Dartmoor Gliding News - Saturday 2nd September 2023

Change of month and a change of fortunes. The forecast looked good. RASP was being very optimistic; 4 Stars and 4,500ft cloud bases. Skysight also looked good with potential wave and convergences making a flight down through Cornwall a possibility. There was certainly some excitement as the private fleet rigged.

Some of the rigging activity

A brace of K13s waiting in the early morning sun

As it turned out the conditions were not as good as the forecast. At 10.30am the cloudbase was only 1400ft QFE ( above the airfield ) although this did rise eventually topping out at 3000ft QFE. 

There was definitely signs of wave in the area. My first Air experience flight took me onto Blackdown where there was a large area of smooth zero sink. Heading into the light northerly breeze I delivered the controls lesson which ended with us being at 1950ft overhead Lydford Gorge having climbed steadily in really smooth lift ( apart from the beeping of the Vario this could easily have gone unnoticed ). All the subsequent Air expereince flights were made in a mix of smooth zeros and 2 knot thermals. Chris Weight, Clare and Geoff Mann, Elias Marton-Browne and Adam Lewis all left with smiles on their faces.

Chris Weight and family

Clare and Geoff Mann

Adam Lewis

Richard Roberts abandoned his initial Cornwall bound task - low cloubases and small Cornish fields are not attractive even to a Discus pilot. He went wave hunting instead and searched all of the local area eventually finding a small line of clouds that were out of place and gave him a smooth wave climb to 3000ft QFE. This flight was the longest of the day at 3 hours.

Wave cloud???

The airfield hiding in the cloud shadows

Good looking sky late afternoon

The solo pilots made good use of the conditions with plenty of flights over an hour. With both K8s in use today this allowed plenty of availability for the members. Particularly notable was Alasdair Barclay who converted to the K8 as his first single seater and then celebrated with a short soaring flight. Excellent work Alasdair.

Alasdair already looks at home in the K8....

....and off he goes

Although the forecasts over promised it was still a great day. 

Steve

Dartmoor Gliding News - Sunday 3rd September 2023

12 months ago we were enjoying a good wave flying day with flights exceeding 2 hours. With an easterly wind forecast would we have a repeat performance. The wind was a light 5 knots and thermal activity increasing during the day would put paid to any expectations.

First flight of the day with Sean Westrope did show signs of very weak wave which enabled the flight to be extended to 15 minutes.

A quiet airfield below,

This prompted a few of the privateers to give it a go. Adam Hoskin (K6), Mike Bennett (Club Libelle) and Steve Fletcher (Open Cirrus).

Private aircraft wait their turn to fly.

Mike in his Club Libelle waiting to launch.

The bigger wings of the Open Cirrus gave Steve early claims to the longest flight with 27 minutes. Next to fly with me was Matthew Stone. Three good flights sees Matthew back up to speed after a couple of wobbles recently. 27 minutes on one flight saw Matthew climbing in weak thermals with some smooth well coordinated flying. Well done.

Matthew keeping a good lookout whilst climbing.

The first trial flight visitor was American Bryan Cluts, who arrived with wife Chrissy and their young daughter, who was born in UK during their four year posting here.  Currently living in Wadebridge he enjoyed views of the south and north coasts during his two soaring flights that proved to be a very enjoyable Father's Day present.  The choice of present was apposite as Bryan's father learned to fly gliders in Australia and New Zealand, but not the USA due to costs, and achieved a Silver C badge.

Bryan Cluts being shown around the cockpit by Gavin.

Bryan receiving his certificate.

Dan Blight and partner came from Plymouth for a single trial flight for him as a birthday present.  A fabricator by trade in his spare time he is a radio controlled model glider operator.   He enjoyed seeing the practical effects of the controls up close and personal  during an extended soaring flight. He also observed the operation of the rudders by one's feet which is very different from the joystick operation from a RC controller which he is used to.

Dan receiving his certificate.

Our final trial flight was Stephen Wyeth, a retired IT consultant. He and his wife travelled from Okehampton to enjoy the pleasant warm weather with us on Dartmoor.  Stephen enjoyed two extended flights which were also a birthday present.

Stephen Wyeth with Gavin.

And receiving his certificate.

The solo pilots had all taken off and were enjoying themselves soaring away. Mike Bennett had to leave early which temporarily left us without a winch driver. As soon as Gavin finished his Basic Instructor duties he was sent to the other end of the airfield to operate the winch to enable flying to continue. After a quick check flight, Freddie Colton was allowed a couple of solo flights to add to his total. Freddie will be back off to university and we will next see him at Christmas.

Freddie off on another solo flight.

The solo pilots were all getting some good flights in. Steve Fletcher (Open Cirrus) 1 hour 10 minutes, Adam Hoskin (K6) 1 hour 37 minutes, Scratch (Cirrus) 1 hour 45 minutes and man of the match after another 5 hour attempt Ed Borlase (K6) 3 hour 12 minutes. This was a personal best and I'm sure the 5 hours is just around the corner.

K13 view of Ed in the K6.

And as seen by Scratch.

