Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 7 January 2026

It's a Wednesday.  The Wavers came out in moderate numbers.  A light northwesterly wind, +8C, cloud base high enough.  Let's go flying.  A K-13 and a K-8 to the east end.  The snow had all gone, even over the tops of the moors.

Time for some to get current. Time for some to blow the cobwebs away.  Time for some to enjoy being in the fresh air of a new year.

Scratch remained at the west end, finishing off the work that he and Val undertook on Tuesday on the green tractor battery housing arrangements.  Later he proved that the battery was OK, and it was the alternator that needed his loving tlc.

Toys out. The Wavers are ready to play.

It was decided to aim for two flights a piece for the trainees and others who needed dual flights due to the shortness of the day.  Trainees were David Osment, Neal, and Ian.  

David Osment carries out his ABCDE checks before the first flight of the day

Dad, John Osment, does his checks on the K-8 for the first single seat flight of the day.

David Osment takes Duty Instructor Mike Jardine aloft

Neil, trimmed, in lift, after a 1,400-foot launch.  Bravo Neil!

Phil back seating Mike

Mike surveys the scene

Back at the clubhouse, Colin and DB were busy trial fitting the battery shelf to the Twin Astir Trainer - Some modifications were needed.

 

and admires the brightness in the direction of Plymouth Sound while Phil is busy in the back

The Wavers maintained a slick launch rate, and so later the trainees received their third flights. Meanwhile, the licensed and solo pilots enjoyed a couple of flights in GDK a piece; John Osment, Gavin, John Allan, Peter, Scratch, John Smith, and David Archer.

Gavin in the K-8, on approach, for landing on the stub runway

Phil getting ready to impress Peter with his flying skills during his Annual Pilot's Review

By now all had had their fill and the Wavers were getting ready to pack up when the Church became less visible.  Rain was starting to come in.  This wasn't forecast, but was a portend of Meteo Fance's Storm Goretti on Thursday.

The French newspaper headlines screamed:

Météo-France place dix départements en vigilance orange jeudi pour "neige-verglas", la côte normande en alerte "vent" avant l'arrivée de la tempête Goretti.

It sounds apoplectic.  Let's see what it brings to the south-west. 

Back to the here and now; the flying. To conclude, David Osment took an extra flight with Mike with a combined 200 foot launch failure with a land ahead for a hangar landing.

So a compact and bijou day with 24 launches in total.  A good start to 2026 for the Wednesday Wavers.

Gavin Short