Dartmoor Gliding News - Saturday 21st June 2025

The weather today was somewhat problematic. A cold front was lying overhead with lots of showers and variable cloudbases, Wind was southerly, moving towards the SW. There was some whispering of possible convergences  - not sure where this information was from.

Fleet waiting with rain in the sky to the north

After the normal preparations and briefing we delayed going to the east end to officially open the New west end launch point (bus). The official "Zack's Shack" sticker was presented. This is a great achievement and represents considerable work by a team of club members.

Zack was pleased with the name for the new Launchpoint

We think is should go just here

Zack's Shack in position at the West End

Once at the east end the first flight was somewhat delayed by the passing showers and the need to dry the gliders off. This task was to feature several times during the early part of the day.

We had several visitors today with Stephen Coote, Michelle Brant, Paul Simcox and John Fellows all having Air Experience flights.

Stephen and family

John Fellows

Michelle Brant

Paul Simcox

We also welcomed 96 year old Joey Warren who was attending to fly in a glider for the first time to raise money for the Milton Combe Church Heating Repair Fund. She arrived with lots of supporters and enjoyed two flights in the Puchacz with Gavin.

Joey watching a glider launch just before her first flight

Joey and Puchacz returning after her first flight

Joey's supporters

There was very little soaring to be found. I had a short soaring flight in some low thermal bubbles around 3pm and Gavin took flight of the day with 16 minutes flying solo in K13 CCY in what looked like a convergence. The day finished around 5.40pm as the cloudbase descended very quickly, eventually cutting off our view of the moors and church.

Zack ready for a check flight

Jamie hoping for great things

CCY on the way to the hangar

Alasdair keeping his his currency up. 

And this brought the day to an end.

A good day.

Steve

Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 25 June 2025

"So So".  That was the forecast.  Well, it wasn't.  It was more promising than that, but the naysayers were out in force, and in the end it was not as good as predicted.  In fact, it was "So So".   That didn't seem to bother the Army and the Royal Marines as all three firing ranges were active, not, as it turns out, was there much likelihood of venturing east of the A386.

Nevertheless, the Wednesday Wavers went ahead with the two double trial flights and two sets of friends and family flights.

It was verging on moist all day, and the resultant total development and high cloud clamped down almost all thermal activity.  Faced with a total southerly crosswind, two K-13s and the K-8 were deployed to the east end.  So, no christening if Zack's Shack, the new launch point at the west end, today.

The start was slow, and there were a few tasks to be done before the Daily Inspections; the hook covers had to be removed from the K-13s, ready for an aerotow day on Monday.  On CCY, the fresh, new blue fabric needed to be cut away to expose the aerotow hook for the first time.  Tyre scuff marks on the Puchacz wings needed clearing off, and the newly installed first aid kit under the fuselage compartment received its ISO-compliant first aid sticker (white cross on a green background) on the top of the hatch.  The question of the day was when would one use such a first aid kit.  Answers on a postcard please.

Initially, we were short-handed but the normal latecomers rolled in and we could then run the airfield.

First up was Steve Moore, visiting instructor from RNAS Culdrose.  He wishes to instruct at Brentor and so inevitably needs to be checked out by the Duty Instructor and maybe the Chief Flying Instructor too.

Steve ready for his check flights with Mike Jardine

In addition to being checked out, Steve wants to familiarise himself with the local area, especially to recognise the airfield from a distance, which he feels may prove to be a challenge to what he is used to in the west of Cornwall.

RNAS Culdrose in plan view.  Easily recognisable at a great distance and there a lot of options available on which runway or which piece of grass to land on.

Dartmoor International, at Brentor, is a single-strip runway on a hilltop site with only the stub runway as an option in certain wind directions.  However, there are plenty of nearby fields, so I have been told.  One can understand Steve's caution.

Steve's view: "This is nothing like Culdrose!"

After two launch failures (one land ahead and one go around) and then an early release, to avoid entering the cloud, Steve is back on the ground after a grand total of five minutes in the air. 