Finally our BGA inspector has been trying to regain solo status. A quick launch failure practice and a well flown circuit saw Colin dispatched on a solo flight. Keep flying regularly Colin to maintain this status.

Colin alone in the K13 again.

A good days flying with plenty of soaring for a change. Thank you to all at the club enabling some personal achievements to be met.

Peter Howarth

Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 30th August 2023

Today the weather delivered a sucker punch.  RASP looked reasonable.  Skysight looked quite good.  I arrived early and opened up my trailer and got the fuselage out.  Richard then arrived and we adhered scrupulously to the the Secretary's edict on airfield parking and priorities by getting the hangar doors open, getting the gear out including the winch, before doing anything more on the private gliders.  Steve Fletcher turned up and was then followed by the Duty Basic Instructor, Phil Hardwick, who laid out the winch cables.  Meanwhile, Mike Bennett and I refuelled the vehicles that needed it.  By then there were enough bodies to get the gliders out of the hangar.  Then, and only then, was the tea made (Ed: This is a shocking development at Dartmoor International - Is the change something to do with recent NATS failures?) and our attention could move to rigging the private gliders.

When the Duty Instructor, Mike Jardine, arrived there were only the Daily Inspections left to be conducted.  Everything was set up for an early start.  But the privateers once rigged (Standard Cirrus, Open Cirrus, Club Libelle, Discus, and Kestrel 19) wanted to wait for the weather to improve.  Phil had to wait for the two One Day Course candidates to arrive and then brief them.  So the first launch was at a leisurely 1056.  The Duty Instructor was less optimistic about the cloud base and thermal activity due to the top cover cloud (Ed: And boy was the wily old fox right!!)

Lots of gliders being rigged for the day

First up with Phil for her One Day Course was Jess Tooze who had arrived from "deep down in Cornwall!"

One Day Course candidate Jess Tooze ready for her first flight with Phil

And they are ready for the off. "All out. All out"

Phil allows CCY to smoothly rotate into the full climb

Our second visitor today was David May who was accompanied by his wife, Paula who had given him a voucher for his One Day Course as a birthday present.  David is an IT teacher (Ed:  What is it about DGS and IT gurus?  What is the attraction?  Do we all need to be dragged kicking and screaming in to the 21st century? Andrew you can remain quiet!).

Visitor David May and Phil prepare themselves for their first flight together

Meanwhile on the apron hangar the Twin Astir was arranged as it needed to be derigged as part of a technical inspection.  However, the syndicate couldn't manage to get the wings off (Ed: Surely that's reassuring?) and so Phil, another syndicate member, was called away from his instructing duties to lead the syndicate in the derigging.  The inspection could then take place and the component parts of the Twin Astir loaded on to its open trailer.

Back at the launch point Gavin stepped up to cover for Phil and flew David for his second and third flights .  Despite being early in the day they managed to find some "zero sink" and gentle lift to clock up two soaring flights of 9 and 12 minutes a piece. In amongst all the green fields the recently-cropped tiny wheat field in the Blackdown valley, to the north-east of the airfield, proved to be a reliable but weak thermal generator (Ed: Which was remarkable as there was total cloud cover and the field is on the shadow side of the airfield.  But often it is a discontinuity in the vegetation on the ground that can spark thermal activity).

One Day Course candidate David May takes his second flight with Gavin, standing in for Phil, in CCY. Behind them in FGR David Archer helps Jess Tooze strap in in the front seat

Phil returned to the launch point and prepared to take Jess aloft for her next set of flights, this time in FGR (Ed: We almost had both One Day candidates in the air at the same time). 

Phil back from "de-arming" the Twin Astir, as the Germans say, gets back into the groove to take Jess aloft for her second flight, this time in FGR (Ed; Let it not be said that we don't give value for money with two gliders for a One Day Course!)

The two members of the latest syndicate at Brentor, the Club Libelle, had set themselves a mission today.  Rig the glider efficiently using the new wooden trestles that Hugh had made, and adjusted for length, and then each fly a set of three "circuits and bumps" to get themselves acquainted with their new toy.  And that they did very successfully.  As ever with a new glider and trailer there are niggles to be ironed out; such as the height of Mike Bennett's tow ball on his van (Ed:  Keep working at it and it will became a breeze and those niggles will be long forgotten).

Mike readies himself in the cockpit while Hugh continues the cleaning and polishing right up until "Take up slack" (Ed: And to think that I got a hard time from them for having a clean and shiny glider and trailer)

Mike Bennett launches in his Club Libelle

The Standard Cirrus waits for the club gliders to "show it the way"

The Cirrii (Open and Standard) observe the K-13 with Phil and Jess returning from their second flight

Mike Jardine then took CCY for a solo flight before Ella arrived for a set of three instructional flights with him.  Ella is now consistently flying the whole flight; launch, circuit, and landing so Mike is reduced to being the photographer in the back seat (Ed: That is obviously an uninformed layman's observation of the instructor's role).

The Duty Instructor's view.  100% cloud cover in all directions.

The club K-8, GDK was in action with Martin Broadway, John Smith, and David Archer throughout the afternoon amid the training flights.

