Dartmoor Gliding News - Saturday 23rd March 2024

Finally a Saturday when It is not raining and the airfield has dried out enough to fly. It was windy but more or less straight down the runway so the option was taken to get some flying in.

A pair of K13's waiting for action
Not the most encouraging sky but flyable
The day progressed with everyone flying with CFI Rick. The flying was interrupted from time to time as passing showers moved through bringing quite turbulent gust fronts with them. There was signs thermal lift but the very strong upper winds were tearing them apart making them pretty much unusable.
Passing showers treated us to a rainbow or two
Sheltering in the bus.
Three flights shared longest of the day with just 8 minutes. Alasdair Barclay, Andy Davey both with Rick in the back and Scratch with Valerie in the front seat.

Rick and Andy getting ready
And off they go
Valerie waiting for her flight
Meanwhile back in the hangar Gavin, Adam and I took advantage of the conditions to add  Dartmoor Gliding Livery to both the Puchacz and Astir CS77, Gavin and I then carried out a review of the Puchacz factory weight and balance adding the BGA concession allowances and then simplifying the cockpit Placards and loading charts. 

Bit of team work to get the decals on straight
( Gavin is supervising from behind the camera)
The finished job
And here's one we did earlier
The day finished with the gliders getting a wash and returned safely to the hangar.

A determined day.

Steve 

Dartmoor Gliding News - Sunday 24th March 2024

For the second time only this year, aviation was going to be committed on a Sunday this year. What seemed to be continuous wet weather and low cloud every Sunday gave way to a forecast possible 2500ft cloudbase, light north/north-westerly wind with some possible soaring conditions. A K13 and the Astir were DI'd and towed to the east end launch point.

Astir & K13 ready for aviation.
First to fly with me was Junior Toby Irons. Very keen Toby has been itching to get back in the air and progress with his flying. After the first three flights, he was spot landing the K13 opposite the bus. Later in the day he had another three flights during which he completed his first complete flight from take-off to landing.

Toby itching to get back into the air.
We were joined today by One Day Course student Hannah Delaney. Hannah arrived with mum, dad and sister and has career ambitions to join the RAF. She enjoyed her day with us with 50 minutes in the air including a 23 minute soaring flight.

Hannah with duty BI Phil.
And off they go...
Next to fly with me was David Morley. David was getting back up to speed after the break due to weather and committing time to training a puppy to eventually become a guide dog.

K13 getting ready for another flight.
Astir pilots Steve Fletcher, Andy Davey and Phil Hardwick took turns to try and make use of the soarable conditions. Longest flight was achieved by Andy with 38 minutes and he only returned to return to the winch. Thanks Andy.

Not to be left out, Howard Irons (Toby's dad) was treated to a trial flight with Steve Fletcher. I wonder if this could lead to Toby's flying fund being cut.

Howard and Steve.
Thanks to all at the field today all messing in to keep things moving. Only 19 flights achieved, but all flew, some soaring and achievements made.

Peter Howarth

Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 20th March 2024

Once again the day started grey, gloomy with low cloud and everyone arriving at the airfield was expecting the field to be too wet to fly. Then the Duty Instructor, Mike Optimist Jardine arrived and  having inspected the airfield and consulted the met forecast and stood watching the Tors slowly appear said the magic words ’Lets give it a go’.

John and David in the hangar wondering if they heard correctly.
The usual Wednesday band of  happy folk then quickly set up the field and got two K13s out to the launch point ready to fly.

K13 on it's way to the launch point.
The club secretary arrived with the first set of cables felt it appropriate to Salute ’those who are about to fly’. …. sorry about twisting the Roman Emperors words.

The cables arriving.
The cloud base continued to rise and the first flight took off at 11.06.

Mike Bennet and Mike Jardine took the first cable and Mr B expertly found the gaps between the clouds.

Mike up in the clouds.
Above the clouds.
Peter Howarth, our recently appointed BGA instructor of the year, offered to do check flights and instructing alongside Mike Jardine, allowing us to get through the flying list quickly. Due to the fragile state of the airfield accurate landings were required, otherwise you would end up with a glider stuck in the mud. Out of the 22 flights only 2 ended up in the wrong place.

This is where they should have landed.
Everyone flew and we had a great time. Around 1400 the cloud started to come down, but there were large gaps, but you had to time the launch well. 

It was all going well….. 

…..but on the very last landing of the day CCY decided to deflate its main wheel …..

Never the best of places to change a wheel!
13 members flew, Colin and Gavin worked all day in the workshop. It was good to see Guy Balmer and David Morley back in the air after a long break. The conditions didn’t allow soaring but the Flight of the day of 9 minutes went to Malcolm Wilton-Jones  who found a little lift with two Buzzards joining him at the end of the day.

