The Wednesday Wavers realised that we are definitely in September; It's still dark when one gets up, and Monday night's extensive rain continues the airfield's "re-greening" programme. Despite that, Skysight forecasted a reasonable day's flying, with an average of ten knots of north-westerly wind backing slightly during the course of the day, with thermals up to a maximum of 2,900 feet AGL. Flying under a cloudbase, rather than eternal blue, would make for a pleasant change from recent months.
These should be perfectly satisfactory weather conditions for our trial flight visitor today: Colin Terry, who would make a second attempt to come to the airfield from Looe, having been thwarted last Wednesday by the weather.
The Duty Instructor deployed a K-13 and a Twin Astir, together with the Astir CS77 and a K-8; with HBK held in reserve. Would there be enough Wavers to fly them all?
However, the early low cloud had some moisture in it. Well, rain, really, which saw the gliders waiting after their Daily Inspection and the Wavers waiting for the forecasted clearance after their morning brief.
Despite the ensuing tea-drinking banter in the clubhouse, the CFI locked Michael M-S away in the tech office and set him his Sailplane Pilot Licence theory exam. He emerged later having achieved an almost perfect score. Congratulations Michael. He then joined the tea drinkers at the table and studied the Astir CS77 flight manuals in preparation for his next type conversion.
Colin Terry and his wife arrived. After a cup of coffee and rejigging of a planned lunch with old friends at the Mary Tavy Inn, his trial flights were rescheduled for later this afternoon so that he could enjoy the better conditions.
Meanwhile, Colin, Steve Lewis and I, continued work on FSD, refitting the instrument panel and testing it. Also securing the plywood protection panels inside the cockpit, as we don't want to mark the freshly painted side fabric. Colin checked both wings. After a bit of paint touch-up, they will be ready to return to service. The main job outstanding is the reattachment of the main wheel skirt. A thankless task.
After a combined weather and instructor check flight by Mike Jardine and Peter, it was time for the training to begin, with Steve Lesson first up. Ed followed with a series of simulated launch failures. Malcolm and Dave Osment made attempts in the K-8 and his K-6, FUB, respectively. But it wasn't until 1300, when the conditions were visibly improving, that pilots were starting to stay up. Andy in his Libelle managed 18 minutes in conditions he described as "difficult".Ray enjoyed the first soaring training flight of the day. A great milestone for him after many, many circuits in his logbook, he got to see what gliding is all about. His enjoyment was raised even further with a landing on the stub runway.
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| Ray on his way to 2,200 feet for a well-deserved soaring flight |
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| It's taking time for Blackdown to return to green |
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| A busy launch point far below |
Then it was time for the privateers to try their hands: Rick, Steve Fletcher, Andy, Dave Osment, and Peter. After a few relights, most enjoyed soaring flights well in excess of an hour.
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| Steve Fletcher ponders from his Open Cirrus whether the "beach" at Roadford reservoir is getting bigger |
Ken Basterfield, a returning DGS member and former instructor from way back, enjoyed a very pleasant soaring flight with Mike. The sky was indeed starting to work.
Back at the clubhouse, during the extended morning tea session, plans had been hatched to progress the solar system upgrade. The work was now underway.
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| Scratch and John Smith erect the solar panel support frames |
John focused on attaching the carpentry after Scratch welded brackets on the roof of the glider workshop. Conditions were now very pleasant for the work, dry, sunny, but without the heat of previous months.
Sensibly, Scratch co-opted Steve Lewis and I, to remove CCY's wing from the container. We wouldn't want any hot welding sparks making contact with a wooden glider, would we now?
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| CCY's poorly Port wing safely out of the glider workshop while Scratch is welding on the roof. |
During Steve Fletcher's local area soaring flight, he enjoyed cracking climbs of "6 up" on his averager for most of the climbs. The average for some climbs hit 8 knots. His flight duration was just pipped by the CFI, Rick, in his Standard Cirrus.
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| Steve approaches Launceston |
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| Lance watches Dave Osment, in FUB, roll into a thermal and prepares to follow him |
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| Dave, well established in the thermal |
Dave continued to soar and comfortably achieved his one-hour soaring flight, part of his progression towards gaining his Sailplane Pilot's Licence. Congratulations.
Mid-afternoon, Colin Terry returned to the airfield, and we made preparations for his flight in Twin Astir, DSL, that looked very inviting in the sunshine. The first flight was an orientation flight in "scratchy" conditions, but the second flight was a great soaring flight with Terry trying out the elevator and ailerons to fly the aircraft.
Terry had flown with us thirty years ago to celebrate his fortieth birthday. It was clear that he hadn't forgotten everything. However, the gliders were certainly different. Steve Lewis and I worked out that he probably previously flew in a K-7M. So today, with a voucher bought by his grown-up children to celebrate another significant birthday (I'll let the reader do the maths), he could see the performance increase in our gliders. This was particularly evident when the K-13, piloted by Ian, entered the circuit behind us and landed on the south side before we did so on the north side with a much more generous circuit.
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| Colin and Gavin before their second flight |
As I escorted Terry back to the entrance after his flights the fun continued for the trainees. Ian, Robin, and Dave Archer both went soaring with Mike. Malcolm continued to try and get the K-8 to soar, which he only achieved on his fourth flight. An unusual occurrence for DGS's very own "Liftmeister". Dave's Dad, John, took their K-6 aloft only to find that his son had used up all today's lift for FUB!
Sadly, we had to tow the Astir CS77, DNE, back to the hangar. None of the Wavers had thought the conditions good enough to try it, although the privateers had shown the way earlier. Use it or lose it, chaps! Its ARC is due on 17 September!
In a day that improved the Wavers dramatically, after a soggy start, they achieved 30 flights.
Gavin Short
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