You might think that blogging is easy. Here's Gavin after his blogging week at Aston Down.
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| All Blogged Out |
Steve
Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 29 May 2024
Today proved to be a busy day for the Wednesday Wavers, not that you would have expected such from the forecast; overcast, low cloud base, showers, but wind right down the strip.
Phil was the Duty Basic Instructor and his dance card was full with three two-flight vouchers and a One Day Course to deliver. The Duty Instructor, Mike Jardine, with few trainees today, expected a quieter time (Ed: But that was not to be).
Mike Jardine gave the morning brief followed by Phil who briefed junior Seth Barnes on his One Day Course. We were joined by Lorraine Kindley, a walk-in who wanted to find out more about gliding having seem Val Kieley's piece on BBC Spotlight (Ed: Not forgetting BBC Breakfast, several radio interviews, and BBC and local press articles in support of our "Women Go Gliding weekend" on 8 and 9 June which is now fully booked and have a reserve list. If you are interested please look at the options on our website Dartmoor Gliding or come and see us. We would be delighted to explain what our club can offer).
Today was a day for new members. Junior Jamie Young turned up ready to fly again. Freddie Purkiss, whose family hails from Okehampton, arrived with his dad, after his mum and dad had visited us previously to find out about Dartmoor Gliding. Freddie recently made two flights with the Air Cadets after being an Air Cadet a year. He has caught the flying bug and he joined a a Junior member on the spot.
Mike's day started with a couple of flights with Elliot Vorster who is well supported by his Mum. She has become a social member so that she can help out at the launch point and handling the gliders (Ed: Welcome Elliot and Mum!). Both attended the morning briefing too.
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| Elliot enjoyed his flights |
Phil started his visitor flying with Seth Barnes on his One Day Course. As you might expect, at his young age, Seth lapped up Phil's instruction. Phil reports:
"Seth was very good. Gentle on the controls".
I was asked to speak with his mum; Seth's dad is a Royal Marine and is interested in our Service Personnel flying scheme, which should appear on the website presently. The quid quo pro for the long term loan of the Puchacz two-seat trainer from Heron Gliding Club, at RNAS Yeovilton, is that we offer an "introduction to gliding package" to Service Personnel working in the Devonport area and environs (Ed: Seth we hope to see you back soon and hopefully with your dad).
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| Junior Seth Barnes ready to venture into the unknown with Phil on Seth's One Day Course. |
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| Seth and Phil about to launch |
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| Up, Up, and away they go! |
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| Elliot Vorster and the Duty Instructor make a spot (Ed: Precision) landing |
After flying two flights with Elliot Vorster, Mike moved on and completed a set of three training flights with Jamie Young. The weather conspired to make these just circuits in the pre-midday drizzle (Ed: Thanks the heavens for the launch point bus to shelter in). Phil's first two-flight trial lesson was with Alison Worth who was accompanied by some of her friends and family.
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| Phil does a good job distracting visitor Alison Worth before she takes to the skies for the first of her two trial flights |
The initial low cloud base and drizzle might have slowed proceeding on the airfield but not the work going on in the hangar. Colin and Gavin inspected the bearing mechanism in the all-flying tail plane of Gavin's Standard Cirrus, following a British Gliding Association advisory notice. All was well and so I am cleared to fly CNN again on Saturday. The big event was the final checks on the Puchacz following an investigation on its air brake circuit. Everything was prepared to rig the glider after the flying had finished (Ed: The Puchacz has big and heavy wings and we have only rigged it once before). Also Scratch had effected a GRP repair to the Astir CS77 undercarriage door that got knocked off by a tow rope recently. It was refitted by Scratch, inspected by Colin and I, and I then taped it. So the Astir CS 77 is back in service.
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| Hangar activity: Standard Cirrus tail plane and Puchacz fuselage |
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| Colin fits a replacement trim tab operating wire to one of the tail planes of the Puchacz |
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| Scratch's handiwork - Bursting into song "I've got two doors on my wagon" (Ed: Don't give up your day job just yet!) |
Back at the launch point, after the drizzle, Mike Bennett and then Peter Howarth were tempted into making launches in K-8, GDK. Mike then took Neal Oxley for his long overdue two-flight voucher. Although not booked in today Neal has been attending the club on several Wednesdays, and helping out, while waiting for his weather break. Mike rewarded Neal's patience (Ed: I told you that the Duty Instructor would be busy!) with some soaring flights totaling 23 minutes.