After a good launch Ella slows CCY down and starts searching for lift

Views looking North over Blackdown

The airfield from the north clearly showing the recently-cropped wheat field that was generating thermals. (Ed: There is an Open Cirrus landing there - can you see him?)

Later in the afternoon Mike Jardine had another trainee, the Night Owl, to fly.  Andrew Downing had a set of four flights with Mike including a hangar landing.  Sadly, the day had not developed as promised and none of them were soaring flights.

After the One Day Courses were completed David May's wife, Paula, was so impressed by the day's experiences that she had to have a a go.  So Phil obliged her with a single trial flight which ended in a hangar landing for FGR.  I took David back to the clubhouse in the Jeep so that they could be reunited.  Alas the well-oiled (Ed: As in slick not alcohol!) tower and launch team omitted to dispatch me with David's Certificate and his temporary membership card hence there are no customary photos of the handover at this point in the blog.  Our Treasurer nobly offered to send them on (Ed: Thanks Andrew).

Back at the launch point a notable event was about to occur.

A momentous occasion. Peter about to make his 4,000th launch.

A high-quality launch marshal team comprising Mike Jardine and Richard orchestrate this special launch

And up he goes (Ed: Is that the 4,000th time you have used that caption too?)

And with that the flying was drawn to a close and the gliders were returned to the hangar end of the airfield.

Dave Archer hangar lands GDK at the end of the day

Today the "Man of Match" was held early on by Gavin and David May in CCY with 12 minutes.  Phil and David later pipped that and achieved 13 minutes.  Hugh's third "Circuit and Bump" in the Club Libelle was much more than that with a 15 minute flight (Ed: Hugh, I know you are trained as an Introductory Flight Pilot but for your solo flights you are allowed to stay up for longer than 15 minutes!).  But Martin Broadway, wafting around in the K-8 and Richard concentrating hard on flying his Discus very gently in zero sink both achieved 20 minutes and achieved joint "Man of the the Match" (Ed: Well done.  Shouldn't that be "Men of the Match"?).

There were no launch failures, practice or real, today so the shortest flight of the day "wooden spoon" award goes to Steve Fletcher in his Open Cirrus with 3 minutes.  (Ed: Apparently the "sink" was severe, so he said. Steve later redeemed his honour with a second flight of seven minutes.

At the club house Jamie Steel came to say hello and now that he is back from sea to say that he should be able to assist with instructing on Wednesdays again.  Gavin and Jamie discussed potential future cooperation with Royal Navy personnel based in the dockyard and the details of an exciting new development that is currently under negotiation (Ed: So I as I suspected you are going to be a tease and not reveal what that development is yet then!).

The Twin Astir leaves the site on its open trailer for a further technical inspection

There is a special thank you due to Colin from the Twin Astir team for providing technical guidance and support throughout the day on the derigging and initial inspection of their glider (Ed: We will get you back in the air soon.  The weather forecast for Saturday looks promising).

Following a hangar landing after his 4,000th flight Peter was very content to put the mighty Kestrel with its 19 metre wings to bed

In summary, a reasonable amount of flying with 38 launches.  And yes the privateers did indeed get sucker punched by the weather forecast but at least we flew.

After the hangar doors were shut Peter celebrated his achievement by getting the beers in.  His daughter, Paula, joined us in the clubhouse to celebrate his achievement (Ed: She then offered to take him out for a curry.  What a great end to the day for Peter!)

Gavin Short

Dartmoor Gliding News - Saturday 26th August 2023

Early in the day the Tors were shrouded in low clouds; there was drizzle in the air; there was a threat of thunderstorms later. So a non flying day then? Well no. There was an air of optimism around the club that there would be a flyable window providing the showers left us alone. The stiff breeze was from the WNW ie straight down the runway.

K8 FXB ready to launch.

We cancelled our One Day Course today as the late start would not have allowed time to give it the time these courses deserve. We did fly a couple of Air Experience visitors though. Ray Remon and Hazel Hunt were both lucky with the weather and completed their flights.

Ray ready to go flying with me

The weather did play ball and by 11.30am the cloudbase had risen enough to allow full height launches. Thermals were few a far between and were unusually tight. The trick was to find a climb to cloudbase ( 2000ft QFE at best) and stay there. With the breezy conditions and weak thermals it would be all yoo easy to end up back on the ground. Best flight of the day was John Allan flying the K8 for a creditable 38 minutes. Also of note were the 3 soaring flights by Mike Jardine in K13-DCCY. 

CCY launches again

Robin Wilson had a soaring flight with Mike. Climbing at 2 knots

John Allan's view of the airfield from 2000ft overhead Mary Tavy

The airfield was a popular photo target today. 
This view was taken by Mike Jardine from the SE corner

The weather was definitely better than forecast. The threatened thunderstorms did not materialise. Most of the showers passed us by requiring us to dry the gliders only a couple of times. All too soon it was time to return the kit to the hangar.

The early evening the filled with much hot air from the clubhouse as the Committee sorted out club business.

Steve