Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 22 April 2026

A wave day for the Wednesday Wavers! Perhaps?

The forecast was for an east/southeasterly wind 20-25 knots but with gusts up to 40 knots and in excess of 50 knots at altitude...mmm!  I packed my flying gear for my glider, and parachute, in my car, but didn't expect to use them.  By mid-morning Skysight had updated, and the wind strength was getting worse.

Skysight's forecast

This was the wave predicted at 3,000 feet QNH if you could get into the air in one piece.  Yes, those wind barbs with the pennants over the firing ranges indicate 50 knots.

Did I say that it was windy?

The Wishful Wavers hardly need to wait for the verdict of the Duty Instructor. It was: "No!, The rotor at the east end is incredibly violent".  Andy Davey, currently at Portmoak (home of the Scottish Gliding Centre and a wave site) asked the DGS Soaring group what the conditions were like and remarked that he was glad that he hadn't driven down from Portmoak to sample the Dartmoor Wave today.

At 1000, it was very windy, and strengthening.  It was clear the Wavers weren't going to fly today, at least not in gliders.  Jobs to be done: Winch cable change; Tail wheel hub, tyre, and inner tube survey and stock take; Canopy edge painting for HBK; Tech Office clear out; and work on the wings in the glider workshop.  That lot will keep the Wavers busy.

On the airfield at 1100 the winch cablers reported that they had to lean into some of the gusts.  It was probably 40 knots in the gusts and a steady 25-30 knots.

 At one stage the windsock went vertical in the rotor.

So the team of cablers set up the winch and the cable drum carrier and tow out trailer ready to put two fresh 4.5mm cables on the winch for the forthcoming season.

The winch was positioned at the very northwestern end of the field.  The cows were interested in all the mooving about!

The windswept cablers assemble

The first new cable heads off into the distance

After twenty minutes the second cable heads out

Only twenty seconds later there was the radio call; "Dartmoor, we have a problem".  The wooden cable drum had disintegrated on the carrier.  That meant that it had to be removed and wound out by hand; a tedious and time-consuming job. 

The DGS Formula One cable dispensing team get to grips with the aftermath of the broken wooden drum

Sorting out the tangles

After extensive jiggery pokery two new cables were correctly wound on drums of the auto winch ready for the new season.

Back in the hangar a stock take of tail wheels; hubs, inner tubes and tyres were underway by Steve Lewis, DB, and I.  Saturday's work was repeated as on the twin and single Astirs the orientation of the wheel and dissimilar thickness washers need to be placed carefully (in the right order!) to avoid rubbing of the valve cap or even the valves themselves. 

We looked at HBK, DSL and HME.  The latter two were quickly sorted to our satisfaction. However, we were not happy with the nylon (plastic) tail wheel that came with the Twin Astir Trainer, HBK.  Professional advice taken last week indicated that they were OK for light single-seaters (Libelles etc al) however the weight of the tail or a Twin Astir was another matter.  Before we fly it we fit a tail wheel with a proper metal hub from TOST.  That's something we won't skimp on.

We got the Twin Astir Trainer fuselage out of its trailer to look at the nylon tail wheel.  After about 20 minutes we had to put it back in sharpish as it was threatening to take off with just the tailplane on its fuselage cradle.  Yes, it was trying to fly without wings (No Red Bull needed here!).  The wings were still in the trailer!  It took three people to get the fuselage safely back in the trailer.

However before it went back in the trailer there was time for Gavin and Steve Lewis to consult and plan the position of the DGS logos for HBK.  The Twin Astir lettering is different.  Nothing is ever standard. 

After sorting a syndicate bank account for their new glider Michael M-S and Lance wanted to try on a range of parachutes.  So they brought their trailer from the east end to place the fuselage on the hangar apron.  By then the rotor was overhead, and it would be too risky to open a clamshell trailer, let alone a front-hinged canopy however much the "DG boys" wanted to show off their new baby to the Wednesday Wavers.  On another (calmer) day then!

Phil and David Moorley decided that being inside was a better option today and undertook to repaint the canopy surrounds for the Twin Astir Trainer, HBK.  Good job!  When it's less windy the canopy surround on the fuselage needs painting next. 

Rear canopy complete. The seal will be refitted when the paint is fully cured.

Front canopy complete but obviously interfering with Colin's lunch!

Also beavering away in the Tech Office was Neal who had nobly undertaken to carry out a clear out and deep clean.  It needed it.  The two four-drawer filing cabinets received new keys for later use.  Lots of things were found including the club trophies that are now on display.

In the glider workshop Colin continued to scarf a repair to the front of an air brake box in the wing of K-8, GDK, before turning to K-8, FXB.  Its elevator was inspected as reassembled and I conducted the duplicate inspection.  Colin then installed the battery box onto the new, stronger, mounting plate.  It's ready for a hoover out and rigging prior to weighing.

It was now windy in the hangar.  The gliders were starting to move about in the gusts so the wings tips were weighed down with two tyres a piece.  The rotor was getting worse and so the hangar doors were shut.  It took ten people to counter the windage (oh and John Allan's finger!) to get them closed. 

Our readers may have gathered that it was windy today.  Some Wavers remarked that the rotor over the field and the hangar apron was the worst they had witnessed.  It was certainly a lively day!  The Wavers departed for home invigorated by all the Dartmoor fresh air that had been blowing about.  Here's hoping for calmer conditions on Saturday.

Gavin Short