Steve Moore looks a little worse for wear after his brief but intense training session

First up of our visitors was Jonathan Nash.  Jonathan lives in Lewdown and as he is rapidly approaching 30, it was time to try something different.  Steve Fletcher, our Introductory Flight Pilot, took him aloft for his first flight, and then he enjoyed the first, and the only, soaring flight of the day by a visitor on his second flight.  A perfect delivery by Steve.  Yes, the weather was "So, So".

Jonathan might have been forgiven for thinking he had entered a Dartmoor version of an Australian gliding club.  His pilot was Steve, then Steve, Steve's friend, attached the cable to the glider, and another Steve went to raise and run the wing.

The three Dartmoor "Bruces" get ready to launch Jonathan into a crystal clear Australian sky.

Recently soloed Freddie was up for the next set of training flights with Mike.  An extended circuit and a practice break.  Mike cleared Freddie solo again in the K-13 and Freddie enjoyed 14 minutes of soaring and another circuit.  Freddie spent most of the remainder of the day running the tower.  Having finished his exams at fifteen he is looking forward to the next part of his life when he joins the Army Foundation College at Harrogate in the autumn.  Good Luck Freddie.  We will miss you but please continue to glide whether at a civilian gliding club or a services gliding club.

Freddie on his check flights

Freddie searching for any signs of lift

Freddie ready to fly solo again.  The cloudbase was rising enticingly.

Then it was time for the pundit(s) Malcolm and Robin to take the Twin Astir on what Robin described as "43 minutes of Malcolm scratching in the limited lift available".  But there was some lift to be had, and Bruce, sorry, Steve (Moore), soared for 11 minutes in the K-8.  It was Friends and Family time, and Steve Fetcher took his friend Bruce, Steve (Sherborne), for a 15-minute soaring flight.

The Duty Instructor’s training schedule complete, Mike took a K-13 up on his own for an extended circuit to keep his stick time up.  He didn't enjoy the view to the south as the cloud base was starting to lower and rain was visible in the distance.

And the verdict from the Duty Instructor was "So, So".

Now it was time for my Friends and Family, Sonia Aldworth, to celebrate her birthday by flying with me.  No, I most certainly aren't going to reveal which one!  She was accompanied by a merry band of supporters from the local Tamar Valley MG Owners' Club.  You know that it's just going to be circuits when there are drops of rain on the canopy when you are waiting for a launch.  Yet more "So, So".  But that didn't stop us enjoying ourselves and me demonstrating turning the glider in response to the little pockets of lift that we encountered.  We stuck at two flights as it was clear we weren't going to get anything out of another flight with today's conditions.

Sonia and Gavin share a joke before getting airborne

Even though the "So, So" was not improving, our recent solo pilots gave it a go in the K-8.  Alasdair for a circuit, and then Dave Archer for two very short flights.  In between Dave's attempts to get airborne, Steve's second visitor, Robert Stone-Ward, accompanied by his wife and young baby, was ready for the challenge and took a flight.

Former mine clearance diver Robert was ready for his flight with Steve

Alas, after an extended circuit, the weather was getting more moist and even more "So, So".  So the Wednesday Wavers knocked it on the head and packed the toys away.  Robert would have to come back another day, hopefully with better weather.  The afternoon rain meant that all the gliders received a comprehensive wash, wipe down, and dry while the Wavers packed the hangar.

So that was the flying, but at the other end of the airfield, there was a cornucopia of jobs undertaken throughout the day.  Tasks that were suitable when the weather was "So, So".

Alasdair was loading a manual update to the ATOM base station as the designers had informed us that a remote update across the UK the previous evening had not worked.  After Alasdair had completed the 43 steps required, I checked my Glide and Seek App and showed him that G-DHEB was doing its normal ground dance as Dave Archer had his K-6 out of its trailer for some more fettling.

