To many obtaining bronze means coming third: it’s a podium finish but you’ve been beaten by two others. In gliding the successful completion of the Bronze ‘C’ (‘C’ for ‘Certificate’) says that this pilot is more than someone who can just point a glider around the circuit as gravity draws it back to earth: it is a rite of passage, the only certificate in gliding which involves a written exam (75% pass mark throughout 12 stages), and a practical air test (today flown with Full Cat instructor Rick Wiles). So those who thought they’d made it by being sent solo need to think again: to explore all that gliding has to offer there is a need to demonstrate understanding, competence and safety before the pilot can break from the apron strings that the club has provided so far. And today this was the case for club members Mike Bennett and Ed Borlase who, having recently passed their written exams, now had to contend with the practical. At least the weather was supportive: high pressure, light south-easterly wind, blue sky and thermals, and a sharp-edged horizon.
 |
| Bronze C candidate Ed Borlase with examiner Rick Wiles. |
 |
| Bonze C candidate Mike Bennett preparing for flight. |
But what about the rest of the club? Trainee Simon Vallance fired the starter’s pistol with a 26-minute soaring flight, which took him to 1,700ft before appearing to peter out. Newly solo-ed John Allan then managed to hold his own for 15 minutes or so, following which Steve Fletcher and Peter Howarth both got the better of the inversion to remain aloft for over an hour apiece, only to be trounced Adam Hoskin who achieved a creditable 1:41 and 2,900ft agl maximum height to be awarded Flight of the Day. All three said that, once you had got above a certain height, there seemed to be plenty of lift to the south of site, between Tavistock and Peter Tavy in particular. Returning soloist Ray Boundy also achieved a soaring flight, but by the time new member Peter Gulyas came to fly conditions off the top of the wire had become stable – very stable… That’s not to understate the value of the day, however, with 29 launches achieved (including six simulated launch failures) and in excess of four hours soaring ‘in the blue’.
 |
| Simon Vallance about to go soaring (although he doesn’t know that yet!) |
 |
| New solo John Allan about to undertake a check flight with Martin Cropper. |
 |
| Check flight completed, John Allan is ready to go. |
Thanks go especially to Phil Hardwick for bearing the brunt of the winch driving (he later had two flights in his part-owned Astir) and to other members of the team who logged and retrieved gliders from all corners of the airfield.
And how did our two Bronze candidates fare? You’ll have to await the verdict from the CFI!
Martin Cropper
No comments:
Post a Comment