Dartmoor Gliding News - Saturday 10th May 2025

All the various forecasts have got their ducks in a row today. We are still under high pressure conditions. There is a trough to the SE which will deepen a spin off some showery storms towards us but not until tonight or tomorrow. Meanwhile we have 10 knots easterly, perhaps strengthening to 13 / 14 knots by the end of the day. This is straight down the runway so will not give us much of a problem. The day will be mostly blue with a little cumulus development later. The soundings do not indicate wave but as always, you never know.

A mostly blue sky

We welcomed 2 visitors for One Day Courses today. Chris Tucker is returning to gliding 20 years after going solo with the ATC. He initially flew with me and enjoyed lots of soaring in the bouyant conditions and also had a front row seat to watch me execute an "awkward height" failed launch after which he flew with CFI Rick Wiles for another soaring flight. Junior Louis Symes attended with his parents and enjoyed plenty of time in the air with Scratch in the Puchacz whilst exploring the basic effects of the controls. 

Chris in the smart looking CCY

Louis and Scratch in the Puchacz

The soaring conditions were very bouyant with tight narrow thermals and bubbles with up to 6 knots of lift in the cores. There were some areas of equally strong sink. The wind kept all the thermal activity lined up in blue streets so staying airborne and moving around was fairly straight forward after the initial climb. Several times during my flights I was convinced that there was some wave influence - surprisingly smooth areas of 1 to 2 knots of lift. There was lots of soaring by the few solo pilots here today. The best was 3hrs 6min by Mike Jardine  in his Std Cirrus.

Mike in the Standard Cirrus ready to go

Mikes view towards the Tavy estuary

Arial view of a glider ( Std Cirrus??) soaring over Blackdown

Ricks training list was fairly light today. After sucessful check flights both Viktor and Zack both managed to add additional solo flights to their tallies. Rick also flew with Gavin Short doing some instructor stuff.

Not just blue sky.
There are 2 gliders sharing a thermal to the North of the airfield

Zack  - keen as ever.

As always there was work going on other than the flying. The biggest effort today by a country mile was by John Allan. John spent the entire day wiring up the electrical system for the new launch point bus otherwise known as "Zack's Shack". This included fitting a solar panel, storage battery, various controllers , switches, fuses and wiring to suit with outlets on the lower level for the monitor system and up in the control tower for the radios, computer etc. Great work John and thankyou from all of us. 

A great day.

Steve