Dartmoor Gliding News-Thursday 25th August 2022

It’s Thursday so inevitably I had a final bit of Tinkering remaining after working on my glider last Thursday and Saturday.  I needed to tidy the new cables, test my Oudie (Ed: Flight computer) for power and data transfer, and reattach the fettled glare shield.  But I had to take the canopy off to do the job properly.  So there would be a little delay before I could rig.

The fettled shield glaring in its black beauty
(Ed: Can your captions get any more tortuous?)

Phil Hardwick was the Duty IFP today and would have a (Ed: Very as it would turn out) full dance card once the Duty Instructor arrived at 1300.

The forecast was mostly blue, thermic to over 3,000ft AGL, with a north westerly breeze which meant that we would be launching from the east end.  It had stopped raining in the early hours of the morning and there was no rain forecast for the day.  The temperature difference between the surface dew point and the air temperature was forecast to be 20C, so things were looking good.  And then there was reality…

Not looking very blue here

Colin was back in the workshop working on the trailing edge of one of CCY's wings.  Later he was assisted by Steve Lewis and between them they finished the rebuild of the trailing edge.  Well done, Guys.  Steve also finished painting the various patches of his Zugvogel IIIb, which had been made for maintenance and repair, and it is now ready to take to the sky again.

Richard's trailer had evidently been worked on some more.  It had been levelled with strategically placed logs and bottle jacks.  Alas I didn’t take any photos today.  Perhaps it is nearly ready for some welding and letting of new steel.  And so it was late in the afternoon as the sound of grinding was clearly audible from the winch.  Scratch was at “Play”.

"Operation Clean Up" had removed the pile of logs in front of the parking bays by the clubhouse.  However, there was still old metal and wheels piled up beside the hangar that needed to be taken away.  Mike Bennett is planning that for a future Thursday.

The DGS fleet lined up for Daily Inspection

As ever someone got the tea on whilst Peter regaled us with tales of the cutting deck failure following his "tractoring" (Ed: Don't you mean mowing?) on Tuesday.  Work has to continue on non-flying days during the week so that we can make the most of the weather on flying days.  Thanks Peter.

Once club fleet was ranged, the privateers started to rig, and the sun came out

Peter Howarth and Hugh Gascoyne took the first flight to check the winch.  Eleven minutes was promising enough to get Peter up in his Kestrel for a dizzying 3 minutes 

as massive sink brought him back to earth.

A Kestrel without its owner

After waiting a bit I took a launch in my Standard Cirrus and I scratched in very narrow lift for 7 minutes before landing.

Short prepares for the first of two “short” flights in his Standard Cirrus (Ed: Groan)

Meanwhile Phil flew our first visitor, Roland Wood.  Hugh took a launch and managed to stay aloft.  Then Rick arrived and flew with John Allan.  

The face of concentration and contemplation as Hugh readies himself
for the second longest flight of the day at 52 minutes

Our first visitor Roland Wood preparing to fly with Phil Hardwick

John Allan preparing for a final check with the senior instructor

Rick cleared John Allan to fly solo who then brought the club K-8 to the launch point.  Canny Malcolm took a launch in the Twin Astir, with his side kick – the other Malcolm, and they promptly "got away".  Rick and Paddy then tried to emulate the “Two Malcolms” but only managed 13 minutes aloft.  Phil continued visitor flying in FSD while I drove the retrieve while waiting for the sky to improve.

The sky was improving but it was still resolutely blue over the moors to the east
(behind the camera).

By 1400 the sky was looking more promising and in parts it was starting to develop into "Cloud Streets".  Time to get a relief on the retrieve vehicle.  I wasn't the only one who thought so as Martin Broadway took a launch in his Libelle and stayed up too.

