Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 30 November 2022

Leaving home today in East Cornwall the weather looked promising.  It wasn't raining.  It was calm.  And there was a blue sky.  But when I approached the club, looking to the east from Brentor church, there was orographic cloud over the moors and the cloud base above the club appeared low.

I was distracted on my journey as I neared Tavistock by a multitude of Chelsea tractors; Range Rovers, Land Rovers, et al. trying to negotiate the lanes (Ed: And not very well either). The country lanes around Tavistock can be narrow and mildly challenging in parts but if they can be negotiated by a 50+ year-old sports car with rear leaf springs and a live axle then your fancy 4x4 is probably overkill for the job (Ed: And with that your rant is over thank you).

 

On arrival, it was good to see Steve Fletcher back at the club, albeit on light duties, but he can fly.  Andy's Libelle was out of its trailer. Was he going to rig?

Andy's Libelle potentially ready for rigging but in the end it was out for just airing

Turning to initial jobs a fresh set of rags was deposited on the hangar work bench (Ed: You have no need for fancy dress shirts to go with your business suits any more so they might as well be put to good use!). A stack of newspapers was deposited in the spray booth for Colin's use later in the day while spraying the final top coat on one of CCY's wing and tailplane.  The two Cambridge Aero variometers, acquired from Devon and Somerset Gliding Club at North Hill recently were carefully stored in the Tech Office.  Thanks are due to Mark Courtney, our former Chief Flying Instructor, for facilitating their procurement.

 

Meanwhile a few members herded some errant sheep off the field and others conducted Daily Inspections of the gliders.

Club gliders being inspected

In the club house the Duty Instructor was preparing for the morning brief and there was an animated discussion concerning the wind direction.  He was concerned that the wind was from the wrong direction according to the forecast.  Eventually he discovered he was looking at the 27th of November vice today's date of 30 November (Ed: Your secret is safe with me Mike!)

We had five trainees, or those requiring instruction, today; Robin Wilson, Matthew Stone, Mark Elliott, David Moult (complete with a new hat for the winter) and David Archer.  There were 12 of us in total at the brief.

The summary was wind from the South East backing to the East.  Cloud base would increase from 2'000 to 2,500ft QNH.  Any chance of wave? Probably not as the wind was forecast to be too light.

Morning briefing and tea.  (Ed: What do you mean you don't believe RASP!)

Mike's practical briefing on how to isolate the water supply to the clubhouse now the weather is turning colder

 The club gliders on parade ready for action

Orographic cloud clearing from the moors

First up were Peter and Hugh for an Introductory Flight Pilot check flight. I had swapped duties with Hugh to allow him to fly our two guests today.  Then Mike Jardine flew with Mark Elliott and David Archer putting them through their paces before clearing them to fly solo (Ed: And their landings were smooth as silk from what I saw). Mark had two flights which increased his total of K13 solo flights ready for his conversion to single-seater flying in the the K-8, which was planned for today.  Unfortunately, although the conditions became benign enough later for a conversion, canopy visibility cut short the flying day.  (Ed: Chin up. It will happen soon!)

 

 

 

 

Hugh and Peter prepare for a check flight before Hugh assumes his duties as today's duty Introductory Flight Pilot

Mike Bennett then flew the K-8 followed throughout the day by other solo pilots; Steve Fletcher, Peter Howarth, John Smith, Malcolm Wilton Jones, and me.  Steve took his flights either side of midday where there was a little window of thermal activity forecast and set the pace for "Man of the match" with flights of 11 and 13 minutes respectively.

Mike Bennett reviews the Daily Inspection book for FXB as part of his preparations to fly

Dave Archer and Mike Jardine ready for a check flight for Dave prior to him flying solo again (Ed: Note nifty kneeling pad to prevent delicate flowers getting wet knees when hooking on the cable!)

Dave cleared to go solo again readies himself for flight

 

And he returns to earth

 

To a great landing

 After clearing Mark and David for solo flight Mike Jardine continued instruction with Robin who was also treated to simulated cable break to land ahead.  Then David Moult and Matthew Stone progressed during their training flights.  Matthew progressed his circuit planning and general flying and put into practice the theory gained from the previous weeks lectures (Ed: Time spent in the club house on ground school lectures on a rainy day is never wasted).

