Dartmoor Gliding News-Aston Down Take 2 in 2022

A second smaller group of Dartmoor soarers consisting of Steve Fletcher, Peter Howarth, Phil Hardwick and Andy Davey travelled to Aston Down for a week of gliding starting on Sunday 26th June. Steve Fletcher, Peter Howarth starting from Brentor travelled in convoy to Sourton and met up with Phil Hardwick. Feeling their trailer wheels for excessive heat it was discovered that Peter’s were quite hot. They all then travelled to Aston Down making a few extra stops to check Peter’s wheels and have a coffee. It was Peter’s first time driving with a long trailer for 30 years but he didn’t have any problems. Andy had left earlier having seen a good RASP forecast and was hopeful of flying. Unfortunately there was no flying at all on the day they all arrived which was disappointing.

Monday 27th June

Monday morning forecast was for an overcast sky and low cloud which proved to be correct, so a leisurely start to the day and after rigging all the aircraft they were towed to runway 27. After a briefing about eventualities they were ready to fly. Eventually the cloud broke up and flying operations started at 1331. 

Rigging

At the launch point and waiting to start

Peter decided to take the first launch and found himself back on the ground shortly after. Andy, as usual, read the sky perfectly and was quick to get onto the front of the grid when things looked better 20 minutes later and managed to get the best flight of the week of just under 4 hours by going North but the weather window then closed leaving everybody else struggling to stay up. 

Steve and Peter decided it was time to practice short landing techniques using their tail chutes.

Kestrel with tail parachute deployed

Tuesday 28th June

As the team were up early and ready to fly but flying had not yet started, it was decided to do something about Peter’s hot trailer wheels by adjusting the brake drums. As always this wasn’t a quick job.

 Phil and Peter working on the brakes.

A late start with the first flight at 11.04 using runway 21. There was a moderately strong wind and launches to 2100ft for everyone except the Open Cirrus which back released at 1400ft. All the team had a good chance to contact some lift. For those with the better launch height some good lift could be found with decent flight times in the local area but conditions not good enough for attempting cross country flights due to low cloud. 

Steve’s view of Aston Down airfield

Wednesday 29th June

Another slow start with the first launch at 11.55, despite it being a club day. Also the launch bus was set so a shorter run on the long runway resulting in only 1400ft launches. The conditions were not as good and so the team all gave up after 1 flight each and put the covers on before the rain came in.

The rain arrives! 

Unfortunately Peter didn’t have covers but the Duty Instructor (Sam) kindly arranged for Peter’s Kestrel to be placed in the club hangar. Unfortunately mid way through the process of putting it in the hangar the rear dolly wheel tyre gave up with a small bang, the tyre came off and revealed a large split in the inner tube. Luckily Steve had a spare solid tyre that fitted the dolly wheel.

Peter fixes the dolly wheel

After a lot of work Peter managed to get the tyre on and when packing up managed to drop two very small sockets down the drain. None of the team’s magnets would fit through the drain cover so the cover was eventually removed after some considerable time and effort and the sockets recovered. Steve helpfully took pictures whilst trying not to laugh too loudly.

Recovering the sockets

Thursday 30th June

A frustratingly slow start today. The forecast was for showers of heavy rain at lunch time and the team were ready by 9.00 looking at a very promising sky, but the first launch wasn't until well after 11 O’clock. Conditions were still very good with all the team getting good flights of well over an hour and a half before the rain eventually arrived and everyone decided to land. 

Peters view of the River Severn

Team’s Thursday evening curry 

Friday 1st July 

We were back onto runway 27.  Another late start but as the weather wasn’t that great anyway it didn’t matter and the team chose not to launch as the sky did not look at all inviting. After an aerotow, the duty instructor declared that there was plenty of lift even in the blue. Steve closely followed by Peter decided to launch but they both struggled between 1100ft and 800ft for about 10minutes and eventually had to land. By now conditions were much better and the whole team launched again and got away for some decent flights. Showers again arrived but by keeping out of the way to the North it was possible to wait for them to pass over the airfield before returning to land in time to derig ready for the trip home.

Picture taken by Steve of Kemble using a telephoto lens.
All the BA Jumbos have now gone

Phil took his glider to Les Clark at Swindon, Andy visited his son in Bath. Steve and Peter travelled back in convoy finally dropping off their trailers at Brentor just after 2100.

Total flying time for the week for the 4 team members was 24 hours 45 mins. 

Steve Fletcher