Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 29 January 2025

Today the Wednesday Wavers do it again; go flying. The Wavers have managed to fly on all the flying Wednesdays in January!  One month to go and then its spring. Hurrah.

You've been waiting for it  - the GREAT REVEAL - but first you will have to read about some flying.  The forecasts revolved around the track of a low; to the south and we could have a flyable day, to the north then low cloud and rain.  RASP and Skysight had a high cloud base and rain filling in from 1230 and 1430 respectively.  The wind would have a touch of east in it; initially northeast backing to the north, and strengthening, later in the day.  Wave, perhaps unlikely, but you never know at Dartmoor Gliding.

FSD had to take the weight today as FGR is undergoing its annual inspection

The Duty Instructor inspected the pitch.  It was as wet as he has known it but he decided to use the track only as has been done already this month with the CFI's encouragement.

The Astir CS77 would remain a wallflower today and be later tucked away in the hangar to keep the apron clear for the Great Reveal

Vehicles manoevering gently at the launch point due to the soggy pitch

First up was Neal with Duty Instructor, Mike Jardine, for a weather check.  Weather check. It's flyable. Lets continue. So Neal took a second flight, a little longer as he found some reduced sink.

Neal heading east in search of wave

The view to the North

A murky view to the South, but with some interesting clouds

Despite the forecast there looks to be a clearance to the North

Mike and Gavin getting ready for a Basic Instructor check flight for Gavin

Happy flying!

Getting ready to turn back to the high key area

Gavin on his downwind leg

Then Andy took the opportunity to fly with Mike for a check flight to achieve that crucial recency in one's log book.  In the hangar Colin checked the tail plane and the wings of FGR.  All received a clean bill of health.  Now to the paperwork.  If completed in time then FGR can be rigged at the weekend and return to service ready for the season.

Meanwhile in the hangar wing cleaning and inspection of FGR was underway

After Andy's flight Steve stepped up for a rear-seat flight but sadly achieved just a circuit.

Dave offering his service as ballast for Steve to maintain his currency in flying from the rear seat

Dave then flew with Peter, who gave Mike a break, and they went soaring in a grey and cold January sky.

Peter could concentrate on the views as Dave climbed in wave

That certainly looks higher than launch height.  Dave tops out at 1,600 feet AGL.

1/2 a knot is still lift. Patiently does it.

Dave achieved 21 minutes aloft in weak wave, climbing from a launch height of 1,300 feet and climbing to 1,600 feet.  Congratulations Dave, you can soar and you proved it by getting the "Man of the Match" award for what we think is the first time.  Bravo.  Now concentrate on climbing in those pesky round and occasionally bumpy, thermally things.

Dave and Peter on a precision approach to land on the track

Perfect, just perfect!

John Allan flew with Mike Jardine and achieved a very creditable 13 minutes aloft. This was followed by a final (third) flight for Neal with ten minutes in the reduced sink.  Despite the forecast the rain held off.

Country code: "Just leave foot prints". Either there is a Sasquatch (Big Foot) on Dartmoor or the field really is very wet.

Another launch into a grey and cold sky

When all had had their fill we returned the gliders to the hangar and to await developments.  Eight flights made to maintain currency.  Eight pilots flew today for a total of 1 hour 20 minutes.  Flying the K-13 from the track and keeping the vehicles on the track allowed us to fly in conditions that would previously been unflyable.  Wednesday Wavers proving the CFI's theory. Also the K-13 was a lot cleaner and so less washing of gliders before packing the hangar.

The GREAT REVEAL

Readers will be aware of Zack's initiative to raise funds to our elderly west end launch point.  

Zack's go fund me page   It's still live so you can still contribute if you wish.

To date he has raised £640 towards a new launch point.  Zack, and his mum, Nicky, had a meeting with the CEO of City Bus in the New Year to discuss his project.  Thanks to the generosity of City Bus he walked away with a single-decker "DART" bus.  Figuratively, that is.  We had to arrange delivery and today was the day.

Telephone calls from Mike Bennett to the delivery driver were nearly continuous all morning to check on the ETA, which kept on being put back while the delivery driver struggled to get the rear suspension on the bus raised (air suspension) ready for transport.

The Wednesday Wavers, hangar packed and waiting around, knew the arrival was imminent when the "Bus Controller" (AKA John Smith) pitched up, to oversee proceedings.  John will lead the team converting the bus into a launch point.

