Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 13 August 2025

Andy forecast a good day after the front went through.  Guess what?  It was late.  So we spent the morning in murky conditions, waiting in full overcast and poor visibility for the magic to happen.

The Wednesday Wavers are patient, but not that patient, even with free tea and coffee on tap.  So with our One Day Course Candidate already at the club, we had to reluctantly cancel the other trial flights booked for today as time was pressing on.

The pause in proceedings allowed us to progress some maintenance tasks.

Firstly, the Puchacz's nose wheel.  It needed pumping up, as we suspect it has a slow leak.  We took the time to investigate how to remove the wheel.  An evolution that should be straightforward.  However, it looks quite complicated.  It would be, as it's a former Soviet design (when Poland was part of the USSR), and they do it differently than Western glider manufacturers.  Despite Steve Lewis and DB poring over the not very helpful service manual the flummoxed wannabe F1 racing tyre changing team drew stumps.  The axle retaining bolts were treated with penetrating fluid, and we will have another look when the bolts have freed up.

FSD's front instrument panel, radio, and rear Flarm display had been investigated yesterday.  It was very hot and sweaty, and not conducive to fault-finding, in the hangar.  The Flarm display was fixed, but the elimination of a dry joint on the front instrument panel was not, so Colin took it home for rectification in his workshop.  Due to Scratch's generator testing, the power supply in the clubhouse was intermittent and not conducive to soldering.  Today, the refitting of the repaired panel allowed me to show new member Keegan the battery charging routine and how the batteries are secured in the gliders.

CCY had been derigged on Saturday, and Colin continued to work on the aileron mount for the starboard wing.  Good progress was made, and in more pleasant conditions in the glider workshop than yesterday, where the heat and humidity were debilitating.

Inevitably, paperwork had to be completed, the glider records brought up to date, including the glider log books, which kept me busy.

As the cloudbase rose and it became less murky, the order of the day was to test the winch. Yesterday, the winch underwent some maintenance, the fuel system was cleaned and the basic settings restored.  Thanks to the sterling efforts of Scratch and Val it was ready for test, and use, today.

The testing comprised the launching of a K-13 and the K-8, tracking the airspeed and ensuring it was less than Vw on the winch launch assist readout and most importantly the ASIs in the cockpit.  After several test flights, and subsequent adjustments, the flying day could begin.

Squawk 7500.  Two mean-looking blokes have pinched FSD and are drying to fly it away.

Peter's view of the airfield during their flit.  The conditions were still misty at this point.

But the murk was clearing and promised a nice, but late, day.

Due to the late start Phil took Aiden Bullock, the One Day Course Candidate, for two soaring flights, one extended.  Aiden's patience with the weather had been rewarded.  Aiden works at Newquay Airport and is very enthusiastic about flying.  Later in the day, he experienced what happens when the sky cycles, and he made three shortish circuits.  Aiden, we hope that Phil has piqued your interest in guiding and that you make use of your temporary membership of the club.  We look forward to seeing you soon.

A happy Aiden, back at the clubhouse, with his certificate after completing his One Day Course.

Peter was the Duty Instructor today, covering for Mike Jardine, who was holidaying in Pembrokeshire.  How exotic is that?  Peter had two trainees, Keegan Coetzee and temporary member Ken Hamblin to fly with.  Ken had a set of three circuits.  Then Keegan also had a set of three, but one was a soaring flight for 20 minutes with which Keegan was delighted.  Highlights included him controlling the take off and Peter talking Keegan through a landing; he controlled the elevator and made the round out, whilst Peter operated the air brake.  Well done.  A licensed power pilot, Keegan is transitioning to engine-less flight rapidly.

Mike Bennett's club Libellle out in the sunlight, ready for Flarm testing

During the testing of the winch Mike was struggling to get his recently installed power Flarm to work.  Andy was keen to help Mike get his Flarm working, after all, he had sold it to him when he took it out of one of his Libelles.  Yes, it's confirmed, Andy has the gliding ownership bug bad, owning outright, or shares in, a Ventus CT, two Libelles, and the Twin Astir.  Andy has got the bug twice as bad as fellow sufferers Sean Westrope and Steve Lesson.  Can our resident doctor, Robin Wilson, prescribe a cure?

Would the Flarm GPS in Andy's Ventus fit Mikes Power Flarm?

Finally, having diagnosed a GPS, fault, the connection to the Power Flarm was the culprit.  Although the GPS antenna cable would push into the socket in the Power Flarm, the brass securing nut was missing from it.  Mike will order a new GPS mouse to ensure that the intermittent operation is rectified permanently.  Despite the Power Flarm being registered on the various electronic conspicuity databases with Andy's Libelle details, with a judicious update of the Flarm.txt file, I managed to get the correct ephemeral data showing on Glide and Seek.

Proof of our success.  The Club Libelle "dancing" around the glider rack with the glider's correct details displayed.

Peter and Keegan spy Phil and Aiden high above in the Puchacz

John Osment went soaring in the K-8 for 34 minutes.  While he was aloft, we were visited by a German couple on a cycling holiday from Germany.  Colin brought them up to the launch point to observe proceedings.  I made a circuit in the K-8.  Jamie did better later with 11 minutes of scratching. 

Many members had to leave early, and I had to be off the field for 90 minutes at lunchtime.  So we were often verging on the short-handed throughout the day, but we kept the show on the road.  As the shadows lengthened, the sea breeze set in from the south, strengthening quite markedly, killing the thermal activity and reducing the flights to short circuits.  There was some evidence of convergence, but it was too far to the southwest of the airfield to make it usable.  Sadly, the Wavers can't have it all.

Definitely time to pack the toys away.  Fortunately, the rain didn't arrive at the airfield

Throughout the day, Scratch did most of the winching after he tested the winch. I relieved him later in the afternoon after my brief circuit in the K-8.  The winch was working well, providing smooth launches with the speed well-controlled for each glider type.  Bravo.  Alison Young drove the retrieve for what seemed to me, the whole day.  Thank you.  Consequently, Alison was declared the "Man Woman of the Match" for her efforts.

The Wednesday Wavers, despite the slow passage of the front, achieved a lot today; maintenance, winch testing, a One Day Course, and 19 flights.  Apologies to our trial flight visitors that we had to cancel.  We look forward to seeing you soon.  The Wavers are good, but not that good, as we were rapidly running out of capacity and suitable weather conditions at the end of the day.

 Gavin Short