Dartmoor Gliding News - Thursday 22nd September 2022

Autumn is here so as I crossed from Cornwall into Devon, passing over New Bridge at Gunnislake, there was mist in the valley and further mist from Gulworthy to Chip Shop.  The air temperature was cold.  I don't know how cold because I don't have one of these new-fangled outside air temperature devices in my car (Ed: But you have one in your glider).

Apparently there were lots of delays in Tavistock caused by multiple traffic jams.  I too was delayed for ten minutes while farmers moved cattle from one field to another for TB testing (Ed: Why didn't you get yourself tested too?).

There were traffic delays on the backroads
as well as Tavistock this morning

So one might assume after the BGA audit on Tuesday that there was nothing left for the Thursday Tinkerers to do, not a bit of it. First the hangar needed emptying as usual.  Then the fuselage of the SF-27A and its rudder, which had been stripped down for its annual Airworthiness Review Check, were put back in its trailer to await Colin's return from his well-earned holiday in the sun.

FGR needed its wheel brake checked which was making a noise.  It turned out to be a grumbly wheel bearing rather than a brake problem. The wheel was removed, fresh bearings fitted, and the wheel was refitted.  Problem solved.

Formula One pit stop Dartmoor Gliding style

Then GDK, our second K-8 was rigged, checked, and the canopy cleaned ready for Colin’s final inspection.  This will allow us to operate two K-8s over the winter as they are better suited to the Dartmoor winter conditions than the low-slung SF-27A.

Freddie strides purposely into the hangar to assist in the rigging of K-8, FXB

After Colin’s final inspection and as the gliders were disappearing to the east end launch point (i.e. after all the work had been done) a lone vehicle arrived in the car park.  Welcome Paddy (Ed: I fear that your name might be too far down the flying list to aviate today).

Meanwhile our resident antenna expert had been to both the east and west launch points, replaced various co-axial connectors with higher quality ones, and checked the integrity of our ground communications as well as the air band radios.  (Ed: Great job Dave Archer).

FXB awaits a full pre-flight inspection,
post rigging, by our BGA Inspector

By now the Thursday Tinkerers were thoroughly tinkered out of jobs so it was time to start flying.  First up was Peter Howarth who had the only soaring flight of the day in K-8, GDK, of 19 minutes.  For the rest of the day several of us, including me in the FSD with a visitor, achieved a heady seven minutes.  All the other flights were of a shorter duration, which in truth was a matter of circling gracefully downwards after a cross-wind launch to a maximum of 1,100 feet.

The conditions progressively worsened during the day and the cloud base threatened to lower.  (Ed: The conditions must have been poor as I see that our “Lift Meister”, Malcolm Wilton-Jones, only achieved a four minute flight in GDK).

The duty instructor, Mike Jardine, arrived and club instruction started.  First up was Steve Lesson who had three circuits with Mike.

First of our visitors was John Hall who was accompanied by his wife.  They were shortly joined by some friends (Ed: Thanks Paddy for ferrying them around).  John, a retired chartered civil engineer was fascinated by the whole mechanism of the gliding operation, the level of safety applied, and how the gliders flew.

A relaxed Jon Hall awaits his trial flight with Gavin
(Ed: Note the baseball cap correctly worn for gliding – to allow a good lookout)

Whilst waiting for our launch I enjoyed a professional engineering conversation about bridge construction: He on how to build them and me on how to destroy them (Ed: You can take the man out of submarines but you can’t take submariner out of the man!)

John Hall and Gavin about to launch

Visitor John Hall receives his certificate
and three-month membership card from Gavin

Meanwhile GDK was further in use by Steve Fletcher, John Allan, (twice), Martin Broadway, and Malcolm Wilton-Jones, but no one exceeded seven minutes aloft.

FXB was brought up to the launch point ready for a flight test (Ed: this is a requirement for club gliders after being rigged).

Both K-8s in the launch queue; a first this year

Fleet manger and the test Pilot (Colin, our BGA
inspector) in deep discussion prior to FXB’s test flight

Our second visitor was Jeremy Williamson, who was accompanied by his wife, for a pair of flights.  Thoughts were shared at the launch point about early retirement options.  Throughout the day the sky was darkening and I had to change my sunglasses back to normal glasses for the visitor flights as the sky was that dark.

Visitor Jeremy Williamson ready for the first
of his two trial flights with Gavin

And Colin is off!

Colin returned to earth with a short list of minor improvements that needed to be made by Adam Hoskin (Adam is Colin’s trainee inspector) and the Fleet Manager, but welcomed an airworthy FXB back to the fleet.

Peter then decided to exercise his privileges as the newly appointed Deputy Chief Flying Instructor (Ed: Congratulations) and also took a test flight in FXB to confirm Colin’s findings that FXB was indeed airworthy.  Meanwhile Mike was working his way down the flying list and moved on to fly with Freddy Colton for two flights.

Duty Instructor Mike delighted to fly with Freddie
before Freddie heads off to Swansea (Ed: Croeso i abertawe)

On Mike’s second flight with Freddie it was clear that the cloud base was now dropping dramatically.  So Mike initiated a practice cable break on Freddie that forced him to land up the field.  An impromptu hangar landing in effect.  (Ed: These instructors are very cunning.  But look on the bright side Freddie; you are in date for launch failures when you come back to fly with us during the Christmas University break).  Mike then declared a cessation of flying operations due to the lowering cloud base.

The gliders return to the hangar as
the lowering cloud base stops play.

As Mike and Freddie walked FGR down the track to the hangar they met Takara Dover who was scheduled to be our third visitor today.  Mike was able to explain why we had stopped flying and how Takara could rebook her flight (Ed: Takara we look forward to flying you soon).

So it was time to pack up and walk the other gliders back to the hangar after just 16 flights.  We were sorry that Mark Elliott, David Archer, and Paddy didn’t get to fly, that’s the Dartmoor weather for you. But thank you for your support in helping me fly our visitors.  It is much appreciated.  It was also time to say farewell to Freddie and wish him luck with his Engineering degree course (Ed:  Electrical and Electronic Engineering; a wise choice).

Gavin Short