The Bus Controller arrives at the clubhouse

Its arrived at the gate, causing a modicum of inconvenience for passing Brentor traffic. Sorry!

Moving forward to let Brentor traffic pass

The Dartmoor Gliding Society sign was removed from the entrance.  Delivery could commence.

The bus transporter trying to squeeze onto the site

At this stage the delivery driver got concerned about clearance, overhanging branches, and whether the bus would follow him through the outer and inner gates.

So the wavers swung into action with the green tractor, driven by John Allan.  Who knew that having a freshly minted Sailplane Pilots Licence (SPL) included skills as a bus recovery operator?

DGS members have waited over forty years for a bus to arrive at the DGS bus stop.  They look pleased don't they?

When the going gets tough for the bus transporter you can rely on the mighty DGS Green Tractor to step up to the plate

Negotiating the entrance

And here it comes.  Gently does it through the gates.

The delivery driver, who steered the bus confers with John Allan about the next manoeuvre to get the bus on to the hard standing by the club house.

On to the hangar apron.  Its already attracting attention of DGS rubberneckers.

Up off the apron. Neal follows with an emergency chock, ready if needed.

Chocked and stopped on the hard standing.  Ready for the conversion work to begin.

The Wavers check it out

Zack's Shack has arrived!

Zack's Shack has arrived thanks to his initiative and the generosity of Plymouth City Bus.  His funds can be used to convert the bus in to a launch point.  Now work can start;  a tower, solar power and power outlets, seating, a briefing area, parachute storage, and much more.  It will be painted green like the east end launch bus to blend in with the surroundings of the national park.

What a day; flying, completing FGR's annual inspection, and the GREAT REVEAL.  Not bad for the last flying day in January.

Gavin Short

Dartmoor Gliding News - Saturday 25th January 2025

Sometimes with the weather timing is everything. Today we were in the quiet weather between two named storms. Storm Eowyn moved away from our area yesterday to be followed by Storm Herminia due to arrive tomorrow. Today though the weather was surprisingly quiet. What little breeze there was wafted in from the South / South west. The sky was blue and became a little hazy later.  RASP was even forecasting some thermals for the middle of the day but this proved to be as hopelessly optimistic as it sounded.

Early morning heading towards the airfield

We fielded a single K13, a K8 and the Astir which were efficiently prepared and taken to the East End Launch Point. The promised early start was somewhat delayed while we wait for the frost to dissipate from the wings ( the weather had to have it's say after all ).

Getting ready to launch

All flights were circuits but useful to help maintain pilots currency. Longest flights were those in the K8 which wafted around at minimum sink to extend flight times to 8 minutes from the nil headwind launch height of about 1300ft, Too many pilots shared this accolade to be listed. It was nice to see junior pilot Jamie Young adding to his solo score and then later flying as ballast for Steve Fletcher in the K13.

Take up slack

Up the wire

Crossing to the north to high key

Down wind

Final Approach

Jamie and Steve 

Teasingly, to the south there was a convergence visible for a large part of the day which may have provided some entertainment but it remained stubbornly out of reach only arriving near Tavistock as we were packing the gliders away.

The hangar was a hive of activity today with Colin working on K13FGR annual inspections while Adam was working on the Puchacz refitting the battery box.

Adam getting up close and personal with the Puchacz

After the equipment was safely put away members departed with several looking forward to celebrating Burn's Night.

End of the day and ...

..the gliders cleaned and put away

Perhaps today could be describe as a rose between two thorns or maybe the calm before the storm

Steve

Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 22 January 2025

It's a Wednesday in 2025 and the Wednesday Wavers went flying again, but only a bit!

The forecast for the United Kingdom was for yet more Dunkelflaute with fog forecast at the club until midday.  The conditions on the journey to the club wasn't as expected.  There was sunshine in east Cornwall which contrasted with the dark heavy cloud to the south over Plymouth and part of the Tamar Valley.  On arrival it was clear and fine at the club.  So much for fog.

I did notice some high cloud formations that could have been a form of cirrus and the harbinger of Storm Éowyn, due to arrive on Friday.

The clear skies darkened on the approach to the club.  Looking south east.

The turn out was a select crowd but the opportunity to open the hangar doors and range the gliders, ready for inspection, was taken before the fog closed in.

