our visitor, Cressida Sparrow – a
clinical psychiatrist from Plymouth – before returning the K-13 for others to
use.
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| Cressida Sparrow being awarded her certificate by Martin Cropper. |
This prompted Martin Broadway to follow in the K-8, reporting 6-8kt climbs
to 2,000ft on handing over to Roger Appleboom. He was followed by Rich Roberts
(Discus not rigged..!) and Allan Holland who, on landing, actually smiled,
declaring “Well that was very entertaining..!”
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| K-8 FXB at rest under a promising sky. |
Variety was thrown into the mix
by Ed Borlase who, after a confidence boosting check flight with Pete Howarth,
requested a photo-recce opportunity for his new camera, cheekily asking P1 to
pay..! The results of that sortie can be seen in the accompanying photos.
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| Instructor Peter Howarth clearly enjoying today’s conditions. |
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| A sunlit and shadow dappled landscape looking SW, with a distant rain shower. |
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| Variations in cloudbase provided a challenge for us today. |
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| Virga in evidence in this view by Ed Borlase towards Tavistock. |
With everyone flown who wanted to, and some ‘work-in-wake’ remaining to put
gremlin properly back in his box, we finished relatively early, still slightly
bemused as to how conditions had over trumped the forecast, but thankful for
that all the same… Superhuman effort of the day award goes to Rich Roberts, with
everyone who helped deserving extra shares in gratitude for - notwithstanding
the weather - today was a day when problem solving and teamwork overcame
calamity.
Martin Cropper
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