Dartmoor Gliding Society Club News: Dartmoor Gliding News - Monday 20 May 2024 - Aston Down Expedition

Sunny and blue came the dawn as forecast. Nothing much was expected to happen in the morning, but after lunch it was meant to be quite good. But not as good as RASP forecast for Brentor - six stars, the maximum. Had we come to the wrong place? Should we pack up and go home and fly at Brentor (Ed: Then reality hit us like a bucket of cold water. We would have to derig the Kestrel.)

The pundits consider the weather

As to the flying, it didn't quite live up to expectations. Adam sneaked in a couple of hours in the local area before it was meant to be soarable. The DGS fleet launched from 1400. I was the tail end Charlie for the task; Aston Down - Avesbury - Uffington White Horse - Aston Down (106 km). I climbed to 3,000 feet and set off on the local 100km task. Soon I was abreast the airspace around Highgrove House. The clouds felt soggy and weren't working so at 300 feet below the glide path I skedaddled back to the airfield and landed after a straight run in.

Rick managed a bit further on the task but experienced the same conditions. Peter in the Kestrel set an alternative task out to Cirencester and then Nympsfield and home, some 48 km (Ed: On the way back from Cirencester, his flight computer said that he was on final glide and he hadn't even turned Nympsfield).

Andy had a bit better luck but also abandoned the task. Mike had a short flight and then handed their Club Libelle to Hugh who had a flight in the local area. He set himself a task of Nympsfield and Birdlip of 45 km.

Mike and the Club Libelle

Adam's K6 wants some of the action too

Peter's view of Nympsfield (Ed: Through his DV window)

Peter's view from the Kestrel near Cirencester

Meanwhile, after a second round of lunchtime sandwiches to fortify him, Adam took off for another 3 hrs 15 mins Ed: To add to his morning flight of 1 hour 48 minutes).

DGS gliders ranged at the launch point

Yet more DGS gliders at the launch point

Little and large. A Libelle and a Nimbus 3DT

Scratch had check flights in the DG500 for both aero tow and winch launch to fly from the rear seat. He then flew with Val for over an hour in lumpy thermals (Ed: Not good for your back then, Val?).

Cooo! Look at that view Scratch.

In the meantime Sean had cracked in another 90 minutes in the Aston Down K-23 persevering by scraping away from launch height for ten minutes in 1/2 up, eventually getting to 4,200 feet AGL (Ed: You must be nearing the conversion to your Libelle, very soon).

Mike helps Sean get ready for his flight in the K-23

Andy's other Libelle "M" (Ed: Envious Sean?)

Let us pray. Gavin retrieving the IGC logger trace of Sean's Silver height that he achieved on Sunday from the K-23

A pair of Cirri tucked up for the night

John's view of the day:

"I Made it past the M4 and round Avebury, but then it looked very uninviting to the east, so I went back northwards and round Cirencester church instead and across past Nymsfield, making a slightly different undeclared task of 100Km."