Dartmoor Gliding News-Sunday 11th May 2014

An improving weather forecast is always welcome; however it's of limited use when you are depending on people to drive sometimes long distances to attend the club. 

And so it proved; for while the weather was potentially soarable by the time we departed at 4 in the afternoon, at 7 in the morning it was still as vile as Saturday, with a vicious wind whipping showers in from the west that would easily have persuaded anyone with a journey in prospect to remain where they were. 

For the three of us who did turn up there was much to discuss, such as the new format for the AGM to be held on Saturday 31st May (attendance welcomed by all), requirements (both people and things) for the Open Day scheduled for 23rd August (for which Jerry Wellington has kindly 'volunteered' to be Project Manager) and safety: what we can do to improve safety at Brentor? - Here the focus was provided by Dave Parker, and his concern over crosswinds vs experience/currency, a fertile area for thought and talk. 

The perfectly vacuumed carpet – the picture doesn't show the 3 Dysons full of 'stuff' that Jerry emptied out behind the bike sheds..

All this fuelled by the traditional Sunday Soarers cooked breakfast (kippers and perfectly poached egg this week) gave us the energy for Dave Parker and I to sally forth and persuade the cable on the north side of the Guslaunch that it really should pass between the (newly refurbished) vertical rollers, rather than around them, whilst Jerry Wellington, having noticed that the Saturday Supersonics had left us with a pristine clean grate in the woodburner (for which many thanks), decided to pass on the compliment by presenting the Wednesday Whingers with a perfectly mown carpet for their midweek arrival (see photo) – I wonder if they'll notice..?

Martin Cropper

Dartmoor Gliding News–Saturday 10th May 2014

The weather forecast showed very deep low pressure system with strong winds and that is exactly what we got.

There was a small group of members at the airfield to continue with the maintenance schedule. I took the tractor and commissioned the recently repaired roller. This device is now full of concrete and probably weights about 5 tons. The take off and landing areas have been rolled.

Have roller will travel

The wind on the runway was extremely strong, it was difficult to stay on your feet at times. My thoughts were with the youngsters on the Ten Tors expedition and the crews of the Sea King helicopters providing safety cover.

The ML To Do List

In the hangar the usual trio of Rick Wiles, Allan Holland and David Bourchier started on the refurbishment of the ML winch. This work will take some time to complete but they made a great start.

Rick Wiles at work on the ML winch

David Bourchier looking very studious

As well as work on the ML winch Allan did some work on the K13 canopy

The weather for Wednesday looks a lot better. ( fingers crossed )

Steve

Dartmoor Gliding News–Wednesday 7th May 2014

The weather was always going to control today’s activities. The morning started with some rain but after this had clear through, it left a showery SW airflow which increased in strength and gustiness as the day wore on.
 

The K13 ready for another flight

It was decided that, given the conditions, we could not fly air experience flights today and that all pilots would fly in the 2 seater with an instructor. This was particularly disappointing for our One Day Course candidate Peter Lillywhite. Peter was introduced to the club and it’s operation and was able to at least see a few flights in progress. He made good use of the simulator. By the end of his second session he was able to fly the simulator with some skill and in fact completed a short cross country from Brentor to Plymouth and back finding plenty of thermals for the return trip. This simulator time will greatly help Peter when he comes back for his flights.

Peter flying the simulator. He is approached Brentor from the south after a simulated out and return to Plymouth

 Every club member who wanted to fly to experience the lively and, at time difficult, conditions did so with instructor Ged but by mid afternoon it was obviously time to return the K13 to the safety of the hangar.

Elsewhere, the K8 wiring fault was corrected and it’s electric variometer is now working correctly. The “new” K7M G-DCLT had it’s C of A completed and is ready to fly as soon as a copy of the insurance certificate has been supplied to the CAA.

The new radio in the Landrover.

The Landrover Discoveries now sport new radio transceivers tuned to the club ground frequency thanks to the efforts of Vice Chairman Colin Boyd. Complete with the roof mounted antennas this is a huge improvement on the handhelds previously used.

Also of interest was the arrival of club member and farmer Phil Hardwick who arrived with a proposed replacement mower in tow on the back of his Landrover. This machine will provide a cutting width of 20 feet as opposed to the 8 foot width of our current machine greatly reducing the effort required in mowing the airfield. I get some photos of the when it gets tested.

Steve

Dartmoor Gliding–Sunday 4th May 2014

And then it was May. Whatever happened to April? Normally the month that kicks off the season, this year it seems to have slipped by before we’ve really woken from our winter slumbers. 

