Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 23rd August 2023

Following a very successful briefing and flying day with the Met Office on Tuesday we were blessed with another pleasant summer's day.  The forecast wasn't spectacular just very pleasant; calm conditions, no rain, and some weak thermal activity due to the forecast predicting a limiting top cover (Ed: After two named storms in August we ought to be thankful for any flyable weather).

So the Wednesday Wavers were on for flying today at last.  However, the pause in flying operations due to the recent bad weather has been put to good effect by the maintenance teams who have recently conducted the annual inspections of a Standard Cirrus and two K-6s, and the production of the all important accompanying paperwork.

We had two visitors scheduled for today; extended family members Mark Swarbrick and Alan Lambert.  Alan had a One Day Course flight voucher as a birthday present and had twisted Mark's arm to come and keep him company.  Before they arrived new junior Matthew with his Dad were already here with his name appended to the flying list.  When the Duty Instructor, Mike Jardine gave the nod he helped the rest of the team to get the toys out.  

 

Sadly we were always going to be thin on the ground today as many members were absent to pay their respects at the funeral of Alan Holland.  Alan had been a stalwart member of Dartmoor Gliding Society and long time instructor at Brentor.  Almost all of us had learned to fly under Alan Holland's tutelage.  We owe him a great deal for a fantastic start to our gliding careers. During the day we had a chance to reflect his passing.

Following the morning brief by Mike two K-13s and later a K-8 were taken to the east end.  After giving the One Day Course Introductory brief I drove our One Day Course candidates to the East end to start flying.

 

Matthew had a set of three flights with Mike to brush the cobwebs off and a further pair of flights later in the day (Ed: Oh, to be 14 years old again and to be able master the fundamentals of flying a such a cracking rate). Meanwhile Matthew's Dad got to grips with retrieving the gliders and manoeuvring them at the launch point (Ed: Gliding is a team sport!).

Junior Matthew and Mike prepare for their third flight

The first of our One Day Course candidates, Alan Lambert, who drives trucks for a living and comes from Cornwall flew with Gavin (Ed: The assembled pilots running the ground operations weren't convinced by his argument that Saltash counted as "coming from Cornwall").

Alan Lambert ready to start his One Day Course in CCY with Gavin

Here for a day's flying at Brentor was Simon Harris who spends a lot of his time flying in France.  As well as holding a BGA Gliding Certificate he holds a French pilot's licence.  His aim for today was to reacquaint himself with BGA procedures both on the ground and in the air.  He had a successful time which included five flights during spread across the day. We expect to see him back at Brentor in about six weeks.

Mike Jardine listens as Simon runs through his pre-flight checks in English prior to his first winch launch in 15 years

As the conditions during the day were forecast to improve Gavin flew our visitors in sets of two to even up the experience.  Second up was Mark Swarbrick who like Gavin had taken early retirement to enjoy life.  Mark is a keen cyclist and often cycles on the moors, and knows the Brentor area, setting off on his two-wheeled tours from his home in Plymouth.

One Day Course candidate Mike Swarbrick ready to start flying with Gavin (Ed: Yes, Mike was lent a soaring hat, currently in his lap, as the day was warming up)

Club members Malcolm Wilton-Jones, John Allan, David Archer, Peter Howarth, Martin Broadway, and late arrival on site Chairman Steve Lewis, all made use to the delightful characteristics of the K-8, GDK, in the weak thermal conditions.  Inevitably the longest flights today were made in the K-8.  Flights of length included 34 minutes (John) and 27 Minutes (Malcolm).   While we are considering the "Man of the Match" award later in the day Mark Swarbrick, aided a tad by Gavin, soared to 1,600 feet QFE for a course-curtailed total of 17 minutes in K-13, CCY.

John Allan lands GDK after his "Man of the Match" 34 minutes aloft

Mike's view of the valley to the North of the airfield with Mary Tavy in the distance

We welcomed Dick Masters, who normally can't make our Wednesday flying days due to his naval lecture commitments, to the Wednesday Soarers (Ed: Three-phase high power electricity generation anyone?).  Mike took him for set of three flights and then a further flight later in the afternoon.

Glider and PPL pilot Dick Master's holds FGR steady at 40 knots while hunting the day's elusive thermals

The winch suffered a problem on the North drum which reduced us to single cable operation. Hard work by the retrieve drivers and the winch driver whilst some extensive repairs were effected kept us going.  Later in the afternoon two drum operation was restored.  Well done to all involved.  The reduction in the launch rate was minor and probably not noticed by our visitors.  Bravo Zulu!

The face of despair as Peter is faced with a horlicks (Ed: Is that the technical term?) at the winch

All smiles as the Fletchers prepare to aviate (Ed:  Our newly-minted Introductory Flight Pilot, Steve Fletcher, made the bold decision to fly his wife today.  I know that my wife will only fly if there is trolley service onboard the aircraft!)

Take up slack.  Arrows away!

Susan's Fletcher's first view of the Devon countryside from the air. In a reversal of stereotypical roles her husband Steve is back seat driving! (Ed: You are going to get shot for that comment!)

The airfield viewed from the West (Ed: Note the cumulus building over Dartmoor, but sadly not Brentor)

Susan and Steve Fletcher's view while thermaling on a beautiful summer's day

With the maintenance team and others at Weston Mill Crematorium today there was little activity in the hangar and workshops.  However, Hugh took the opportunity to rig his and Mike Bennett's new Club Libelle and adjust the length of the overly-large wooden wing trestles. (Ed:  I hope you don't realise why they were so big in the future...after wielding the saw there is no going back).

High cirrus (Ed: Ice clouds) and contrails

As the day drew to a close the final number of cables was determined.  All the solo pilots had had their fill of the K-8 and that left the two K-13s to be hangar landed.  Mike took Alan Lambert for an addition flight to demonstrate a hangar landing and Gavin did the same with Mark Swarbrick on Mark's final flight of his course.

Successful One Day Course candidates Mark Swarbrick and Alan Lambert with their Instructor

As to the weather.  It was hot!  Even in T-shirts it was hot in the cockpits as there was little wind at ground level.  As forecast the top cover of cirrus and a strange humid haze associated with the sea breeze from Plymouth did limit the thermal activity.  But we were warm, dry and able to fly (Ed: As you would reasonably expect in August, except August 2023 that is!).

Following the last launch at 1713 we packed the equipment away and said farewell to our visitors. Thirty-six flights were made today and all pilots had their fill.  It almost felt like a summer's day of flying.

Gavin Short