Sean Westrope was also fettling his glider and downloading BGA waypoints in the clubhouse.  Congratulations were in order as his Silver/Gold duration flight and Silver distance flight (50 km) had been confirmed by the BGA badge assessor.  However, due to an incorrect electronic declaration his 100 km diploma Part 1 was not approved.  Something to aim for next time Sean.

After the ATOM base station work Alasdair helped Dave Archer get his PDA configured as a moving map for his glider.

Today, it wasn't a pilot who was declared the "Man of the Match" but it was awarded to three special workers on the ground.

Firstly, to Scratch for mowing much of the runway before taking the Volvo into the empty hangar and stripping down the rear wheels to reveal the need to replace the parking brake pads, which should cure the annoying squealing.

Secondly, jointly, to Mike Bennett and David Bourchier, who made a tremendous start on disassembling the old launch hut on its trailer.  They removed most of the interior.  The next stage is taking apart the launch tower roof and windows, taking the roof off the main shell, and cutting up the exterior metal cladding.

After that, the redundant tyres (100) were collected by South West Tyre Reclamation.  This cost the club around £315 plus VAT, which is all the more reason not to bring tyres on site and to remove any waste members may have rather than stockpiling it at DGS!  The clear up continues, and as an exception, there is a request for any bulk bags, the 1,000 kg type, that members have which would be useful.

It doesn't look like it, but the inside of the newly retired launch trailer has been completely gutted of anything that can be disposed of.

Since the weather today was "So So" and the Duty Instructor had only two "trainees" to fly today we didn't enjoy his usual selection of airborne photography and hence the local sights.  We are fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the world, the Tamar Valley, so we should celebrate that.  Indeed, there are four ecological Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the Tamar Valley.  The one where we fly is the Tamar-Tavy Estuaries SSSI, which stretches from the Plymouth-Saltash road bridge upstream to the limits of tidal influence in both the River Tamar (Gunnislake Weir) and the River Tavy (Lopwell Dam).

Where we fly.  The River Tamar just above the Hamoze estuary, seen from Cargeen looking towards the yacht moorings at Weir Quay.  On the horizon, Kit Hill (middle left) and Brentor Church (right) are visible. 

On the River Tamar, the historic National Trust site of Cotehele, with its Tudor mansion, lies on the Cornish side of the Tamar,  a little down river from Calstock.  On a thermic day, you can launch from Brentor and fly over it.

High tide at Cotehele Quay on Monday.  Spring tides on Friday are predicted to break the banks.

The Shamrock, the last surviving Tamar barge under its covers and the Shipwright's yacht, at Cotehele Quay 

In summary, the Wednesday Wavers made the best of the "So, So" day both in the air and on the ground. 

Gavin Short

Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 18 June 2025

Today is moving day.  It's been a long time coming, but finally it's here.  The day we move Zack's Shack into its rightful place at the west end to become our new launch point.  The fitting-out work by John Smith was complete.  The electrical and solar installation by John Allan was complete. The painting by Mike Bennett was complete.  These were the lead actors; many others worked on it, enthusiastically encouraged by Zack when he was on site.  However, there is a consensus that Zack's corny jokes didn't help with the conversion!

There had been a lot of work on Tuesday to be ready for this day.  Scratch worked the whole day on raising the air suspension and freeing the air-powered brakes.  It sounds like a simple job, but it turned out to be a frustratingly long and difficult task.  Who knew that a bus could be so complex?

While this was going on, the DGS strimming team (Val and Mike) were in action, clearing the car park, tidying up the berm, and making more space.  The trailer park was strimmed, and of course, the all-important spot for Zack's Shack was prepared.  I was working on some follow-up actions after our successful BGA Quality Assurance audit last Friday, and carrying out some fettling on my Standard Cirrus.

When I arrived at the club today a little earlier than normal, there was a fair crowd present, but no gliders out.  The focus was elsewhere; the red tractor and two ropes were already connected to the bus, and a team of helpers was ready.

As to the weather, high pressure was in charge.  It would be blue and warm today.  Pleasant for both the Wednesday Wavers and the visitors.  Perhaps there would be some soaring.

