Last week no none noticed that the last blog describing Dartmoor Gliding's return to Wednesday midweek flying was titled "Thursday 2 November 2022" (Ed: I hope that DGS pilots' pre-flight checks and lookout are a bit sharper than that!).
The
Duty Instructor's forecast was for showers and gusts so the two One Day
Courses were cancelled the night before. But despite that the
Wednesday Washers (Ed: More of them later) did fly but to be fair the
conditions would not have supported the two One Day Courses. (Ed: We hope to see our One Day Course candidates with us soon but on a better flying day.) But we didn't know that when we assembled this morning.
The wind was cross, from the south and not from the west as forecast. The dark clouds
all around the site did not bode well and those initial conditions did not look promising. After I made tea there seemed
to be a understandable reluctance to leave the club house.
Over tea we welcomed back Guy Balmer who flew with me on Thursday 13 October. He is keen to make the most of his three month temporary membership so we furnished him with a pre-solo progress card and I and the Duty Instructor, Mike Jardine, signed off a few items that he had already completed. Then Mike gave Guy a lecture on the pre-flight check list mnemonic CB SIFT BEC. Guy intends to learn to fly gliders as a stepping stone to getting a PPL (Private Pilot licence) for power aircraft.
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| Richard replaces the front door of the dilapidated club K8 trailer (Ed: Due to be scrapped when the K-6 wings that are currently squatting in it have been removed) |
Activity in the hangar was under way with the K-13s being removed and inspected. But the the hangar doors were then shut to allow John Smith access to loose panels on the inside of the hangar wall that had been noticed last week.
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| John Smith securing the corrugated iron sheets on the hangar wall from the outside with a hidden helper on the inside |
Whilst those hangar doors were temporarily closed a replacement electric variometer was being fitted to
K-8, FXB, to replace the defective Cambridge Aero. After trawling
gliderpilot.net John Allan had bagged us a pair of XK10 variometers.
Now the club fleet is fitted the same model of electric variometer throughout. Hurrah for standardisation (Ed: Some things learned at NATO never fade!). Once
tested I raised the supporting paperwork, printed it, and
filed it (Ed: Ohh, look at you! Who has
just undergone a BGA maintenance and glider audit?). Then I uploaded the paperwork to the cloud, well not quite yet; our new maintenance team member Yiannis (Ed: And our first under 30 yro in the team) is working out how we can achieve that simply in the near future. October's flying accounts had obviously already been issued to members as Robin was not in the club house slaving over a laptop but sweeping the hangar of leaves and debris (Ed: Bravo!). The new rubber skirts at the base of the hangar walls and door prevent most of the leaves coming in but that Dartmoor wind can be persistent... Then the hangar doors were opened again and FXB was moved out of the sunshine, wings cleaned of leaves and debris. It was then washed and dried after a Daily Inspection and a set of positive control checks. With that the sun promptly went behind the clouds and FXB got a second wash by a sharp downpour. So out with the drying cloths again by a pair of Wednesday Washers. Fortunately that was the only one to hit the field today despite rain showers and squalls being present all around the local area.  | ||
| A double washed K-8, FXB (Ed: Are those clouds starting to look thermic?) |
At the east end following the heavy shower other Wednesday Washers got on with cleaning and drying the two K-13's prior to flight.
The plan was for Mike to provide instruction for those who needed it. Following a turbulent test flight it was decided that Peter would act as a safety pilot in the rear seat for the qualified pilots, as it had been a while since some had flown. The Basic Instructors and Introductory Flight Pilots would have to fly from the front seat for a change.
Although the K-8 was ready to go to the launch point the message was passed down the line that just the K-13s would fly today due to the gusty conditions and also not to damage the damp field any more than we had to.
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| The workhorses raring to go |
At the launch point Mike was first up with Treasurer Steve Raine for a pair of circuits. Then Guy Balmer made a set of three flights; 5 mins, 9 minutes; and 22 minutes soaring with Mike. Appropriately with Guy's Naval Service connection they were flying in FSD with its "Fly Navy" sticker (Ed: You really are determined to get the new CFI's dander up, aren't you?). At 1300 it was definitely thermic as I witnessed both K-13s soaring together, clearly visible from the hangar. John Allan was with Peter in the second K-13 achieving a 20 minute soaring flight after an initial circuit.
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| Peter's view of the rainbow over Michael de Rupe church at Brentor |
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| A showery view south to the Hamoaze |
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| Rain stretching from Plymouth Sound to Kit Hill |
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| An unhappy Hugh: "The Duty Instructor cancelled my visitors; I've got wet knees from hooking cables onto gliders; I am cold; and to cap it all my soaring hat fell in the mud." |
Back in the hangar, after the heavy shower, wings were being moved around the hangar to allow for a detailed inspection. Colin also showed off a new instrument panel he had made for the front of CCY. (Ed: Very Gucci!)
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| Colin cleans CCY's wings ready for a post-repair inspection, prior to painting |
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| One of the hangar elves in action providing Colin with tea (Ed: That will be milk and two sugars) |
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| K-8, GDK, wings ready for a later annual inspection whilst CCY's wings are cleaned. |
Robin then took a set of three flights with Mike and then a fourth with Guy, whilst Peter flew with Phil, Richard, and then Andy who snuck in a quick soaring flight of 17 minutes.
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| The afternoon skies are darkening |
After I had finished my tasks in the hangar and clubhouse I proceeded up to the launch point. Whilst strapped in the front seat (Ed: Did you remember how to fly from the front?) I
thought I might get a thermic flight but at 1500 on a November day,
after much rain during the week, and then the wisp of cloud
that held much promise, faded on me one can but dream (Ed: Get real).
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| And still those workhorses keep on cracking out the launches |
Care was taken to ensure that all had at least one flight to retain currency. OK, in reality Peter sat in the back as a safety number but apart from "try that cloud over there" the extra ballast was quiet! After Mike had flown all the trainees he then flew with Malcolm. The thermal day was ending as Malcolm only managed six minutes even after enlarging his circuit and approaching over then farmer's gate on the rear boundary fence. Hugh flew with Peter for two circuits. Then, emerging from the hangar, John Smith and Colin flew the last flights of the day.
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| As we start packing up and the last pair of launches are lined up, the sun comes out |
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| The sun peeks through the clouds in the west |
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| K-13, FGR, mud hosed away, washed, and dried and then moved sideways into the hangar |
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| Followed by K-13, FSD, ready to be put to bed in the hangar (Ed: Smart hat Hugh!) |
In total we made 22 flights today and a total of two hours and 36 minutes of flight time. All flew which ensures that the Wednesday Washers are current despite the recent run of poor flying weather.
All the kit was put away by 1640 and we could go home in the daylight, although the light was fading fast.
In summary the Wednesday Washers did do quite a lot of glider washing today but most importantly they flew and some lucky pilots even soared in November.
Gavin Short
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