After several weeks of attending on non-flyable Wednesdays Neal Oxley finals gets aloft with two soaring flights with Mike Jardine
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| I am sure that Neal thought that the views were worth the wait |
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| Neal certainly didn't get to see this perspective of the airfield when he achieved his "A" and "B" badges with the Air Cadets over three decades ago |
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| Curious walk-in Lorraine Kindley is shown the controls before flying with Mike |
Back at the MT (Motor Transport) hangar Scratch was also busy with jobs: The manual winch launch indicator pulley cable was replaced and the winch engine's fuel system cleaned and purged (it now requires a test), the Astir CS77's undercarriage door refitted, the leak in the ladies toilet fixed, the green tractor fuel issue looked at (but not sorted), and Peter Howarth's annual winch driver re-validation conducted (Ed: What a busy bee Scratch has been! Bravo Zulu!)
Cousins Oliver Roper and Will Boalch had been waiting a year, since receiving their vouchers as a gift, to being able to use them. Ably supported by an extended family they enjoyed their pair of flights apiece.
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| Oliver Roper ready to fly with Phil |
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| Excuse me? Could we have some space to take off please? |
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| Phil ready to take Will Boalch, Oliver's cousin, aloft |
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| Gavin captures' Mike and junior Jamie Young's launch from the winch's perspective |
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| The winch working hard to get the K-13 aloft |
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| And the man that did it (Ed: Is Peter happy that Scratch signed him off for his annual winch check? Is there such a thing? If so I suppose I might have to show Scratch my Deutscher Aero Club e.V. Ausweis für Start - Windenfahrer (German winch driver's licence) before my check). |
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| The two cousins happy with their flights with their instructor, Phil |
After four flights with Phil, Seth had a chance to experience the other activities that make a gliding club work. Scratch, having finished his work at the other end of the field, kindly flew Seth's last couple of flights to ease the pressure on BI Phil and give him a break.
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| Seth delighted to have completed his one Day Course |
What of the K-8? Later flights after Mike Bennett and Peter Howarth were made by Steve Fletcher, Malcolm Wilton-Jones, David Archer, Steve F again for an aborted take off, and just to show that we give everyone an equal chance Duty Instructor Mike experienced a launch failure and hangar landed the K-8 (Ed: Instructors too have to keep their log books up to date with eventualities, even if self-induced).
What of the other K-13, FSD? Scratch offered Lorraine a complimentary hangar flight and so she experienced landing at the other end of the airfield (Ed: Quite a start to one's gliding career - join as a full member, two training flights with the Duty Instructor, and a hangar flight with another instructor in a different glider).
So with the aircraft at the hangar end the call went out for able-bodied pilots to rig the Puchacz (Ed: Quite a lot of lifting, wiggling, instructions, and counter instructions were required to put it together).
A quiet day for the Wednesday Wavers turned into 35 flights, which included three two-trial flights, a One Day Course, two new members (and Adult and a Junior) who both started their training, A recent junior member continued his training, and flights in the K-8 by some of our solo pilots (Ed: Not forgetting work on the vehicles, club infrastructure, and GRP gliders to return them to service).
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| A brace of K-13s having been flown on hangar landing flights wait patiently to enter the hangar once the Puchacz is rigged |
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| We've read the manual, now to put it together again (Ed: This is the second time we've tried this and we are starting to understand the Polish logic of the self connecting controls. Milosz where are you when we need your Polish language skills?) |
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| Club Secretary Steve Fletcher guides Lorraine Kindley thorough the membership process and, as a full member, paying for her flights at club rates. |
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| Neal Oxley helps the team pack the hangar |
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| The Puchacz with it wings on ready to be packed in the hangar (Ed: The maintenance team plan to fit the tail planes, canopy, and tape the wings on Friday) |
The "Man of the Match" on this rather uninspiring, grey, overcast day was, of course, Malcolm who achieved 20 minutes aloft in GDK (Ed: Showing us again what us mere mortals should aspire to!).
At the end of the day we had a another walk-in, Nick Dryer, who whilst serving in the Royal Navy managed to clock up 32 hours in a Chipmunk but his sea time prevented him achieving a Private Pilots Licence. Curiosity got the better of him, having driven past our sign on the Tavistock to Okehampton road many times, and he came to find out how you can fly without an engine (Ed: Hopefully, you find your home in Bridestowe convenient for flying at Brentor).
Gavin Short
Dartmoor Gliding News - Saturday 25 May 2024
Today had a good forecast (4 stars on RASP) but for a while it looked
like flying would have to be cancelled. The annual expedition to Aston
Down meant that a lot of members were away and no instructors were available (Ed: NRI apparently means No Rated Instructor. Funny, I thought the R stood for something else).
