Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 13th November 2024

"Dunkelflaute" be gone. The weather is a changing at long last.  The Wednesday Wavers were gathered in force today.  What would the day bring?

On arrival at the club there was sunshine, blue sky, and a cornucopia of different cloud;  altostratus, a mackerel sky, roll cloud over the moors, and tantalisingly a hint of lenticular.

Those who check these things early found that there was a block of Class D that had been imposed over the site, running East-West.  Cue much pawing on phone screens and laptops to discover that this was a for a royal flight in and out of Newquay airport.  A call to Newquay air traffic control confirmed and helpfully detailed the timings of what we were piecing together using NATS, NATS Info, and the clubhouse chart.  Surely it shouldn't be that difficult a process in the 21st Century for such important safety information? But it is.

The early bird gets the wave.  Andy rigs his Libelle having seen the lenticular behind

A cornucopia of cloud types

Hugh happy that his Club Libelle is rigged

Is there wave in that sky?

Another privateer rigs

Phil fits the tail plane to his DG300

Dave Bourchier's new taxi arrives from Plymouth

The morning brief was held early and it introduced airspace consideration to the trainee pilots.  A real consideration today rather than just academic bronze theory exercise.  The bottom line was that the class D airspace extended from 4,000 ft AMSL to Flight Level 110 (11,000 feet effectively) but only for an hour or so in the morning and and again in late afternoon.  So unless the early birds contacted wave straight away and powered through 4,000 feet AMSL there wouldn't be any limitations on our flying.

The summary of the class D airspace for the royal flights

Early birds Andy and Phil launched and contacted the wave just off the winch.  Phil reported that he enjoyed the most serene, calm flight of 2 hours 59 minutes, that he had ever experienced.  Andy won the "flight of the day" with 3 hours 58 minutes.

Andy's view of another fine wave day at Brentor

It just gets better as you climb

Andy's view from "the Office" at over 7,000 feet.

Next up was Steve Fletcher in his Open Cirrus.  Taking slightly longer, than the early birds, he too connected with the wave.

Steve Fletcher puts on his "wave hunting face" and readies himself for a launch

Steve enjoying the November sunshine at 4,700 feet QFE whilst barely climbing

Are these wave bars or thermal streets forming across Blackdown and the moors?

Steve's Open Cirrus, captured in a "Brocken spectre" (the phenomenon was first observed in the Harz Mountains in Germany in 1780)

Beyond the Hamoaze the English Channel turns into an orange sea

Then the training started with Geoff Cooper taking instructor Mike Jardine aloft.  A ten minute flight followed by a further 14 minutes must have been so frustrating as they experienced snippets of the wave but never quite connecting. Then John Allan took a launch in his Mini Nimbus.

This is his story:

I took off and flew to the closest looking wave cloud.  It was quite struggle at first, some circling in wave and rotor, and the some figure eights. I worked up from around 1,100 feet. It then got easier and I entered into glassy smooth lift around 1,500 feet.  I jumped forward to where Andy and Phil had found a primary wave bar.

Interestingly the wind direction was clearly marked by the cloud streets today, but the wave bars were mostly blue, after the initial one above the airfield.  Wave bars, or bands of lift, often only giving 0.5-1.0 Knots were blue, and mostly at right angles to the streets and following the contours of the lee of Dartmoor. 

My maximum height was 6,165ft QFE, which was just under 7,000ft ASML.  My flight time matched Steve's at 2 hours 39 minutes.

John's view climbing up above the cloud. Note another Brocken Spectre which is a type of "glory"

John's view of the orange sea to the south

Cloud streets at right angles to the wave bars

Descending to the cumulus caused by thermals that killed the wave as the day drew on. Presumably because the strength of the wave wind was relatively light as its normally the other way round.

Time to come down

It wasn't all instant wave.  Peter took two launches (10 minutes and 9 minutes) in the mighty Kestrel and struggled to climb in the rotor.  I think that handling those big wings must have been challenging in the turbulent conditions.   John Osmet took a gentle warm up flight in the K-8 for 9 minutes, followed by a circuit, as  preparation for the main event later in the afternoon.

Much as I would have liked to rig and get into the wave my Fleet Manager duties were a calling.  The cable release on the club's Astir CS77 wasn't allowing the nose release jaws to shut after release.  I had a theory and prepared for a fix by sourcing some stronger springs.  My investigations confirmed my theory and the weak return spring for the nose hook was replaced.  That was relatively straight forward.  But I had a suspicion that a washer may have rolled under the seat pan.  So Malcolm and I started disassembling the labyrinthine construction that is the Astir CS 77 seat, battery shelf and hidden DZUS connectors under the seat fabric and safety cushion material.  We couldn't find anything so we took the opportunity to give the fuselage  a good hoover before putting it all back together again.  Correction operation was proved and the glider was returned to service.  Time to go flying.

Very shiny new springs to choose from. Zebedee eat your heart out!

The finished article.  The new nose hook return spring in place

Our first visitor today was Ray Bird, a farming contractor from Holsworthy. His voucher was a birthday gift from partner Kate. He enjoyed short flights with Hugh. Ray will likely be back to get on the controls! So when he returns Mr Bird will be learning to fly with us (Groan!).

Hugh and Ray ready to aviate

A happy Ray receives his certificate from Hugh

David Osmet took a couple of circuits with Mike in the K-13 and he was replaced by "Treasure" for another pair of circuits with Duty Instructor.

The training continues for Trevor AKA "Treasure"; now the use of the trimmer.

Great to see K6, FUB taking to the air again!

Type conversion brief from Hugh complete.  Its all up to John now

John Osment taking his first launch in his newly acquired K-6

And into the climb he goes

My work done the K-8 was ready for me.

My launch was delayed by the arrival of the Puchacz followed by a K-13

I enjoyed 13 minutes in the air experiencing weak wave, followed by ridge lift on the north side of the airfield that lifted me sufficiently to contact with a thermal in the valley.  All that in one relatively short flight.  When I landed I met up with Steph who had visited before to see the lay of the land.  I handed the K-8 to John Smith. Then Steph and I enjoyed a limited, but satisfying time in the air.  Steph relished trying the controls and finding how sensitive they were compared with her previous hang gliding experience.  This is one of may challenges she is trying following a significant birthday.

Steph and Gavin ready in the Puchacz

Steph receives her certificate. Would she like to fly the Astir CS77 in the future?

The training continued with Mike flying with David Bourchier, Robin Wilson and David Osmet.  Meanwhile Dad John made an second and third launch in his K-6.

The view to the south in the late afternoon

A fiery orb lowers into the west

At the clubhouse we welcomed back Sean after bringing his glider back to Devon after its annual inspection.

A very happy Sean after his Libelle received a clean bill of health

And then it was time to start packing the toys away.

A sturdy workhorse returns to the hangar

The Club Libelle derigging team

At the end of the day, the sun sets and the moon rises

With the hangar doors closed, log sheets filed or noted, the Wednesday Wavers set off for home.

The gate illuminated by car headlights but the sunset is evident beyond

Heading home into the sunset

So a terrific day for the Wednesday Wavers both for those who contacted the wave and those flying more closer to earth, in the very pleasant sunshine.  Both our visitors had a great time and John Osmet flew his new acquisition K-6, FUB (David your time will come).  The Astir CS77 cable release mechanism was sorted and it is ready for the Aerotow day on Friday.

Totals for the day: 30 flights, 15 hours 7 minutes, and an average flight time of 30 minutes.  Terrific for mid November.  The Wednesday Wavers rock!

Gavin Short