Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 10th June 2026

The mission for today was to get K-13, CCY into its trailer ready for collection by Devon and Somerset Gliding Club which is going to rent it to allow their members to fly some "Wood". 

Although we bought CCY from Mendip GC there is a symmetry to this arrangement as Mendip GC had previously bought it from Devon and Somerset GC.   "What goes around comes around".

Forecast:  Pity we didn't fly on Monday.  A showery, windy day with gusty lift in the afternoon.

The morning focus on CCY inevitably took a number of attempts to get the glider loaded into its trailer and everything prepared.  The morning brief was early and then my One Day Course Candidate, Alan Cracknell, arrived and received a brief.

Privateers rigged and made their way to the east end under a less than promising sky.

New member Harley brought his sister, Hollie, for a Friends and Family flight.  A chance for her to fly at a different site to her normal Predannack in the southwest tip of Cornwall where she flies with the air cadets.  Hollie was first up with the Duty Instructor, Mike Jardine, and went soaring.  "It's booming" was the statement when Mike handed over the K-13 to me so that I could start Alan's One Day Course.

Hollie, "This is a bit different to an ATC Viking glider"

Grob Viking T.1s in the 626 Volunteer Gliding Squadron hangar (how, the other half live!)

The pin on Google Earth is wrong.  It's RNAS Predannack!  Look at the size, length, and number of runway options to land on even before you consider the grass.  Amazing.  Has a DGS instructor introduced elder brother Harley to our stub runway yet?

The conditions were challenging with gusty thermals but Alan and I enjoyed some soaring flights.  He tried the controls but was actually happier being flown and taking in the fantastic scenes and sensations.  He was fascinated with how the approaching rain showers appeared from the air and how they engulfed Kit Hill, over the border in Cornwall.

With his first flight under his belt Alan looks forward to a soaring flight with Gavin

Lance was the first trainee of the day with a set of three flights in the Twin Astir.  The third flight included some soaring which allowed Lance the chance to get to grips with a Twin Astir after most of his training has been in a K-13.

Today was the first outing of the CFI-inspired and recently purchased steps to aid access to the Twin Astir that sits considerably higher off the ground than a K-13. I saw 76-yro Alan eyeing them enviously as he clambered into our K-13.  That said, getting in and out of a glider sounds positively routine than Alan's recent experiences of getting in and out the basket of a hot air balloon.  Landing in a glider sounds benign compared with "brace for impact" when you land in a hot air baloon in case the basket topples over.  I had naively thought that balooning was a gentle pastime.

Standard Cirrus, FCN, had its ARC on Tuesday and was test flown today by Scratch and Rick.  The work on the release and cable paid appeared to pay dividends as they now were achieving 1,250 foot launches consistently.  With that out of the way Scratch did some soaring proving that all was well with their glider.  Rick followed suit later in the day.

Alan and I took a break for lunch which allowed Dave Osment to have some check flights and a practice launch failure, with Peter, before being cleared solo in the K-13 in blustery conditions. 

Phil Hardwick readies his DG300 for launch, and a bit of soaring, while Phil Hayward looks on (well it makes a change from everyone at DGS being called Steve!)

Andy and Steve Fletcher launched into promising skies and earned a joint "men of the match" with 48 and 47 minutes apiece.  Steve managed to get to 2,700 ft QFE but had to air brake down before the heavy rain set in from the west.  After his flight Andy spent a while on the winch and introduced visitor Alan to the "Power and the Glory" of winch launching.

Steve Fletcher's rare view today of Plymouth Sound not wreathed in rain showers.

Ian King was the next trainee, but his set of flights were cut short by the next rain shower.  This one was particularly heavy which saw all the Wednesday Wavers and visitors sheltering in the launch bus for 10 minutes while it passed.

It was good to see Robin Wilson back in the saddle (the Twin Astir).  He also took the opportunity to show Harley our defibrillator and conduct the quarterly checks.  All was well.

Harley continued his conversion to gliding the BGA way with a set of circuits as another shower had damped down the thermal activity.  CFI, Rick is keen to get Harley out of his comfort zone of a Twin Astir (Viking in ATC speak) and into a K-13 to start challenging him. 

This morning we welcomed back a lapsed member, Ray Staines, who now sports an impressive white beard.  Ray paid his annual membership fee and got stuck into launching gliders as if he had never left.  He commented on several changes since he was last at the club, especially in terms of standardisation which was music to the Fleet Manager's ears.  He enjoyed a number of extended circuits, with perhaps a smidgen of soaring, with Mike.  Ray we look forward to seeing you more often.

The DCFI, Peter Howarth, moves into the modern age
with a "digital" photo of Ray Staines and Instructor Mike.

The K-8 was enjoyed by John Smith and Peter with the latter making two soaring flights. We have done a considerable amount of work on FXB after its test flight recently.  The radio now works well and the instrumentation, including the Total Energy system appears to be OK.  Peter and I have a cunning plan to improve the effectiveness of the trim. Like all good "Blue Peter" plans it involves the extensive use of sticky tape.

As you heard the main effort has been getting CCY ready to go to North Hill.  But there were some other maintenance developments during the week.  I received three sets of brake pads for Twin Astir Trainer, HBK, from Saftek Friction that they made for us.  I also had the news from Navboys that the Twin Astir tow out gear that the club has ordered should be with us next week.

The "top cover" persisted throughout the day.  Without it conditions could have been great.

As the day's flying came to a close glider pilots were instructed to make their last flights hangar landings.  This included Dave Archer in the Twin Astir and Rick in the Astir CS77.  Rick reported that the trimming system needs adjustment.  There's no rest for the maintenance team at DGS.

After observing the winch launches I had a cup of tea with Alan in the clubhouse.  I handed over his certificate and temporary membership card.  He was keen to start his 2 1/2-hour drive back to Chipping Norton which is just south of Bath.  As I bade him farewell I noticed something different near the clubhouse before getting roped into packing the Twin Astir in the hangar, which Alan witnessed.

"There is a disturbance in the Force".  Farewell CCY. Your departure leaves a gap in our lives!

The winch returns to the Motor Transport hangar as the sky finally brightens. Typical!

So a day that didn't follow the forecast and where the showers persisted all day.  When the sun was allowed to work its magic there was some soaring to be had in the strong wind.

36 flights, a One Day Course and normal training delivered, and a young air cadet introduced to real flying.  Not a bad achievement by the Wavers on a very showery day. 

Gavin Short