Dartmoor Gliding News-Thursday 23rd June 2022

For me Thursday started on Wednesday.  I took my glider to Les Clark, near Swindon, for some TLC on its gel coat and a few other items.  My Standard Cirrus did not appreciate returning from Germany and spending its first winter, and several lockdowns, on Dartmoor at the bleak east end of the airfield.  After spending the last eight winters in its trailer parked inside a dry hangar this was too much to ask.

Wednesday on the motorway was totally blue and very hot so a stop at Gordano Services was in order for a break and a cup of tea.  I wondered what my gliding for the next two weeks without CNN would look like.  My musings were quickly answered by a text from Richard looking for someone to cover his gliding duty on Thursday...

Meanwhile back at the airfield a definitely non-pilot’s view
of  the church of St. Michael de Rupe, our local landmark

And so to today.  Apart from getting the kit out the “Thursday Tinkers" seemed at a loss as to what to do.  The weather forecasts, and the wind directions, were all over the place.  But the big questions were “When would the rain start?” and “Would there be thunderstorms?”  The midday synoptic chart didn’t give us any clues.

Not much detail to go on here

After fending off visitors' check-in calls for a while a decision was made to "attack what you can see ... and if it rains then we will get wet”.

Then the activity happened.  The turtle deck on K-8, GDK was re-taped.  The Jeep wouldn't start so a team of tinkerers set about it.  David Bramwell, the new owner of Peter and Phil's Astir arrived to take it away but the fuselage needed to be removed from the trailer for some reason.  Martin Broadway had got a bee in his bonnet after having rigged his Libelle early.  "Look it soarable, let’s get up there".

So Martin took the first launch at 1108 for a five minute circuit and then a second one.  Meanwhile, having decided that the conditions weren't good enough to rig his Open Cirrus Steve Fletcher took a launch in the club K-8, GDK, only to soar to 4,300 feet, near to cloud base, and then land exactly after an hour to let others have a go.  That's how it’s done (Ed: Steve, the DGS Committee salutes you for putting soaring fees in the club coffers rather than just taking a private winch launch).

Steve's view of the airfield from 4300ft

To salvage the Libelle's honour Andy was relived on the winch.  He took a launch to show Martin how it’s done to promptly land after a mere three minutes (Ed: Move along.  Nothing to see here.).

As mentioned, David Bramwell was at the club to collect Astir G-CFCJ and take back to Banbury Gliding Club where it will be integrated into their fleet alongside their two existing Astirs.  Whilst on site he took a flight with previous owner Peter so that David could add Brentor to his gliding logbook.  It took them 14 minutes to climb to 2,200ft.  They then air braked down so that David could finish his preparation for his trip back to Hinton-in-the-Hedges with the new acquisition.

Visiting pilot David Bramwell celebrating his successful purchase
of Peter’s and Phil’s Astir

By now the wind was becoming very fickle and the resulting tailwind made for poor launch heights.  By midday the natives were getting restless and vocally making their concerns known: They wanted to change ends.  From the tower (Ed: Your ivory one?)  I stated that by 1300 the wind was forecast to freshen from the south and then veer to the south west.  So we should not change ends.  Twenty-five minutes later the wind did exactly that.  Cue: Incredulous glances from our new members (Ed: So you didn't let on that your secret source is www.yr.no then?).  So no need to change ends and the launch direction was correct when Mike, the duty instructor, arrived on the field.

Meanwhile, Malcolm and Robin were on a mission to get Robin's hours up so that the Twin Astir syndicate's next insurance premium would be cheaper.  After seven circuits, that totalled 33 minutes, I was not sure that the requisite total was achieved (Ed: At this rate it would cheaper to pay the premium).

Determination: A cunning plan is hatched to try and keep Robin
in the air for longer than the day’s weather conditions would support.

Now to our visitors:

Tom Morrell arrived with his wife Sophie.  The Morrells were on holiday in Cornwall to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.  However, Tom's two flights were a birthday present from Sophie.  Gavin managed to extend Tom’s first flight to nine minutes despite a poor cross wind launch height of just 900 feet.  We wish them a safe journey home to London.

Tom Morrell anticipates his first flight with Gavin

Tom is still smiling after his second flight with Gavin,
meanwhile in the background the next set of cables
have arrived – the DGS machine continues

Next up was Bob Sturtivant, a former Royal Marine with free-fall parachute experience.  He enjoyed his short flight.  He works part-time for the Lord Mayor, and the Deputy Lord Mayor, of Exeter with a variety of roles which include chauffeur duties. 

A Royal Marine about to be flown by a Royal Navy submariner. 
Weird convergences, and not just the weather, happening on Dartmoor today.

Brent Martin and his partner, Pamela, arrived from nearby Princetown.  Brent is a caretaker for a school in the Bristol area.  Pamela managed to arrange a flight with us when Brent was scheduled to be at home on holiday.

“Brent.  Are you ready for this?”

Our final visitor to fly with me was Steve Jewell.  He arrived with his wife and seven-year old son who came to Brentor straight from school.  Steve, after an apprenticeship and twenty years as a carpenter, changed career direction and for the 12 last months has been a cattle and sheep farmer.  Sadly, our very own farmer Phil was busy driving the winch (Ed: Thanks Phil) so they didn't have a chance to meet up and chew the cud (Ed: Groan).

Family Jewell ready to see Dad, Steve, off on his flight

On our second flight, a hangar flight as it was to be my last of the day, Steve and I soared for ten minutes.  After a surprisingly better launch to 1,000 feet in the easing cross wind we not only staved off the inevitable return to earth but managed to climb 50 feet (Ed: Heady stuff!).

Then we were treated to an amazing sight.  We were positioned to the south of the airfield at 600 feet in a circuit for a hangar landing and we were thrilled to witness the spectacular sight of CCY, with Mike and Andrew Downing, launch past us and then above us for their final flight of the day.  A few minutes later we landed and came to a stop with the mainwheel precisely on the cross track.  Steve and I then moved our steed down the slope to the hangar. 

What of our trainees?  Four of our most recent members were at the airfield today.  We welcomed David Moult back from his sojourn "Down Under".  He, Steve Lesson, Alasdair Barclay, and Andrew Downing all flew twice with instructor Mike. 

Mike briefed all four trainees on approaches and landings.  A florescent reference point (Ed: That will be a high-viz vest then!) was located on the airfield.  It proved to be a useful training aid.

Steve Lesson is obviously ready for more circuit practice with Mike

Good progress was made by all and in particular Alasdair who made his first landing on his second flight (Ed: Congratulations!).  David had returned after a number of weeks away in Australia and concentrated on catching up on lost gliding time.

David Moult receiving a detailed brief from Mike.
(Ed: Or is David getting his head around that the sun will be in the south now because he is back in the Northern Hemisphere as opposed to the sun being in the north when he was “Down Under”.)

Flights by other solo pilots included Hugh in FUB, Phil in his DG 300, and Peter and John Smith in the club K-8.  John managed a 15 minute soaring flight to the north of the airfield under a leaden looking sky.

Hugh concentrates on his “CB SIFT BEC” pre-flight checks
with the Twin Astir behind ready for another launch

So the much forecast rain and thunderstorms didn't materialise.  All who wanted to fly flew.  There were 33 flights made and the "Man of the Match" award went to Steve Fletcher for increasing the club takings, sorry, I mean soaring for an hour.

On the drive home there were a few spots of rain that appeared on my windscreen or perhaps they were translucent bugs.  So much for pessimistic weather forecasts.  It takes more than that to keep the "Thursday Tinkerers" down.

Gavin Short