The Wednesday Wavers experienced a weird start to the day. After two days of torrential rain, and the corresponding concerns about the state of the airfield, it was still raining as we opened up the club. Looking out of the clubhouse, at the rain coming down, we took phone calls from today's trial flights and assured them that we would be flying today. A weird feeling.
During a slightly earlier brief by the Duty Instructor, Mike Jardine, we welcomed Eliot Winstone and his father. Eliot was today's One Day Course candidate. As the weather charts were projected onto the screen, the sun came out and flooded the clubhouse with light, verifying the optimism that we could see on screen. On completion of the Duty Instructor's brief, I briefed Eliot on what to expect on his One Day Course.
The club fielded two K-13a, a K-8, and the Astir CS77. Once those had been dispatched to the east end the privateers rigged a Club Libelle (Mike Bennett and Hugh), a Libelle (Andy), another Libelle (Sean), an Open Cirrus (Steve Fletcher), and a DG300 (Phil). Later, the Twin Astir (Malcolm) was extracted from its T-hangar at the east end.
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Eliot and Gavin ready for an early soaring flight
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Eliot was holidaying in Looe with his family. Dad had timed the booking to allow Eliot to fly over Dartmoor during their holiday. Eliot was keen to do this as he had been a member of the air cadets in his local CCF in Leicester for over a year, but he hadn't actually been flying yet. We knew we could rectify that shortfall and accordingly his first flight was a soaring one to 2,300 feet, and he was able to control the glider using the elevator and the ailerons. Later, over lunch, we determined that the Gliding Centre at Husbands Bosworth, who operate seven days a week, would be the best site to continue gliding at home now that he had caught the bug!
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| David Moorley on his way up to 1,700 feet in the morning thermals. |
The Duty Instructor worked through the flying list with David Moorley, Neal Oxley, David Archer, and Steve Lesson each benefitting from flying in the stronger winds, occasional turbulence, and more specifically speed control on the launch. The strong wind down the airfield was producing some fine launches up to 1,450 feet.
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A view of the airfield from the North |
Early on the conditions were challenging in terms of finding lift, but if you did then you were well rewarded. Steve Fletcher in his Open Cirrus was one of the lucky ones, and he soared for 1 hour 9 minutes securing the "Man of the Match" accolade following Andy's earlier 23 minute soaring flight in his Libelle. Later, Malcolm made a valiant attempt to seize back the crown. Eliot and I joined the Twin Astir in a thermal and after a while Malcolm shot off to the southwest where he reported that the conditions were much better. Perhaps foolishly, he came back to the airfield where the conditions had worsened, and he had to land after 47 minutes.
Special mention must go to Sean Westrope who, after breaking a weak link on his first launch into the strong wind and wind shear, ably mastered his second launch and went on to soar for 29 minutes.
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Geoff Cooper looks excited to go flying
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And so to the first two of the three sets of trial flights of the day. Geoff Cooper and Wendy Hartland had travelled from Kingsbridge for their flights over Dartmoor. Having retired after running a hardware store and locksmith business for several years, they were looking for a new adventure. Then they saw our very own Val on the TV introducing the Women Go Gliding Weekend. Geoff asked Wendy "Are you up for some of that?" the answer was positive...
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Trainee Neal Oxley about to launch with Mike
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K13 landing with a trial flight
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A smiling, but initially apprehensive, Wendy Hartland ready to go soaring with Scratch
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A developing sky
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The single seaters start to move up to the start point
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All smiles; Geoff and Wendy receive their certificates
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Wendy was keen to be sent some of the photos of the day, and so I obliged her at the end of the day from the club house. This is the feedback I received:
"Many thanks Gavin - it was a brilliant day and hope to see you all again soon. All the best, Geoff & Wendy "
Although the cloud base rose in the afternoon, the forecast improved conditions did not. By then, Mike had flown most of his training flights and stepped in to fly Max Harmer who was the third trial flight candidate of the day. Max had flown with us several years ago and had come back with his Dad for some more and took great delight in photographing the stunning Dartmoor scenery.
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Mike ready to go soaring with Max Harmer
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We had a walk in today; Frank Excell from New Zealand who was visiting relatives in Kingsbridge. A qualified glider pilot with 400 hours in his log book he was passed to Mike to fly. Frank enjoyed a couple of flights, one with some soaring, and plans to come back again now that he knows where we are.
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After a full day on his One Day Course Eliot receives his certificate from Duty BI Gavin after their "Hangar landing"
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So a day plucked from the rain of the last two days. The afternoon didn't live up to expectations due to the overdevelopment of the clouds that suppressed the lift. But maybe the forecast was right after all, as the sun came out when we were packing the hangar and the sky seemed to be working late into the evening. When I drove home and looked at the sky from across the Tamar Valley it looked marvellous. Nevertheless, we knocked out 39 flights today in usefully testing conditions.
Gavin Short
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