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.

Gavin hooked up, trailer lights checked, and ready to roll

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.

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".

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.

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.

A summer soarer's view of the airfield

Gavin Short