What was that appalling advert for Crown paints some years ago? ”It does exactly what it says on the can”. Well you could say the same about our local weather – wind NNE, 8 gusting 14 kts, cloudbase 3,500ft – that must mean wave! Except that it didn’t. Initially there were some promising lenticulars (see photo), but by mid-morning they had dissipated, then appeared elsewhere, then the sky went blue and finally there was cumulus. This was most frustrating for our solo pilots: wave cannot be guaranteed to pour from the can – but that was not end of it…
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| Early morning lenticulars give prospect of wave. |
The day started with a couple of check flights for Dave Westcott after a short lay-off, which quickly blew away the cobwebs ready for him to return to solo flight. Ray Boundy then settled into the front seat, but not for long as today was ‘launch failure (low)’ day, an exercise which – in both demonstration and execution - ended after very little time in the air and long walks back to the launchpoint. Ray acquitted himself so well, however, that he was rewarded with a couple of launches to full height later in the day!
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John Howarth, Peter’s brother, was our first F&F visitor
(they’re both smiling, really...!). |
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| Peter presents John with his certificate. |
We then welcomed our F&F visitors: Instructor Peter Howarth hosted brother John, whose wife Janet had asked for a flight experience to coincide with their Ruby Wedding Anniversary, back in June. Sadly, due to coronavirus, that wasn’t possible at the time, but today presented an ideal substitute. Ideal because, Peter being Peter, he ‘spotted’ (felt/sniffed) some lift over Peter Tavy that enabled him to give his brother a unique view of our local landscape from 1,200ft for 18 minutes or so. (Their second flight was 4 minutes – that’s gliding..!) Our second F&F was hosted by Ed Borlase. James Thomas, a marine biologist studying in Plymouth, together with his wife Alannah, and Ed’s girlfriend Natalie, having partaken of an agreeable lunch in Tavistock, arrived on site to be flown by Duty Instructor Martin Cropper. After an initial ‘the scenic landmarks are here, here, and here’ before rounding-out flight, their second launch gave an opportunity for James to be introduced to soaring flight in a small but friendly bubble of rising air over Blackdown.
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| F&F visitor James Thomas gets ready to fly with Martin Cropper... |
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| ..launches… |
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| …and returns after an introduction to soaring flight. |
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Natasha, James’s wife Alannah, James Thomas
and Martin Cropper admiring a launch by the K-8. |
Adventurer of the Day Award must surely go to Steve Fletcher who, having pestered everyone (except perhaps ship’s cat) about conditions aloft took a lead from Dave Westcott who said that he had experienced strong lift in the vicinity of the church. Thinking that this might mark the secondary wave, he took a launch in the K-8. He said: “When I came off the cable at 1,250ft there was only very broken lift, so I headed off towards Brentor church. It was the same there, so I made for the Scrap heap where I noticed the sun was shining and a small wispy cloud seemed promising. Arriving at around 950ft I managed to centre quickly on a pretty good thermal which strengthened with height taking me to 2,300ft QFE when I decided to push out to where there might be some wave. Whilst there was some reduced sink and the odd bit of ½ up I couldn’t find anything so returned for an uneventful landing. An enjoyable 25 mins.” Research, observation and adaptability all added to the success of Steve’s Flight of the Day, today. Well done, Steve.
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| ‘Scratch’ Hitchens prepare to launch in the K-8. |
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Steve Fletcher connects with the thermal
that was to give him Flight of the Day. |
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| ‘Scratch’ Hitchens prepare to launch in the K-8. |
The day concluded with Hugh Gascoyne ‘stealing’ the last cable for a practice launch failure from the rear seat.
A fickle day meteorologically (it didn’t do what it said on the can) but nonetheless worthwhile for our trainees, enjoyable for our guests and valuable for the club, as Ed Borlase was signed off as a qualified winch driver. Welcome to the cadre, Ed, and Well Done!
Martin Cropper
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