Dartmoor Gliding News-Wednesday 27h April 2022

 Due to other commitments of dropping vehicles off at garages and collecting loan cars, we arrived at site a lot later than normal (10am (ish)), lots of private gliders we’re already rigged and the club fleet was on the apron having daily inspections carried out.

Today was the last Wednesday we will be flying as a club day until further notice. But the good news is this is because we are flying Thursdays instead for now, to increase and manage the available instructor cover.

The instructor of the day was not arriving until1300hrs (also due to other commitments) however with the weather actually doing what the forecasters said it would,  ie. it was thermic before 11am we hatched a cunning plan.

The field was readied, Licensed  pilots got the toys on the launch point and one by one where pinged into the air and didn’t return to earth in a hurry.

Scratch was the first away in the Std Cirrus and the photo below shows the fantastic view from cloud base at 3000ft. After landing Scratch then commented he had visited Launceston, with a couple of low saves on the way back. Well done Scratch good work.

Scratches view looking from west to east with the runway top centre

Andy disappeared off to the north in his Libelle, while myself and Peter H followed in our gliders, heading north east and west independently. 

Andy off on a flight of discovery

Peter said this about his flight-

“A launch to 1500ft and shortly found my first climb, 2-3knts to 3000ft. Spent most of the flight staying high between 2000ft and cloudbase at 3200ft between Brentor and Sourton. Last climb was with the Open Cirrus before slowly descending and landing after 1 hour 49 minutes.”

Peter’s view of the Open Cirrus below

Rick arrived on site at 1300 as the duty instructor ,and the club flying got underway.

Rick and John ready to go

Training progressed well with upper air work being completed during soaring flights.

Paddy and David are progressing well and enjoying each opportunity they get to have longer flights as the weather warms up

The wind was gusting in the morning, but then seemed to steady itself in the early afternoon. This gave pilots of the single seaters like John in the K6cr the opportunity to go soaring in the afternoon.

All flights varied between a few minutes and a few hours.

We also had air experience flights today for Emma Fellows and David Salmon.

Emma flew with Hugh

Dave was a lapsed glider pilot of some 45 years, having originally been sent solo by Derek Piggott at Lasham. Arriving at Brentor from Plymouth with his partner Wendy, I briefed him that conditions were not ideal but would do my best. He was a joy to fly with, unphased by the choppy thermals. I was able to grant his soaring aspirations with a couple of climbs to 2000ft - he was well chuffed with his 22 minutes of soaring. His partner Wendy Hodgson had the 3pm slot, but Dave suggested she return on a warmer day. With his gliding appetite truly whetted, I believe Dave will be making the most of his three month temporary membership.

Emma was familiar with skydiving so the parachute brief was a formality, although she was more concerned with how to exit the aircraft! I assured her jumping out of the glider was not part of the syllabus. By the time of her flight, soaring conditions were diminishing, but we clung on gamely to 1000ft to extend the flight to 11 minutes before landing.

Everyone flew and returned to earth…… all except one managed to return to the airfield!!

Andy in the Libelle struggled in the Okehampton area while soaring, and carried out a text book field selection and landing. Steve F then helped to carry out the ground retrieve with Andy.  Well done on your first out landing Andy.

Landed safe and sound, great field 

So a good day for all. Thanks to those who winched, helped, logged, unpacked and repacked everything today.

See you all Thursday, summer is here?

Richard Roberts