At last we got some flying in, yippeee!

Steve Fletcher

Dartmoor Gliding News - Saturday 9 March 2024 - Farewell to the SF-27A

Readers will know that we normally only blog if we go flying or there is a notable event.  So belatedly, because there hasn't been any flying recently, here is a notable event blog.

The SF-27A, FLZ, was our aspirational single-seat club glider.  However, last year the committee had agreed that we should dip our toes in to the world of GRP gliders and upgrade our "aspirational" club glider.  That arrived in the form of an Astir CS 77 (Ed: See the 15 November 2023 blog). So it fell to Richard and I to advertise and sell the SF-27A which was a challenge over the Christmas period. 

However, our patient waiting was rewarded and on 19 January Belle Tyler, a 16 yro solo pilot from Derbyshire and Lancashire Gliding Club (Ed:  For our "Night Owl" Andrew Downing that's Camphill), contacted me.  What followed was almost two months WhatsApp dialogue of photos, information, questions, and answers during which Belle decided to buy the glider, put down a deposit, and formed a syndicate with Tom Oldfield, a work colleague.

This blog is a thank you to all the members who worked hard over the last two months to get the SF-27A ready for sale and to allow the next generation of pilots to enjoy its delights (Ed: With the wet weather attempting to thwart our efforts at every step of the way).

The start of the project.  The SF-27A in its trailer at the club house.

So FLZ needed an annual inspection, an Airworthiness Review Check, a five-yearly glue inspection, rudder cables replaced, removal of the defective Glider Guider (Ed: An earlier generation moving map) and an EW micro logger from the panel, weighing, and a control deflections check.

In under two months all the work was done and the glider was ready for collection.

Chairman Steve Lewis satisfied that we have done a good job. "You can put it all back in the box now".

And so Saturday dawned.  The overnight rain stopped.   Pete Gray, an instructor from Camphill, arrived and we went through the paperwork.  Due to the frequent showers we decided not to rig but talk him through it.  The balance was transferred and confirmed by our new Treasurer, Mike Jardine.  The Bill of Sale and the transfer of UK aircraft registration paperwork complete we went outside.

Pete Gray ready to hook up the trailer

Trailer hook up and checks  (Ed: I bet you had to zoom out to get the whole combo in the frame).

Mike Bennett waves farewell to the SF-27A at 1030

At 1615 Pete Gray arrives at Camphill to be greeted by two exited new owners; Belle and Tom

FLZ parked up in the Camphill glider "rack"

The trailer is securely lashed down. (Ed: It needs to be as Camphill is at 1,350 feet above sea level and is on a ridge.
A delighted Belle with the keys to her new acquisition (Ed: Good luck and have fun)

Final words from Belle:

"Thank you so much for helping us out so much".

"Thank you Gavin and your team..I sure will stay in touch and keep you updated...you must come up and visit one day, perhaps a club trip".

Gavin Short

Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 6th March 2024

Today dawned with a clear blue sky.  A normal day in March for most of the south west but a special day for DGS.  We might be able to go flying.  After a miserable three winter months including no flying at all in February (Ed: This is believed to be a first in the forty years that DGS has operated) members were certainly eager to aviate.

We had two sets of trial flights booked today but the duty Introductory Flight Pilot, Hugh Gascoyne, had to hold them off when they phoned in whilst we awaited the Duty Instructor's verdict on the state of the airfield.  Many of us got on with other jobs as the waterlogged runway had become a standing feature and we thought we knew what the verdict on the "pitch" would be.

But no, Mike Jardine declared that we could go flying and so whilst we got the toys out Hugh telephoned our visitors to say "game on".  Tentatively at first with just a single K-13 and to use the centre track as much as possible so as not to churn up the grass.

The south easterly wind meant that we would  be operating from the West end.  So part of the fence was taken down.  The gap presented pilots with an interesting aiming point later in the day as the crosswind built in strength and they had to crab in over the fence.