 

 Mike Jardine above "some fluffy clouds" which was actually the forecast cloud base over the airfield

 

During the day David Archer clocked up three solo flights in the K-13 which will see him well on his way to convert to a single seater.  

Andy Davey considers not the impeding launch but the Virga hanging down from the cloud in front of him (Ed: Note shiny yellow drogue chute and smart blue rope)

Our two visitors today were Simon Ruffles and Debra Honeybun.  First up was Simon who arrived with his partner having travelled from Horrabridge.

Hugh and Simon Ruffles, with partner, before their flights

 

Strapped in and ready to go

A happy Simon receives his flight certificate from Hugh

Although there was some sun today the airfield was mostly under a band of grey cloud

Next to fly with Hugh was Debra Honeybun who was accompanied by husband John. They were holidaying in Lydford and so it was appropriate that she was flown by Hugh who lives in Lydford (Ed: We like symmetry at Dartmoor Gliding).

  

Debra Honeybun and Hugh pose for the obligatory pre-flight cockpit shot

 

And she is ready for take off while husband John stands back well out of the shot! 

 

Safely back down to earth after two enjoyable flights, Debra received her flight certificate from Hugh.

Mike Jardine (Ed: Apparently with time on his hands in the back seat) admires the orographic clouds over the moor and the village of Mary Tavy in the foreground

I took what was to be the penultimate launch of the day, in the K-8.  There were canopy misting problems as the air temperature was cooling rapidly.  There was condensation forming on the wings.  I took a launch to 1,300 feet and experienced some reduced sink over Mary Tavy and Blackdown before positioning myself in the High Key area on the south side of the airfield at 750 feet.  Then I found some workable lift at the confluence of the two valleys south of Mary Tavy (Ed: Probably not wave but orographic lift).  Beating back and forth, figures of eights, and finally just thermal turns allowed me to climb back up to 1,250 feet again.  I could see that the other gliders were being packed away (Ed: This was due to canopy misting problems) so I set myself a half hour limit and landed after 33 minutes aloft.  Peter met me and retrieved FXB to the hangar. I was on "Cloud Nine" after an unexpected and graceful soaring flight.  At times I saw 2 knots of lift and I reckoned that the orographic lift would have worked for at least another hour. Never say never at Dartmoor Gliding!

 

As the K-8 approached the hangar we saw Steve Fletcher leaving the club with his glider trailer  (Ed: I am sure that there is no truth in the rumour that Steve was upset at having been pipped, at the last moment, for the "Man of the match" flight!).

Steve ready for a launch failure drill at his own request after a lay off from gliding (Ed: Bravo! Asking an instructor for a check ride, as our American cousins call it, is a positive thing and not something to be shied away from, and of course strongly encouraged by the Chief Flying Instructor)

Differing layers of cloud over the moor.  Could it be wave? (Ed: The black cloud in the real cloud base over the airfield)

The K-8 was the last to go into the hangar and the final bits of equipment were stowed away.  Used glider cleaning cloths were deposited in the Fleet Manager's car ready for Mrs S to work her magic. Twenty-nine flights at the end of November, all trainees flown, and solo pilots in date for currency (Ed: Important as the wave season is potentially coming according to the Met Office's 10 day forecast).  All in all it was a good day's flying.

The Field Treasurer was quick on the ball today.  After the flight log had been uploaded from the club house the accounts for November were sent out.  I received mine when I got home and certainly well before I had made up my own pilot's log book with today's flight. Great work Robin.

Robin also sends me the summary of the month's flying to allow me to update the club glider log books.  November's statistics are revealing and demonstrate how wet and unfavourable the weather has been.  No private gliders flew.  The only gliders that flew were club gliders; K-13s FSD, DGR, and K-8 FXB .  The total flying for November was 14 Hours 21 minutes from 149 launches giving a flight average time of 5 .8 minutes.

Gavin Short