Dartmoor Gliding News - Saturday 12th April 2025

Gone is the high pressure system that has been provide all the Easterly wave. Low pressure is now in charge and as usual it is firing troughs and frontal systems at us. The day started with a light SE breeze which changed later to a westerly requiring a change of ends around 1pm. A s the wind changed there were a couple of light showers which eventually gave way to more extensive rain which ultimately led to the end of flying.

Puchacz waiting under an uninspiring sky

The day started with 8/8ths cloud cover

Mostly the flights were just circuits but the K8 managed to hitch a lift from a passing cloud giving soaring flights of 22 and 13 minutes to Malcolm WJ and Peter Howarth respectively.

CFI Rick flying with Mike Jardine to maintain his SPL recency

The juniors sheltering from a passing shower

At midday, we suspended flying briefly to conduct the club AGM. After normal AGM business during which Steve Fletcher and Steve Lewis were both re-elected as Directors and the Steve Lewis was re-elected as Chairman along with Mike Jardine re-elected as Treasurer. At the end of the meeting Gavin Short received the Wooden Spoon trophy for the shortest completed cross country flight of the past year; he landed in the field next door!

Gavin with the Wooden Spoon

The was plenty of work going on at the hangar end with Colin and Adam working on CCY, John Allan repairing the Astir undercarriage doors and some diagnostic work on the Puchacz  rudder pedal adjuster.

John working on the Astir doors

Adam and Colin working on CCY

Discussing the Puchacz rudder pedal mechanism

The day finished with a Committee meeting.

Steve