Jamie Steel stepped in at short notice to open the airfield - Thank You
Jamie.
As it was, we opened the airfield with only four members,
probably the minimum possible. With one doing winch and retrieve,
another in the tower, and another launching. So we could only fly one person
at a time. When a fifth member appeared mid morning it meant that we could do some
training or launch a second aircraft when both were solo.
Steve Fletcher brought some friends up to see the action and show off his club. They witnessed Alasdair's first check flight with Jamie (12 minutes). After his second flight he was cleared to fly the K-8, GDK which he did in the afternoon, clocking up a total of 20 minutes across two flights.
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| Alasdair lands K-13, FGR with Jamie monitoring from the rear seat (Ed: I detect a Scottish vibe going on here) |
Colin
was there bright and early working on the Puchacz, which had been
previously derigged by the Wednesday Wavers. He was later joined by Adam and both
worked right through day without taking any flights (Ed: Many thanks both for your sterling efforts). As both the Puchacz and
Astir are off-line at the moment, a K-13 and K-8 were taken up to the
airfield. The wind was out of the south east, so we were launching from
the west end, meaning we were saved from the long trek with the gliders to
the east end.
The day initially looked very promising but as we
were setting up the blue sky was disappearing to the north and top cover
(Ed: High cloud that blocks out the sun) started filling in from the south. This meant any thermals were few and
far between. Most of the flights were extended circuits, although later
in the day there was some indication of weak wave, allowing for some further extended flights in zero sink. The "Flight of the Day" was a very commendable
47 minutes by "liftmeister" Malcolm in the K-8, who engaged his personal
anti-gravity system by finding some lift coming off Brentor church.
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| The last of the blue sky disappeared to the north |
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| Are those wave bars to the west set up by the south easterly wind? |
We
were joined in the afternoon by Matthew "Harry" Connick, who used his
reciprocal membership as a member of Portsmouth Naval Gliding Club (based at Middle Wallop). He
has some previous gliding experience and went up for a couple of flights
with Jamie. It's good to see the club's strong ties with the Royal Navy continue to flourish.
With rain scheduled to come in just after 1600 we
packed up early, and managed to get the last glider into the hangar just
as the first drops were falling. Despite the rain the hangar apron had to be swept as recent thunderstorms had washed a large number of stones onto
it, making the gliders hard to move on their belly dollies.
Despite the low numbers and challenging conditions, it was still a useful day's flying with solo flights by Hugh Gascoyne (19 minutes), Malcolm Wilton-Jones (47 minutes), David Archer (5 minutes), Alasdair Barclay (11 minutes), and of course Jamie Steel (11 minutes) (Ed: Got to keep those Flight Instructor P1 flight hours up). A total of 12 flights were made on what is likely to be the best flying day of the Bank Holiday Weekend.
Alastair Barclay (Fist time blogger with Gavin Short as sub-editor)
Dartmoor Gliding News - Sunday 19 May 2024
Some of our more chronologically astute readers will have noticed that the normal weekend blogs from last weekend were missing. With two DGS bloggers, who can publish, on the Aston Down expedition that left our third publisher at home. Unfortunately, our Chairman was seriously disposed (Ed: Get well soon Steve. We hope that you can be discharged from Derriford Hospital soon). So here is the tale of the Sunday Soarers, who didn't venture north to Aston Down.
Gavin Short
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The day's RASP forecast indicated north easterly winds, cloud base up to 4,000 feet and a four-star rating for soaring. Things were in place for a good day's flying.
With the Aston Down expedition setting off from DGS today,
the first task was to get the two K-13s out and the K-8 for the day's flying, in which we were helped by the Expedites before they set off north. Unfortunately, there wasn't the time or manpower to allow us to derig the Puchccz two-seat trainer to allow Colin, our BGA inspector, to investigate the air brake circuit. That would have to wait for the Wednesday Wavers later in the week.
But there was a small team ready and able to look after the three trial flights today and the three trainees.
With David Moult looking after the flying log, solo pilots
John Smith, Malcolm Wilton-Jones, and Ed Borlase took turns on the winch, launching
gliders, and flying the K8, GDK (Ed: Sounds a perfect symmetry - Well done).
Steve Fletcher, as the Duty Introductory Flight Pilot, was busy with his visitors, the first being Stephen Crosher.
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| Stephen Crosher, all smiles, before being taken aloft by the duty IFP, Steve Fletcher |
The initial conditions were variable, with some rotor as wave was evident, and thermals in the morning which extended to 2,500 feet AGL.
