After making tea for one's better half and retiring back under the duvet if you just looked at the Met Office's Yellow snow and ice warning (Ed: Yellow snow? Do behave!) you would firmly stay there and continue reading the latest Tom Clancy thriller (Ed: Isn't he dead? Ahh, that is what ghost writers do!).
But being good pilots we look
at other forecasts and they were telling us rain, low cloud, and maybe some
sleet on Dartmoor. So not cold then. And so it proved to be. The back roads were filthy
and I was glad I hadn't washed my car yesterday (Ed: You do realise
that there is still a hosepipe ban extant in Cornwall?).
 |
| This is what happens when the air temperature matches that of the dew point |
It
was obvious that we had to cancel today's visitor flights and ask them
to re-book. Cue a disappointed Duty Introductory Flight Pilot, Hugh. The Duty Instructor, Mike, with nothing to do tried to remember how to light the wood burner. But with John Allan's
arrival we able to revert to gliding talk and ask him how we was getting acquainted with his new
Glider, a Mini-Nimbus, which he has temporarily based at North Hill
(Ed: A wise decision which allows for a much more expansive airfield to
land on when one is converting to a new type).
 |
| And 15 minutes later when the two temperatures diverge - Magic happens! |
After
lots of "hangar flying", and when the heavy rain stopped, we pulled our
fingers out and repacked the Motor Transport hangar which wasn't as
shipshape and Bristol fashion as it should be from Sunday's use. When
Colin arrived and lunch had been consumed (Ed: Which didn't include
you because you left your rucksack at home...which had your lunch in it. Doh!)
we proceeded to the hangar.
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| John masterfully backs the winch and tractor in to the MT hangar (Ed: Quite a feat as there is no power steering and no mirrors) |
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| And now to add the retrieve vehicle |
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| The final result. Shipshape and Bristol fashion |
The K-8 needed its
ARC (the certificate) displayed in the aircraft and the replacement
letters (F and X) applied to complete the full G-Reg under the Port
wing following some minor repairs. Its now ready for rigging on Saturday, fingers crossed (Ed:
Since the K-8 was built in Germany shouldn't that be "Thumbs pressed"?).
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| Colin prepares to add the registration letters "F" and "X" to the underside of the port wing |
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| This is where the magic or special effects happen (Ed: Oh yes, "FX" - Special effects! A little bit of Hollywood magic comes to DGS) |
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| Registration complete. FXB is ready to be rigged on Saturday and fly. |
CCY received a bit of fettling. Namely the capacity flask for the mechanical variometer, which was re-secured.
Back in the club house I
brought the documentation for K-13, G-CFGR, up to date and procured
Colin's signatures in the relevant places (Ed: New pilots think gliders
fly due to the relationship between lift, drag, and weight. Old pilots
know that a glider flies only with the correct paperwork and relevant
signatures in place).
Jobs done we retired to the clubhouse for a final cup of tea before heading home.
It was still raining when we left.
Gavin Short
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