The reason for the long cockpit of Libelle is revealed by Martin Broadway
enjoying his pre-flight checks
(Ed: I am sure that “E” in the mnemonic “CB SIFT BEC” does not
stand for a back of the eyelids check)

Father and son combo, Robert and Andrew Partridge, temporary members after their flights with us last month, arrived at the same time as the instructors.  The flying list was pretty full but we made sure that all on the list were flown.  At the end of the day Rick flew two flights with Dad Robert and Mike flew son Andrew twice.

Winch driver Mike Bennett pontificates on recent global and geo-political events,
and the current world social-economic stability
(Ed: For those of you who didn’t think that winch driving requires intellectual rigor think again)

Throughout the afternoon the sky stayed resolutely blue to the east of the airfield with the occasional cloud drifting east and the cloud base rising from 2,500 feet AGL to 3,000 feet, by then the wind was driving you away from the airfield pretty smartly.

Mike Bennett launches another K-13 into the blue sky

An instructor’s joy – Andrew remembers his pre-flight checks
(Ed: Or, “ I know what I’ll do with Andrew, I’ll give him a cable break”)

During the afternoon we had a call from the clubhouse.  “There is a visiting glider pilot from the USA who would like to come up to the launch point”.  All in a day’s work at Dartmoor International and so the Jeep was duly dispatched to collect Mike from Kansas.  Mike was staying in a B&B near Mary Tavy and saw us flying 

(Ed: This always happens to me when I am on holiday too much to my families chagrin!).  Mike took great interest in the proceedings, and viewed the club and private gliders on the field.  Some types, such as the Kestrel he had not seen before.  After a certain amount of show and tell he revealed he was in a syndicate in a Discus 2C back in Kanas (Ed: Lovely machine.  So there really is a Yellow Brick Road in Kanas City).  Mike, enjoy the next part of your UK holiday, which will be in Cornwall.

Blue, Green, and White

Our second visitor Jan Deis-Horton prepares to fly with Phil

Returning temporary member Ciaran Kane ready to launch
with instructor Mike Jardine, the first of a pair of short soaring flights

And then safely back to earth in the increasing wind strength

Meanwhile Hugh snuck back in to the cockpit of K-6, FUB for a second flight of 28 Minutes (Ed: You did realise that your syndicate partner was also on the field, albeit at the other end driving the winch?).

“Peter, can I sit in your glider please?”

The afternoon sunshine glinting on polished GRP

Our third visitor turned out to be a trio: Andy Jutson, and his grandsons Christopher Glanville and James Glanville, from Plymouth and Saltash.  Up for a challenge Phil carried out his IFP duties to the letter and flew all three, starting with the grandsons.

Grandson Christopher Glanville views the instrument panel prior to his first flight with Phil

A wing holder’s view of FSD prior to launch

Phil congratulates Christopher Glanville on his pair of flights

Phil readies himself to fly with the other grandson, James Glanville

James Glanville looks pleased with the flight that Phil delivered

Rick takes the first of two training circuits with Peter Hamilton

By now the sky was now almost totally blue

Overheard at the launch point “If you can still see the sun you are not pulling hard enough”

The two workhorses earning their keep.

Mike Jardine assists returning member Robert Partridge with his straps prior to him flying with Rick

Peter Hamilton awaits the canopy being lowered and locked before attaching the launch cable

Grandfather Andy Jutson ready to fly with Phil for the final pair of IFP flights of the day

Mike Jardine ready to fly with returning member Andrew Partridge

Today we achieved 36 flights and some of them were soaring flights.  Flight of the day was by the “The Malcolms” (Ed: Age trumps youth) with one hour and one minute of flight in the Twin Astir.  Also Rick got some solo hours in (Ed: I think you mean minutes) by hangar landing FGR solo.

We had more visitors and returning temporary members than expected but between Phil, the Duty IFP, and instructors Rick and Mike Jardine we managed to fly them all except for Mike Bennett who after a marathon on the winch had to leave early.  Thanks Mike for your support it getting us aloft.

As ever the members kept the launch rate going and all our visitors satisfied.  Well done all.

Gavin Short