We welcomed BGA Inspector Ian Mitchell back to the club.  He was there to conduct the annual inspection and Airworthiness Review Check of Phil's DG 300.  After the morning brief; no NOTAMS, all three firing ranges active, apply sunscreen, drink plenty of water, Scratch took to his feet.  "Operation Move" would involve two tractors, a compressor, a driver and helper, chocks and wooden block carriers, in a carefully choreographed evolution.

Scratch briefing "Operation Move"

Red tractor hooked up

It's on the move. 
With no power assistance, there are two "drivers" steering.

A gentle sweeping turn onto the track to the airfield

Nicely lined up on the track.  "Fares, please".

Space again at the clubhouse.  Harvey watches the action.

George "Chocky" Purkiss follows the shack up the track,
 ready to leap into action to halt the bus if needed

 

Push me, pull me. The handover from the red tractor
to the green tractor to pull the bus backwards to the west end

Zack's Shack in its new home. 
The trailer launch point looks tiny in comparison.

The old launch point on its trailer was spirited away
 after the communications gear had been transferred over

After "Operation Move", we were slightly behind the curve in getting the gliders up to the east end.  Our visitors were starting to arrive and were ferried to the launch point.  I briefed Esther van Delft in the clubhouse on her one-day course.  She had visited before, but the conditions weren't right, so fingers crossed for today.

Amazingly, the first flight took off at 1103, so not that far behind our normal schedule.  Duty Instructor Mike Jardine took recently re-soloed "junior" pilot Raymond Staines for a check flight and then the inevitable practice launch failure. 

In between these two flights, I took Tim Wallbridge up on a "birthday" flight with a voucher that had been purchased last year.  After some impressive procrastination, he finally booked his flight and could fly with us.  He had brought a veritable charabanc of supporters with him to see him fly; there were three generations of Wallbridges to support him.  Seeing granddad go flying was a thrill for his grandchildren.

Tim Wallbridge and Gavin ready for their flight

I then took Esther van Delft for a pair of flights; an introductory flight and a demonstration of the elevator.  The conditions weren't thermic yet, so we paused her course and I flew Alasdair Barclay’s friend Roy Bailey, a Power Engineer and scuba diving enthusiast who had recently retired and was busy trying different things.  We must have been busy with the visitors as we failed to capture either Esther or Roy for the obligatory photo of them in the Puchacz.  Then I flew Wayne Murphy-Jerett, whose son had recently flown with us.  Wayne has enjoyed a varied career that started off with making jewellery.

Dad Wayne Murphy-Jerrett about to see what his 14-yro son Arthur experienced earlier in the month

Earlier, Mike Bennett flew in the K-8 before David Osment was Mike's next trainee. He was then followed by Neal also for a set of three flights.  So far, the flight durations had been short.  The thermals were being shy and for quite a while, Mike Bennett was at the top of the leader board with an eight-minute flight.  It would be fair to say that the conditions were challenging, certainly trying to gain height in the Puchacz after not very high launches.  I think it was the same in the K-13s as the Duty Instructor took no photos all day.  

Steve Fletcher and Freddie made some short flights in the Open Cirrus and K-13 (solo), respectively.

After a solo flight in the K-13 Mike briefed Ray on the type conversion to the K-8, a type that Ray had flown a long time ago...when they were new!  Another milestone for "junior" Ray, who was then top of the leader board with a 10-minute flight.  So there was some soaring to be had, perhaps.

Ray Staines had his first flight in the K-8, and he soared for 10 minutes.

Freddie had another go, and John Osment had a go, but both flights were circuits.  So an opportunity for the big boys.  Peter's 19 metre wings in the Kestrel produced a 16-minute flight.  Half an hour later Steve Fletcher had another go with his 17.7 metre wings in the Open Cirrus:

"After seeing some small little clouds form where Peter had managed to stay up for a while, I took a launch and found some half decent but very tight thermals which took me to 2,200 feet then it all started to disappear."  