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| Mike Jardine's back seat view of the runway |
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| After a few thermals, Mike's view from a higher vantage point |
Steve Fletcher remarked:
"Although a small group, we worked well as a team. I flew three trial flight passengers and made a friends and family flight".
As the day progressed, the lift steadily improved, with pilots reporting strong thermals and at one point wave over the airfield. Flights were made up to 5,000 feet AGL and there were lots of smiling pilots to attest to their exploits.
Jamie Young, our newest junior member, and junior Toby Irons flew with Mike achieving some great progress in their training. David Moult flew after a long lay-off and Elliot Vorster returned for another flight.
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| David Moult returns to flying status (Ed: Who could have forgotten his distinctive headgear?) with junior Jamie Young ready to hook the cable on. |
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| Toby Irons climbing through 2,600 feet AGL in strong lift |
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| Those instructor views are getting higher |
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| And at 5,000 feet AGL (Ed: Congratulations Toby. If you can do it again soon without the "talking ballast" in the back, you will have gained your Silver Height award) |
And what of our established members? John Smith, Malcolm Wilton-Jones, and Ed Borlase continued to take it in turns throughout the day to make good flights in the K8, GDK.
In summary, it was a fantastic day, albeit quite hot, and a good day's flying was had by all; everyone was able to fly and were able to take advantage of the good conditions.
"Man of the Match" today goes not to the member making the longest flight today, but to Toby Irons for the greatest height gain (Ed: I estimate he achieved a height gain of almost 4,000 feet) and of course catching the strongest thermal of the day.
(Ed: To put Toby's achievement into context. Typically, a man can run at 13 kph, which is 7 knots. So Toby was climbing vertically in the K-13, with two pilots, one and a half times faster than a man can run! Mother nature is truly amazing).
Thanks for everyone’s contribution today.
Steve Fletcher and Mike Jardine (with Gavin Short as the sub-editor!)
Dartmoor Gliding News - Friday 24 May 2024 - Aston Down Expedition - Day Five
The day didn't dawn bright and sunny, but overcast and with light winds as expected, but not from the predicted southwest. What was not expected was that RASP and Skysight were showing that the day would be very bitty with potential showers killing the lift. So, decision time over breakfast. We waited for the morning brief, but for some of us the Duty Instructor's take wasn't convincing enough.
Mike, Peter, and I decided to pack up and derig and we were on the road a shade after 1100. The latter two had Duty Instructor and Basic Instructor duties on both Sunday and the Bank Holiday weekend, so a decent recovery day would be most welcome before then.
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| Gavin hooked up, trailer lights checked, and ready to roll |
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| A lonely "peanut", still in his pyjamas, after all his friends had departed (Ed: John's Mini Nimbus has the bigraph "KP" on its tail) |
Andy and Phil were timing their moment to head off to Talgarth in Wales. Rick wanted to stay for some more fun before going to stay with a relative in Oxford for the Bank Holiday weekend. Scratch and Val had another appointment with the DG500 before taking Scratch's caravan back home in the Bank Holiday and half-term traffic this afternoon. Finally, John, was going to make the most of it by staying until Saturday.
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| Farewell to DGS Aston Down Expedition 2024 |
For the Brentor convoy, apart from a delay on getting on to the motorway at Junction 13 and the inevitable slow-going around Bristol, it was a good run. At Taunton Deaane services, in response to a message to the DGS Aston Down 2024 group, Scratch replied that conditions were booming. An inspection of Glide and Seek revealed just the K-21, the tug, and John's Mini Nimbus at the launch point. John had just come down after a local soaring flight. No sight of Rick, Andy, or Phil in the air and accepting that we couldn't see Adam (Ed: When are you going to fit your Flarm to Woody? It won't hurt.) we'll call Scratch out on that statement!
John had two flights today:
"My first was a first solo launch by aero tow in the Mini Nimbus. I pulled off at 2,000 feet into a reasonable cloud street.
Most of my 1 hour 21 minute flight was spent avoiding a large rain shower that
eventually killed off the lift for most of the afternoon.
I took a winch launch at the end of the day, managing 17 minutes scratching
for lift close to the airfield".
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| The view from the Mini Nimbus |
Rick had 23 minutes soaring in the local area. Scratch and Val flew twice in the DG 500 for 12 and 21 minutes. Adam (Ed: Still in stealth mode) flew for 10 and 29 minutes.
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| Aston Down airfield from the west |
Turning up the hill from the main road to the club I had a strong sense of home coming; sheep penned and farm hands shearing them, members of the MG Car Club out in their pre--war open-top sports cars, and later on the way home farmers cropping their fields.
