We've done it. We have started corporate evening flying again. This used to be a regular occurrence at Brentor, often on a flying day when the kit was already on the field some members would stay later, or join later, to run the field. The flying session would be from 1800 to 2100 or until our visitors had had their fill. The groups that we flew could be friends, work groups, and even on one occasion, as flown by Alan Holland and I, a group of ten young ladies from the YWCA. Some groups opted to have a BBQ at the clubhouse on completion (Ed: What a pleasant way to end a English summer's evening).
Our visitors today, two young Royal Navy officers were scheduled to arrive at 1730. So a stalwart team comprising Peter, Steve Fletcher, Hugh, Robin, Colin (Ed: Yay!) and I planned to arrive at 1600 to set up the field.
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| K-13, FSD, stands ready to "Fly Navy" once again (Ed: Stop winding our, ex-Army, CFI up) |
Peter had taken the opportunity that we were flying in the evening to come up earlier and mow the airfield (Ed: Just about the whole bluddy lot - a gargantuan effort). Steve and Hugh were already there when I arrived and were getting the gear out. Hugh set up the winch.
But before that Peter set a challenge to our prospective IFP (Introductory Flight Pilot), IFP, and prospective Assistant Category Instructor (namely Steve, Hugh, and I); which end would we fly from?. On driving through the gate I noticed the strong sea breeze from the south and Steve and Hugh were watching the wind sock oscillate at the head of the cross track. I checked the weather forecasts (YR.NO, RASP and Skysight). We all opted to launch from the west end but Peter overruled us and selected the east end. He explained that we could have one aircraft launching and landing on the north side and one doing the same on the south side. Each would be independent and with a bit of spot landing we wouldn't interfere with each other and hence keep the launch rate up.
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| A pristine pitch to welcome our naval visitors |
With the gear laid out and while waiting for the arrival of our naval guests Steve took an IFP training flight with Peter. The flight confirmed our expectations that the strong crosswind resulted in an unspectacular launch height of 850 feet. Once Hugh got in the the groove on the winch and when to cut the power, and with pilots laying off considerably, we could achieve launch heights of 1,000 feet (Ed: Oooh err!)
Liam Downes and Daniel Esteve arrived the naval regulation five minutes early and I took them into the club house to fill out the paperwork and give them a quick brief.
We then headed up to the east end in the Jeep with Liam following on a quad bike after a quick introduction to its operation (Ed: Did I mention that we were quite short of people). After a parachute brief by Steve (more IFP training) many hands made for light work and soon Daniel and Liam were strapped in FGR and FSD with Peter and I behind them respectively ready to go.
We then flew. As expected there was virtually no thermal activity in the stiff sea breeze. The upside was that the air was as smooth as silk and despite the low launch height Peter and I managed to deliver the lookout, and the effects of the elevator, aileron and rudder exercises whilst achieving a launch rate of eight launches an hour (Ed: See! It can be done).
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| Daniel, Liam and Peter about to aviate (Ed: Appropriately FGR and FSD are ex naval gliders, originally flown by Portsmouth Naval Gliding Club which operated from Lee-on-Solent) |
Peter and Daniel aborted their fourth launch when the winch jumped out of gear (Ed: Hugh, put yer boot on it!) adding a frisson of excitement to Daniel's flights which he took in his stride. So the glider was brought back to have another go.
By 1930 the sun was getting lower in the sky and with the absence of almost any clouds made landing to the west (Ed: i.e. into sun) an increasing challenge. So we "drew stumps" and Peter and I treated our visitors to a hangar landing each (Ed: Landing at the west end by the cross track so the gliders could be put away in the hangar quickly).
After the toys were packed away and photo opportunities taken we retired to the clubhouse for a beer or a "goffa" and spun a few gliding tales. Liam and Daniel evidently enjoyed their five flights a piece with us. We bade them farewell and we hope to see them again to use their three-month's temporary membership if their busy schedule of professional studies allow.
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| Flying complete, Liam and Daniel receive their certificates from Gavin (Ed: I swear naval officers, like policemen, are looking much younger nowadays!) |
With that we left the site (Ed: Robin didn't lock Hugh in again!). Many thanks to Peter, Steve F, Hugh, Robin, and Colin for turning out and making our first evening flying session in a long long time work. Twelve flights in total. Let's do it again.
Roll on the weekend.
Gavin Short
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