A large lay off into the crosswind would be the order of the day as the winch was parked on the centre track rather than the upwind corner of the runway as is usual.
An incredible scene at DGS; not a cloud to be seen, no precipitation, and we are going flying
Some privateers took advantage of the pleasant weather and opened up their trailers for ventilation and a little pre-season fettling.
Club trailers arranged at the club house
It was a chance to empty the hangar and air the gliders that weren't going to be used today.
The Astir CS 77 sees the sunlight for the first time in over a month and a half
A multi purpose scene; Scratch models his new foul weather jacket, Richard and a visitor watch a launch, and  a pitch inspection is conducted
Peter readies himself for a flight in CCY
The dance of the instructors began.  Mike flew solo to check himself out.  Mike flew with Peter and then Peter flew Mike from the back seat.  Now the rest of us could be checked out having filled in our respective dance cards. The conditions were very pleasant in the spring sunshine with just enough turbulence on the approach to keep our pilots concentrating. Later in the day Peter eased some of Mike's loading by also conducting some check flights (Ed: Thanks Pete. Obviously the very mark of the BGA's 2024 Instructor of the Year!).
Mike ready to check Peter out
"Take up slack"
"All out! All out!"
And up they go
Broken cumulus and a hazy horizon greet the intrepid aviators
Hugh receives his check flight before flying our visitors

It's March in the south west of UK Hugh not soaring in Siberia!
Coming back home
After Hugh's check flight to speed up operations K-13, FGR, was extracted from the hangar, inspected, and brought up to the launch point.  However, the GRP gliders; the Puchacz and Astir CS77 were deemed too heavy for the soft ground and so were left in the gentle sunshine at the apron.
There is a promise of some energy in those clouds
Meanwhile back at the hangar the annual inspection of K-13, FSD continued.  The fuselage had previously been given a clean bill of health but awaits a new Centre of Gravity release hook from TOST in Germany.  Today the inspection of the wings continued.  Colin gave them a clean bill of health; apart of from a little paint touch up there was little to do.  The tailplane and elevators need a little more checking before FSD becomes the "hot spare" (Ed: With the arrival of the Puchacz we now only have enough space for two K-13s in the hangar in addition to two single seaters). 

Our first trial flight visitor was local Matt Stockman from Chillaton, who arrived with his partner. She had bought him a flight voucher as a gift.  He had attempted to fly with us back in November but the weather had had other ideas!
 
Hugh reported: "The gusty South Easterly wind did not make for ideal conditions; it was pretty choppy especially on the approach. We launched to 1,200 feet and enjoyed a short non-soaring flight where I pointed out the local landmarks. On the second flight I attempted unsuccessfully to make use of some weak thermals at the southeastern end of the airfield."
Hugh with our first trial flight of the day; Matt Stockman (Ed: With his partner looking on from the fence line. She is smiling honest!)
The SF-27A receives it final preparation prior to collection by it new owners on Saturday
This is more like it.  Shadows on the ground cause by cumulus clouds
Mike's view of the hangar and clubhouse (Ed: I know, I know, Sean Westrope's new Libelle is still parked alongside the fence!)
Gavin contemplates the very concept of flight
Our second visitor was Ross Mitchell who was accompanied by his wife Lauren.  They hail from Truro and had recently been taking part in the annual St.Piran celebrations (Ed: He is regarded as the patron saint of Cornwall).
 
Hugh commented "I did not get the opportunity to have a long chat with Ross but he thoroughly enjoyed his flights. The second launch resulted in a cable break at about 600 feet forcing a go-around. Surprisingly for a visitor who had never done gliding before he seemed to enjoy this experience. My Eventualities monologue in the cockpit before launch had obviously struck a chord with him! He thanked me personally by text message later in the evening which was a nice touch. I believe he will make best use of his three-month membership and I look forward to flying with him again."
 
Hugh and second trial flight visitor Ross Mitchell in jubilant mood
We had a further visitor (Ed: Surely that should be a returning visiting pilot?) Paul Davie who flies with the London Gliding Club at Dunstable.  He enjoyed three flights, and an aborted take off (Ed: Just to keep you on your toes!). Since he last flew with us he has moved to Budleigh Salterton and is looking for a gliding club to fly with in the area (Ed: Paul you and your two wooden gliders are most welcome. We hope to see you again soon).
London Gliding Club Paul Davie runs through his pre-flight checks with Mike.
With the cloud cover developing the temperature started to drop: Dave Archer and Mike are suitably prepared.

28 flights today; check flights, some launch failure training, a returning visiting pilot, and two sets of visitor flights.  Since the Duty Instructor is our new treasurer there was an impetus to keep the launch rate up and for all to receive their check flights.

An early March day but there was little lift to be had from the warmth of the sun as our "Men of the Match" Hugh Gascoyne and Steve Fletcher showed with a dizzying flight time of eight minutes a piece.

Pilot's log books would be updated with the check flights made today by Mike Jardine, Peter Howarth, Hugh Gascoyne, Scratch, Phil Hardwick, Mike Bennett, Richard Roberts, Steve Fletcher, Gavin Short, Paul Davie, and Dave Archer.  Eleven pilots becoming current in one day after the washout that was February. Impressive.

Gavin Short