Dartmoor Gliding Society Club News: Dartmoor Gliding News

Who would be a Duty Instructor? No matter which forecast I looked at, everything looked different, and the wind could be anything from North easterly right around to South Westerly, even the wind sock was not much help, just hanging limp and pointing nowhere. So the choice was the safe one with more options for eventualities, and we would fly from the east end. Five privateers would rig and after a general leisurely start, the first launch was at 10:54.

After only three launches, it was obvious the forecast that turned up was not the one I used and the tailwind forced a change of ends. This presented trainee Aiden Hughes with the problem of launching in one direction and landing the other way at the opposite end of the airfield.

K13 waiting for a clear airfield.

With only two trainees today, Aiden had five flights and managed to nail the circuits and approaches in the benign conditions.

Looking down on the launch point.

Duty BI Phil Hardwick had two visitors today. First to arrive was Andrew Simmonds. Andrew had last flown in a glider back in 1992 and was visiting his son in Yelverton. He enjoyed two flights with Phil, one an extended soaring flight.

Andrew and family with Phil.

The second visitor was Anita English from Plymouth and also enjoyed her two flights with Phil.

Anita waiting with Phil.

The Twin Astir returns.

Whilst I stopped for a bit of lunch the five privateers started flying. Scratch decided not to fly and allowed Viktor (K6), John Osment (Cirrus), Sean Westrope (Libelle), and Ed Borlase (K6) to have their turns to fly. Viktor thought his 30 minutes would earn him flight of the day, but he was topped by Ed Borlase with 50 minutes. The second trainee Ray Staines had three flights with me getting back into the swing of things after being away for 12 months with a 26 minute soaring flight.