Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 7 May 2025

The forecast promised a good soaring day with a north-easterly wind that should continue working until 1800 with the promise of some interesting lines of convergence later on.  No prediction of wave, however.

Surprisingly, we were quite quiet on numbers for the Wednesday Wavers.  Two of our number were away at Shobdon airfield sampling the delights of the Herefordshire aero club.

It's lambing season, and our farmer is making the most of the succulent grass on the airfield.  So the sheep and their lambs had to be gently, oh so gently, coaxed back into the top field so that we could start flying operations.

An early morning view from the clubhouse

'Tis, the season

Gently does it. Getting the sheep back in the correct field.

Once the field was cleared and the equipment set up it was time to fly.  Harvey was first up and in his set of three he enjoyed two soaring flights.

Harvey, a new Wednesday Waver, ready to fly

Harvey progressing his training well
and at one point joined by a buzzard at 2,000 feet

The day provided some excellent views of the airfield

We had two visitors today: Keith Laker from Guernsey and John Thorpe from Totnes.  Neither had come to Brentor directly.  John and his wife drove from Totnes and spent the night at the Mary Tavy Inn, while Keith had sailed across the Channel and had been marina hopping on the south coast for the last few days: Salcombe, Plymouth, and Falmouth.  So lots of planning in getting to fly with the Wednesday Wavers by our One Day Course candidates.

Beards are us!  Kieth Laker and Gavin prepare to aviate

Keith was first up and we enjoyed a soaring flight as his introduction to gliding.  Steve Lesson took the hint that it was definitely thermic, if a little turbulent, and took the Astir CS77 up for a soaring flight.  Then it was the turn of returning temporary member Peter Leidig, who seems determined to make faster progress than his son, who can only come on Saturdays.  A 43-minute soaring flight with plenty of height gain certainly whetted his appetite for more and also the need to purchase a soaring hat!

Returning temporary member Peter Leidig. enjoys a soaring flight to 4,300 feet AGL
giving him plenty of opportunity for some hands on flying

After Steve, Malcolm took the Astir CS77 up for a nice round hour before John Thorpe took Keith's place in the front seat of the Puchacz for his introductory flight. The One Day course candidates alternated throughout the day whilst the other witnessed the "power and the glory" of a winch launch up close by sitting in the cab with the winch driver.

Even when overcast or in cloud shadow, this field of poly tunnels could be relied on to provide some useful lift

After all the hard work Colin put into getting CCY into the air again,
he took the opportunity to reap the benefit  of his work with a 38-minute soaring flight

Visitor John Thorpe and Gavin prepare themselves for a launch

Keith obviously enjoying himself

What of the one privateer who rigged today?  John Allan took a launch in his Mini-Nimbus at 1252:

"I set a task to Exmoor, and then return by going round the moor, via Bovey Tracey and Ivybridge but was an hour late setting off, and conditions didn't seem quite so reliable as I'd hoped when passing Okehampton, so I shortened it to BRT- N Tawton - Ivybridge East - BRT, @ 104.3Km.  It felt rather more committing than the distance would normally seem by being cut off by Dartmoor and the firing ranges, which were active, and so the nice cloud street heading off across the moor halfway round wasn't an option".

Looking South over Hameldown, near Widecombe in the Moor,
with Grimspound Stone circle just visible at the bottom.

Fernworthy reservoir, looking East - Brentor is beyond the moor,
so rather committed to going round the moor,as the direct route home
 is closed due to the Dartmoor Firing Range danger areas being active.

Burgh Island and Erme Estuary on the south coast.

Plymouth as seen from overhead Ivybridge

The route of John's circumnavigation of the moor

With all this excitement going on Dave Archer took a flight in the K-8 but alas he didn't mange to "get away" and so enjoyed an extended circuit.  As if to rub salt in the wound Peter Howarth took the Astir CS77 off Malcolm and flew for 69 minutes.

Now you will recall that Connor Redburne came up to the club last week, early for his One Day course to get ready, and had an introductory flight.  At the start of the day he tentatively asked if he could fly today, to which the response was a resounding yes.  Mike flew with him for just shy of an hour and delivered the rest of his One Day Course.  So, as if in some form of time machine, Connor completed his One Day Course before he started it.  As the Duty Instructor said, "Go for it. It could be raining next week".

Connor Redburne continues his One Day Course with an hour in the air

John Smith came up from his finishing touches on the construction of Zack's Shack, and managed a circuit in the K-8 but similarly didn't get away.  Did someone leave the juniors' lead weights in the glider?  Perhaps it just needs determination. Steve had a go; a five-minute circuit, but on his second launch he was rewarded with a glorious 48-minute soaring flight.  That's how it's done!

Peter Howarth's view from the Astir CS77

Course complete. A shy pilot is already strapped in the front seat.

Answers on a postcard, who is P2 ?

Mike and his mystery P2 look north to the airfield and Blackdown

After winching Alasdair flew with Mike for couple of flights.

Tavistock keeps on growing

The Astir CS77 provided Steve, Malcolm and Peter Howarth with some long flights today.

Keith receives his course completion certificate from Gavin

After Keith finished his One Day Course, Gavin flew John's final flights to complete his gliding experience day.  Curiously, John managed to evade the cameras at the end of his course and the handing over of his certificate.  He seems to have been bitten by the bug, so we expect to see some more of him soon.

So it was a long but rewarding day for which the Duty Instructor thanked the Wavers for their efforts on the field, sheep herding, glider moving, visitor strapping in, and winching. 

"Can I thank the team for their hard work and support for all members from the start of the day to the end of the day." 

26 flights, 12 hours 13 mins of flying, an average flight time of 28 minutes

Gavin Short