John Smith conducts the Daily Inspection on K-13, FSD

The fog stopped play so the trailers on the hard standing next to the clubhouse were moved.  Colin's T-21 trailer was moved to be closer to the hangar to allow him to effect repairs.  Replacement steel has been delivered.  The AMF trailer designated for the Puchacz was parked up alongside the fence.

Why the move around of trailers?  It is in preparation for the arrival of "Zack's Shack".  All will be revealed next week.

Meanwhile in the clubhouse there were deep discussions between John Allan, Mike Bennett, Colin, and the "Night Owl" on the plan to install a significant upgrade in solar generating capacity on the clubhouse roof.  This is going to be backed a significant upgrade in storage capacity.  This will reduce the use of our generator, hopefully even during winter.  DGS's renewables planning is mindful of the need to have sufficient generating capacity for the club's load even if the sun doesn't shine.  The main generator at 12.5 kW does that.  Maybe we could export power to the National Grid when the UK generating capacity falls short and the European interconnectors are switched off?

"Nature abhors a vacuum" (horror vacui) as posited by Aristotle.  "The space for Zack's Shack" was quickly filled by the white car brigade.

It was still foggy so FGR was positioned to be derigged.  It was derigged quickly as the Wednesday Wavers are well practiced at this.  The components were stored at the back of the hangar ready for it annual inspection.

While deriging was happening the Duty Instructor was determined to make some progress so a K-13, FSD and a K-8, FXB were towed to the east end in an ethereal white mist.

Back in the clubhouse I made a final tweak of the ASI colour coding of the Puchacz ASIs; its a fiddly job.  Colin took the front instrument panel to the hangar whilst I removed the rear instrument panel from inside the canopy to facilitate easier canopy handling later on. 

The front instrument panel was installed and connected.  The Skylaunch launch assistant was secured in a better position by Peter.  Meanwhile, I cleaned and polished the tail planes.

Cleaning and polishing the Puchacz tail planes

Despite the wood burner in the clubhouse cranking out the heat on a chilly day the clubhouse was empty.  The Wavers had headed to the launch point to fly.

A little later Colin was called to the launch point for a technical matter whilst I made use of the by now brilliant sunshine and aired my trailer.

St. Michael de Rupe, Brentor Church, wreathed in mist

Colin took a weather check flight with Mike.  The weather closed in and prevented any further flying so the Wavers returned to the west end and started work in the hangar rigging the Puchacz after its annual inspection.

Colin and Mike Jardine ready for a weather check

The rigging was quicker than previously.  We are getting used to the aircraft and are getting better.  I applied sacrificial tape to the fuselage at the wing roots and then taped the wings and Peter, the tail planes.  There was a great team effort on polishing the wings.  Discussion on pros and cons of hand polishing versus hard waxing with mechanical mops ensued.

"Up, Down a bit, Jiggle, its in".  Ready for the Port wing.

The process was greatly eased by the use of the fantastic belly dolly that Andy Davey built.

The loneliness of the first wing holder watching the world go by.

The Polishing Posse in action.  Many hands make light work.

While the wings were being polished the seats went back in.  All the cabling in the cockpit was secured better.  The Polishing Posse, suitably enthused, went on to wash the fuselage and check the tyre pressures.  Time for a cup of tea and a decision that the canopy fitting could be left for Saturday.  This was influenced by delegating the refitting of the improved battery box to Adam.  He's going to have to be a bit of a contortionist to do so.  From then the Puchacz will be available but until the field is drier and firmer we will hold it in reserve.

Look at the shine on that!  The Puchacz awaits the installation of the canopy and rear instrument panel.

We took another look at the weather.  The mist and fog were continuing to roll on to the airfield and then tantalising clear again.  As Steve Fletcher said "It's a bit late to start a 300 km task".  So it was decided to draw stumps and the kit and gliders were brought back to the west end.  The hangar was packed and the doors closed.

How many people does it take to get the Astir CS77 back in the hangar.

With that the Wednesday Wavers departed with the last leaving by 1530.

Today we went flying, albeit a single flight of three minutes duration.  More importantly the Fleet Manager was delighted at the progress made with the gliders that did not fly and our getting ready for the soaring season.

We await the arrival of Storm Éowyn.

Gavin Short