Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 5 April 2023

On Monday and Tuesday it was lovely in the West Country.  But today, Wednesday, it was wet and grey all day (Ed: Depressingly so, hence no photographs. I will leave it to your imagination).  So a few hardy Wednesday Waders assembled to see what could be done.

The quay at Cotehele on Monday (Ed: This is what April should look like: Sunshine, warmth, dry grass, and water in the right place)

I arrived just as Andy was putting his trailer back in to the rack. It has been away for three weeks while Andy has been rebuilding and painting the rear door, and also painting the inside of the cockpit.  Heated discussions ensued later in the clubhouse between those who favoured the "the grey background, black flecked" cockpit look to those who detest the "inside of a public convenience" look, typical of Polish gliders.

Phil was today's Basic Instructor and sadly he had to cancel the One Day Course and later the Two flight voucher who were our scheduled visitors (Ed: We hope to fly you soon) due to the weather.  The Duty Instructor, Mike, entertained three-month temporary member Joe, his Mum, and younger brother who had come to see if we were flying today.  I introduced them to the various weather forecasts that were available from the DGS website, free, and those on subscription (Ed: Or if in doubt look out the window).  We then flashed up the generator and switched on the simulator to allow Joe's instruction to continue under Phil's expert tutelage.

Joe executing a left turn in the simulator under the instruction of Phil

Right turns must be harder as they require the supervision of the Duty Instructor.

Later our two Assistant Category instructors made use of the simulator to go through various spin exercises and the accompanying patter prior to their five-yearly instructor review at North Hill (Devon and Somerset Gliding Club) tomorrow (Ed: Good luck guys and enjoy DSGC's shiny new Perkoz glider).

Peter and Mike spinning merrily.  Only the ground is in sight!

 A preview of the Perkoz with Peter and Mike tomorrow.

Colin arrived and after being suitably tea'ed and biscuit'ed went into the workshop with Phil, and I to continue the fit out of K-8, GDK with radio, radio antenna and a new seat back.  Also the scarfed patches on the ailerons were filled and carefully sanded in preparation for fresh (white) paint (Ed: No Colin, blue is not the new white).

Colin and Phil prepare thin plywood sheets to create a new backrest for K-8, GDK.

Valerie Kiely came up briefly to deposit her full membership application form (Ed: Welcome to Dartmoor Gliding Society.  I am glad that the reprobates haven't scared you off).

Phil spent a while in the hangar tidying up the radio power connections under the instrument panel of the other K-8, FXB.  Also in the hangar I measured up our gliders prior to purchasing new safety foam to fit the new cushions that Mike (Ed: Don't you mean his better half)? is making for us.

Then our very own night-owl (Ed: Why are all IT specialists nocturnal?) arrived at the club with the new video projector, courtesy of the "Tea Boat Fund" (Ed: I think you mean the "Tea swindle").  The old video projector's colours were tired and displayed some imperfections so it was time for a refresh.  Peter and Andrew set about fitting the new one.

Peter and Andrew fit the new clubhouse projector

Whilst working on something else I idly enquired whether they had checked which way up the projector should be mounted....but in good male fashion they both cracked on without even opening the instruction manual.

Ohh look! It's upside down (Ed: You have obviously been round the block once or twice to ask such probing questions like that to the IT guru!)

Back in the glider workshop things were coming on a pace on GDK.  The radio had been mounted and wired in.  The new instrument panel looked resplendent.  I helped route the radio microphone/speaker cable into the optimum position while Phil and Colin fitted the antenna to a ground plane that had been installed in the fuselage under the turtle deck.  On Saturday we hope to see Dave Archer with his Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) meter to allow fine tuning of the antenna by trimming it for length.

Throughout out all this activity across the site there was a search for the launch hut key that had gone walk about (Ed: Someone has obviously got in their coat pocket).

A break for lunch was followed by a video from Pure Glide, who is an instructor in New Zealand.  In the "Mega Yaw" You Tube video he amusingly demonstrates the benefits of the 36 yaw strings that he fitted to his glider (Ed:  There is no truth in the rumour that our new Treasurer was totally taken in by this April Fool's joke).  Indeed, Andy had got into the excitement a few days earlier.

Andy's Libelle canopy sporting extra, colour-matched yaw strings on 1 April

Jobs done, equipment fitted, lunch consumed, and legs pulled we packed up and departed by 1500.

The forecast for the weekend is much better and we are opening up the club over four days of the Easter Break to make best use of the improved weather.

Good Friday – Open to all solo pilots only (other pilots are also welcome to help run the field and bask in the sunshine).

Saturday -  Open as normal - training, visitor trial flights, solo pilots.

Easter Sunday -  Open as normal - training, visitor trial flights, solo pilots.

Easter Monday – Open as normal - training, visitor trial flights, solo pilots.

(Ed:  I see that you signed up as the Duty Basic Instructor for Bank Holiday Monday.  Despite your enthusiasm what do think is going to happen to the weather, in the UK, on a Bank Holiday Monday?)

Gavin Short