Certainly Sunday was the first full flying day for the Sunday Soarers in some time.  We managed 26 mis-hapless launches, including 4 trial lessons, 3 check flights, 2 private and one club glider soaring, and the return of (like the Cuckoo) that rare bird, the ‘walk-in’ (i.e.. members of the public thinking – ‘that looks nice – I think I’ll go it a go today’) of whom we had three – two flown and one asked to re-book via Mike. 

The K13 takes another launch

So it has to be said that a couple of club members either did not manage to fly, or had less than their proper ration of flying, but that is almost inevitable when the first month of the season disappears without trace!  So it was great to see first timers Graham Davey, Donald Roper (Indie car club founder), Philip (Dad) and Tom (son) Wooton, and Adrian Keatley; new club junior members Lucy and Matt Brooks,.  Dark horse walk-in was Hugh Turner who, as he stepped into the cockpit, announced that he had 3.5khr flying ASH-25s etc. in New Zealand and promptly took us to 2,500ft (when I thought the thermals stopped at 2,000ft) and gave me a master class in soaring for half an hour – before returning to his summer job looking after the hotel on Burgh Island!

It’s good to see Dave Bourchier has returned as a regular attendee - he was, as I left, in deep discussion with two former members about the ‘old days’ (one of whom was nominated for a Nobel Prize for Peace) and who recalled that one of our brethren was the owner of a butcher’s shop in St Judes – any takers??

Martin Cropper

Dartmoor Gliding News–Saturday 3rd May 2014

Sometimes being a glider pilot tests your patience; today a was like that. I had been watching the Saturday forecast for most of the week. Initially it was looking like a good day on Saturday, strong thermal activity for more than 6 hours so perhaps a 300km flight would be on. I was ready, the glider was ready with flight computers programmed and waiting to guide and record an epic flight. And then the forecast changed. Everywhere west of the Exe valley would be unsoarable. So much for epic flights then.

Stefi and the K8

There was some flying as pilots made use of the flyable but flat conditions to maintain currency. We welcomed our Romanian student, Stefi, back from her Easter holidays. After a good check flight with Ged in the K13 she spent her day flying the K8. The Twin Astir made an appearance so that syndicate members Ged, Robin and Phil could get into practice.

Getting the Twin Astir ready to fly

Elsewhere, the C of A work on the “new” 2 seater K7m G-DCLT continued. It was also weighed and it’s flight limitations calculated. The Pirat was also put through the weighing procedure.

Phil in  the Twin Astir ready to fly.

Still waiting for good conditions at Brentor.

Steve

Dartmoor Gliding News–Wednesday 30th April 2014

Today’s forecast showed a little promise but looking out of the bedroom window gave me some doubts. There was thick fog.

Arriving at the airfield things did not look much better. The fog was still very thick but, keeping the faith, we got the gliders out, the airfield ready and then we waited. Gradually the fog lifted and the flat grey cloud started to show some variety of colour.

One Day Course candidate Andrew Wilks pictured with his wife Svetlana 

Eventually our patience was rewarded with signs of some blue sky and we got on with flying the full 2 seater programme. Andrew Wilks,  our One day Course candidate, managed to fly the first half of his course. He made a good job of starting to fly the aircraft, helped, no doubt, by the introduction he received on the simulator while we were waiting for the weather to improve. The soaring flights he enjoyed  encouraged the solo pilots to get going and one Astir privateer made an appearance along with the club K8 and Pirat.

The Langman girls ckeck out the K13 before mum's flight

We also welcomed visitor Annie Langman who enjoyed a trial lesson in the K13 with Ged. All the club members who wanted to fly did so but the instructors flying the 2 seaters lead the way with the soaring.

Annie Langman shares a joke with instructor Ged before her air experience flight 

By mid afternoon the weather deteriorated once again forcing a stop to flying for the day.

The K8 waiting for it's next pilot

As the flying programme had finished a little early with used the spare time and labour to assemble the “new” K7M G-DCLT which is moving ever closer to being ready to fly. Many thanks to all those who helped.

We made the best out of the day.

Steve

Dartmoor Gliding News–Sunday 27th April 2014

With daybreak grey but clear after yesterday's rain there was hope that we might get some launches in before the widely predicted showers were due to start again, however the sun soon stirred up the atmosphere and by 10.15 it was raining again.

Gliders remain safely tucked up in the hangar beneath a tiniest patch of blue sky whilst the trout stream works overtime...

So fortune then that we didn't get the gliders out, only for them to get put away wet.  So buoyed by the confidence that they had got one decision right, the Sunday Soarers cast around for other bright ideas to implement, dragons to slay,  damsels in distress to rescue etc. At which moment the phone rang, turning out to be none other than Dave Bourchier looking for someone to fit a nut to the Guslaunch - so not quite a damsel in distress but enough for all 4 Sunday Soarers to be kept fully occupied for the rest of the morning...

