RASP: cloudless until pm, 1½ stars soaring 1100-mid-afternoon. Reality: 100% cloud cover; no soaring. Reaction: undaunted. Today’s crew was joined by two visitors: Mark Worsfold, from Exeter, and Ruby Elliott, daughter of our very own Mark Elliott.
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| Visitor Mark Worsfold adjusts his mirror as instructor Martin Cropper looks on. |
Mark Worsfold is a truly remarkable individual: undaunted by quite severe deafness, he overcame the challenges involved to become a solo pilot (although recently lapsed), and flies with DSGC at North Hill. Visiting today for the second time (he flew with Peter Howarth on a recent Wednesday) before venturing to the cockpit he produced his ‘secret weapon’: a large sucker based rectangular mirror which, correctly aligned on the inside of the canopy (see photo), allows him to lip-read the Instructor. And as a fallback (a bit like the 1971 No1 hit by Dawn ‘Knock Three Times’) twice on the ‘pipe’ (control stick) means “I have control!” (the instructor, that is). Mark came to us today to practice circuits at an unusual airfield (well actually he was quite keen on soaring but see the above) where he would be unable to rely on the usual suspects (landmarks) that populate the home-ground circuit. An oceanographic IT specialist at the Met Office HQ by day, he is an ambassador for those with hearing impairment and will be most welcome on his return.
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| Trainee Mark Elliott and Martin Cropper conducting their pre-flight checks before… |
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| …getting away with Mark in control for his seventh launch in full control. |
Ruby Elliott flew with us under our Friends and Family T&Cs where, although the member may not yet have gained the privileges to fly their kith and kin, if a suitably qualified individual can be found then the flight may take place at day membership rates. Today’s ‘suitably qualified individual’ was IFP Rich Roberts who took great delight in flying Ruby on a right-hand circuit (previous flights having been left-handed), confident that he would find rising air on that side. Returning to earth with fewer minutes to add to his logbook than the fingers on one hand (on both launches), Ruby was nonetheless impressed with her aviation experience to the extent that the Bank of Dad may soon be being called upon for some ‘quantitative easing’ towards the costs of junior membership and training.
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| F&F visitor Ruby Elliott with Dad, and (in the rear seat) IFP Rich Roberts. |
So how about our solo pundits? Well, gallant knights both – Peter Howarth and Ed Borlase – perhaps the best that can be said is that ‘quantitative easing’ will not be necessary to fund their flying fees today!
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| Either Gandalf’s in the cockpit or K-8 FXB is fuming over not being used..! |
Today was as if some dockyard workie had turned up at the airfield, got out their long-handled roller and painted the sky battleship grey across the entire vault (ie. from ‘ere to ‘ere). No doubt the legacy of a warm front lingering across mid-Wales which had penetrated the UK-wide high-pressure system, today’s team was nevertheless unperturbed, even by the occasional shower (yes, RASP predication: ‘nil’ rain), into making the day an overall success.
Martin Cropper
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