Whilst unhitching and parking our trailers in the "Glider rack". We noted Sean's Libelle trailer was parked along the fence ready to fill the space that should be vacated shortly by the massive T-21 trailer (Ed: Now it's not raining I am sure we can collectively make short work of getting the second axle secured and the trailer mobile again for it to travel to the east end).
Phil reported from Talgarth, South Wales:
Good driving
Good weather
Fingers crossed 
The trailer park at Talgarth (Black Mountains Gliding Club) with the main ridge (Ed: Y Das to Hay Bluff) behind
No group culinary extravaganza to report on tonight.
Finally, a big thank you to Mike Bennett for organising the Expedition, corralling members to come, booking accommodation and tent pitches, producing victuals for breakfast, lunch and dinner (Ed: Don't forget cooking breakfast every morning and feeding the Staff Instructor too). Michael, you are a star. Thank you.
Here's hoping for better weather for the DGS Aston Down Expedition 2025.
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| A summer soarer's view of the airfield |
Gavin Short
Dartmoor Gliding News - Thursday 23 May 2024 - Aston Down Expedition - Day Four
An early morning look out the window confirmed what we had expected, the rain had indeed stopped during the night. What remained was solid cloud, but there was the promise of the cloud base rising as the wind backed to the west.
The Expedites have a confession to make to our readers. At dinner last night, we watched the telly as it was put up on the big screen in the clubhouse (Ed: Tssch! Tcssh!). However, there was a reason why we were watching BBC Spotlight to see our very own Val on screen talking about her experiences and advertising the National Womens' Go Gliding weekend on 8 &/9 June. From the chatter on social media, it has proved to be a hit.
More details are on our website Women Go Gliding
Today we would be launching to the west on Runway 27 and that there would be a tug at the start of the day.
We had to rig the gliders after the 24 hours of rain, so we were at the launch point slightly later than normal.
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| Rigging the Cirri |
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| The Kestrel 19 heads out |
I get nominated for an aerotow check flight early on. All was fine, and I was cleared to aerotow on my own.
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| Gavin prepares for his aerotow check flight (Ed: Canny move to be ready for DSGC's Eurofox coming to Brentor) |
Val and Scratch had a chance to aerotow in the DG500.
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| Before Val's and Scratch's flight, Val switches "off" her Go Pro |
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| Val's view of the Eurofox tug |
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| Phil ready to launch |
The Cotswold's Irish pundit whispered in Andy Davey's ear that the ridge was working at Nympsfield so he should aerotow to Nympsfield and drop on to the ridge. Nympsfield was available to land on and get a winch out of, if necessary. Andy got himself prepared both mentally and physically for his flight. He got to the ridge and explored it and made use of some thermals heading up to over 3,000 feet. After a flight of 4 hours 9 minutes, he returned to Aston Down (Ed: Epic flight, Andy!).
John Allan and Rick launched on the winch. John made it to Nympsfield using thermal lift before heading on to the ridge. There was some confusion as to which ridge was working (Ed: Apparently the ridge wasn't discovered until 25 years ago, so it's not that clear). Rick made it to Nympsfield but was then "caught in a tractor beam" heading inexorably downwards as his Standard Cirrus wanted to go home (Ed; The syndicate bought it from Nympsfield). He noticed that Nympsfield had the winch cables out, so he strolled to the office and paid for a launch. Once aloft again, he made it back to Aston Down.
Peter took the Kestrel into the air and soared locally for 47 minutes.
Phil took an aerotow in his DG300 and later a winch launch for some short flights, followed by a flight of 39 minutes at the end of the day when the air became turbulent (Ed: It was thought that this was caused by wave setting up in south Wales). Canny Adam in his K6-CR managed 91 minutes of local soaring.
As to my flight, I ended circling down for a lovely held off landing. Then the main wheel dropped in to a rabbit hole. On pushing the glider out, the tail skid came off. So, a job for the afternoon.
After taking the glider back to the trailers and putting them to bed, Adam and Gavin helped the Air Cadets with their evening flying.
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| Andy on aerotow: Nympsfield ridge here I come |
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| The DG500 waiting for his girlfriend (Ed: do you mean Val?) |
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| The Duty Instructor continues to deliver |
Tonight's culinary extravaganza was a BBQ grilled on the clubhouse balcony: Burgers, sausages, steak, grilled liver, and onions (Ed: There was a little coleslaw and potato salad to try and resemble a balanced diet).
It looks like the wind back further from the west to the southwest and lighten for tomorrow.
Gavin Short
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