And he came down after 50 minutes proving the adage: TINSFOS (There is no substitute for span).

The question was whether the sea breeze front that had arrived would set up the forecast convergence.  With the sky being blue, it was difficult to judge.  While waiting for our launch, Esther and I witnessed a large cumulus cloud form over the launch point and then dissipate within 60 seconds.  This was happening elsewhere in the sky.  Our launch to 900 feet and a 3-minute circuit was insufficient to introduce Esther to the operation of the ailerons so reluctantly I called a halt to her course as the conditions were against us.  After discussion with the Duty Instructor,  Esther would come back on another flying day and join in with the trainees to complete her one-day course.

John Smith had a circuit in the K-8, and Steve Lesson had a circuit in the K-13 with Peter before being cleared to the K-8.  He took a flight in the K-8 and soared for 25 minutes in what we suspect was convergence caused by the sea breeze front.  Well done, Steve, to soar in those conditions with nothing visible to give you clues.

We were getting to the end of the flying list.  Freddie had another two solo flights in FGR while Mike and Harvey took three flights, and then a practice launch failure/hangar landing in CCY.  The ground team packed up and walked the Puchacz back to the hangar.  After eight flights today, I decided I didn't need to take another in the Puchacz , especially as the conditions weren't very enticing.

Visitors' flight complete for the day, the Puchacz earns a well-deserved rest

So a big milestone for the club with Zack's Shack now in position and ready for a formal opening by our Chairman, Steve Lewis, on Saturday. We look forward to christening Zack's Shack and enjoying its facilities and comfort at the west end.

Thirty-four flights today in conditions that were less than forecast.  However, we flew our four visitors.  Two early solo pilots flew solo, and one converted to the K-8.  Some soaring was to be had, and Steve Fletcher was "Man of the Match" with a soaring flight of 50 minutes.  There was a sea breeze front, but it was difficult to determine where it was in the blue, let alone exploit the resulting convergence.  An ARC was issued for Phil's DG300, and Colin made progress on the annual inspection of our other K-8, FXB.  A busy day for the Wavers.

Gavin Short

Dartmoor Gliding News - Saturday 14th June 2025

The challenge today, you might not be surprised to hear, was going to be the weather. Various troughs with associated fronts were passing overhead. This made the forecast uncertain as to the timings of everything. Wind was going to be SW with low(ish) cloudbases and frequent showers. Personally I actually enjoy these conditions as they provide a definite challenge to find rising air amongst the showers and clouds. 

Low cloud and the wind starting to back to the SW

We took 2 K13's, the Puchacz and a K8 to the east end. Meanwhile, Adam spent his day in the hangar with the Astir upgrading the hook release and the canopy catch retaining spring. Thank you for all the work Adam.

We ended up having plenty of practice drying off gliders as the frequent showers passed by. Rick's list of trainees was short today, with only Elliot and Val. He used his time very constructively by getting the annual BI/IFP flight checks done for Richard, Gavin and Steve Fletcher. 

Today we had a couple of visitors, Nicholas Mortimer One Day Course and Navy visitor Andrew Roberts. 

Andrew took his final flight with Rick

Nicholas ready for his One Day Course

During my flights I managed to find the lift in front of the showers and had a couple of short soaring flights. On the second of these I centred a 6 knot thermal core ( where did that come from?). The only snag with this was that 3 turns later  - about 1 minute - I pulled out of the climb to avoid disappearing into the clouds at the 1600ft cloudbase. Great fun.

Passing shower

Variable cloudbases looking south

We were joined by a couple of private gliders. Phil flying his DG300 managed a soaring flight of  23 minutes and Andy flying his Libelle for a day topping 39 minutes. Today would definitely suit a light agile glider such as the Libelle. Note to self to try the K8 in these conditions rather than a K13.

Phil and DG300 waiting to go

The day finished with a Committee meeting which stretched into the early evening.

No. I wasn't looking for divine guidance
but removing a stone from in front of the launchpoint

Steve