Dave Parker manages to breathe life into Roger Appleboom's XC Soar by NOT following the internet instructions...

After a sumptuous lunching on toasted crumpets they turned their attention to the fast approaching cross country season and the Global Navigational Positioning Satellite System where, in spite of the inadequate instructions downloaded to his phone, Dave Parker managed to get Roger Applepad's XCSoar to work - with airspace! So having now managed to get three decisions right in a row, the Sunday Soarers decided to quit while they were ahead and call it a day.

Hey! Did someone forget to shut the gate??

Martin Cropper

Dartmoor Gliding News–Saturday 26th April 2014

British summer; warm sunshine, gentle zephyrs, thermals from horizon to horizon; right. Wrong; low cloud, occasional heavy showers, southerly wind 20 knots gusting 40 knots. In fact is was so windy that staying on your feet on the runway was a challenge.  Another non flying day.

Low cloud racing past the clubhouse

 The assembled members just quietly got on with the “Jobs to do” list. The repair of the roller was finished, the GusLaunch winch is finished and now ready for the next flying day so that the ML winch can come offline for repairs and new cables. The work on K7M G-DCLT continues.

Repaired roller. ( the slightly misty RH side of photo courtesy of latest shower )

We hope the summer season returns soon.

Steve

Dartmoor Gliding News–Wednesday 23rd April 2014

Setting out for the airfield in torrential rain and under a glowering sky did not look very hopeful. How different from last Saturday’s excitement.

Several stalwarts arrived at the airfield with the intention of working through some of the myriad tasks essential to the smooth running of any gliding club.

The workers inspecting Allan's handiwork

So, the heavy roller was reassembled with new wood bearings and will be finished off when we have sourced the four very large bolts that were missing today. Allan Holland worked away on polishing the scratches on the K13 canopy. Colin Boyd continued with the new instrument panels for K7M G-GCLT which is nearly ready to join the club fleet.

The rest of us worked alongside aircraft inspector John Bolt to complete the C of A ( Certificate of Airworthiness – a bit like a car’s MOT ) and revalidate the ARC for the Zugvogel 3A G-CHKV. Thanks everyone.

The Zugvogel  pictured here in it's natural element

So there we are. Not a day of epic flights and expeditions but rather a day made satisfying by a list of necessary jobs done well.

Steve

Matthews First Field Landing

Noticing that the weather was looking very promising I arrived at the club early with my father to set up the top field. My plan was to practise some cross country flying before taking part in the ICL which is fast approaching. I would also be able to practise flying with the clubs new GliderGuider which is a great addition to the club. With the help of Steve Lewis I managed to set a small task: Brent Tor to Okehampton East to Roadford Reservoir to Brent Tor. In addition to this I was going to attempt to get my five hours soaring for my Silver C.

Matthew and the Pirat

Off the winch launch, just after 1115, I went straight into the centre of a thermal allowing me to climb to cloud base of 3500ft QFE. With the thought of turning my back on the airfield for the first time filling me with dread I decided to cross the start line and just go for it so I no longer had to think about it. Taking every thermal I could I managed to get to Okehampton with minimal trouble - fighting the wind was the hardest part. Just before Okehampton was when the trouble began, the thermals began to deteriorate and I was scratching around, luckily I managed to find a thermal and get myself back to cloud base which was now down to 3000ft QFE. Having being pushed back downwind and away from my turning point I turned and 'dolphined' over Okehampton trying to reach my first turnpoint.

Unfortunately, there was a lot of sink and not much lift, the weather had over-developed and the thermals were decaying and the sky was looking terribly blue. I had a big field picked out with another big field just beyond if I was to overshoot but I still was trying my hardest to ease every little bit out of any thermal I could find.

Just before my first turnpoint the realisation that I was going to have to land in a field for the first time hit me, I forgot everything else and let my training kick in. I turned onto finals and opened the airbrakes. Don's voice from my cross country endorsement came in my head: 'are you going to make it?' The answer was 'yes Don I am', but alas, this time I didn't have Don just to apply the engine so we could just fly away again.

Safely in the field

 So there I was, halfway up the field calling up the club to arrange a crew to come and collect me. Thank god they did as it was getting very cold and I was getting a bit peckish. Next time I will take my wallet with me as there was a nice place right next to my field where I could have bought some hot grub - a lesson to learn - money is a must! So, I landed out with class - far away from the airfield and not right next to it, so I would call that a success! Thanks go to Steve Lewis, Andrew Beaumont and Martin Broadway for leaving the thermals and coming to get me; further thanks to Phil Hardwick who allowed us to use his car to tow the trailer.

On the way back to the airfield

It was a great experience and something I'll most certainly try in the future as its what gliding is all about! I’m now incredibly excited for the ICL, that's for sure!

Matthew Wiles