Monday 26th
Sadly, continuous light rain kept the toys inside. However, the monthly guillotine checks were done under the winch shelter. The swallows are doing their 'thing' in the hangar.
Dumfries & District GC
A mini one man expedition to visit the Dumfries and District Gliding club on Sunday 18th. This club is decidedly off-the-beaten-track - about 6 miles from the nearest (small) town, most of which is along a single track road, you come to a sign for the club
On arrival the winch was out and running so that looked promising. Turns out I was only the second person to appear so it was time to retire to the club house and drink tea until others arrived.
Slowly others arrived until we had enough (just) to operate but the amount of wind was enough to dampen sufficient enthusiasm to commit aviation.
The club has been through a difficult period since the MOD visited in 2011 and ran large vehicles on the runway and ripped it up so much that it's only recently that the runway is once again useable. A small club to start with but the effect of the runway problems was to halve the membership. A tough time but the hard core of members are ready to rebuild the club. At the moment Sunday is the main day the members gather. A club worth visiting and supporting. The Galloway region is something special with spectacular scenery around every corner and such quiet roads (I saw 6 cars and 1 motorbike in my 20 mile trip to the club).
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| Entrance to the airfield - only 1 mile to go along the track |
Slowly others arrived until we had enough (just) to operate but the amount of wind was enough to dampen sufficient enthusiasm to commit aviation.
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| View from the runway |
Wednesday 14th
I suppose one has to feel sorry for the folks burden by wok and unable to get out to play on such a day. From 11:00 to 13:30 everything we threw at the sky soared away (well, with one exception). Colin B took the LS3 to somewhere north of Bristol. The Duo Discus (with Ken R and Bill C) only ventured off a modest distance as Bill had to head to work in the afternoon (the suggestion to "drop him off" was not thought to be prudent since he was working at Heathrow).
In the afternoon the blue hole settled in with great looking cu to the north, south, east and west. The prospect of the good stuff from the north coming within reach kept tempting folks but only a few got lucky - Rob J in the Cirrus (on his free launch), Steve B in the ASW-15 and myself in the LS3. Climbs to 4,800 were available and the visibility was exceptionally good. 25 hours flown off 37 launches.
In the afternoon the blue hole settled in with great looking cu to the north, south, east and west. The prospect of the good stuff from the north coming within reach kept tempting folks but only a few got lucky - Rob J in the Cirrus (on his free launch), Steve B in the ASW-15 and myself in the LS3. Climbs to 4,800 were available and the visibility was exceptionally good. 25 hours flown off 37 launches.
Open Day
An excess of wind (20 mph westerly gusting 40 mph) put paid to any hope of flying. Even so about a dozen folks turned up from as far afield as Melbourne, Australia and Polruan, Cornwall. Admittedly both these chaps were on holiday in the area. We welcomed about a dozen visitors and they were shown the club fleet and winches and watched videos in the clubhouse (thanks to Rob S and Phil M bringing their laptops along). Rob S had arranged for a fellow electric car enthusiast to big his go-faster car along which provided some interests to both visitors and members. At 0 to 60mph in 3.7 seconds I think it fair to brand it as "go-faster".
A very good turnout of club members there to share their experience with our visitors and eat donuts. Many thanks to all of them and those who phoned ready to appear if needed.
A very good turnout of club members there to share their experience with our visitors and eat donuts. Many thanks to all of them and those who phoned ready to appear if needed.
May 7th TLE
For our first Trial Lesson Evening of the year help members of 3rd Winchester Scouts to progress their aviation badges. Not the best of conditions with a lively cross-wind from the west and short flights on offer. A big group so the TLE crew were very gratefully to the "Wednesday boys" for getting our second K13 rigged and back in service. This meant we had all 3 of the 2-seaters pressed into operation. Fluffy Harris (who needs a windsock when Rodney is around - provided he's not wearing a hat) did his usual fantastic job on the winch. Paul B opted for the quiet life in the Land Rover retrieving the gliders - quiet until the scouts discovered the joys of riding in our "classic" vehicle. Rob S, Graham T and Steve B kept gliders filled and launched. The result of the efficient operation is that we flew 18 scouts and 7 adults who all went away with a big smile on their faces.
PS most flights were either 5 or 6 minutes but Ken R defied gravity on one flight with an astounding 11 minutes
PS most flights were either 5 or 6 minutes but Ken R defied gravity on one flight with an astounding 11 minutes
Monday 5th may
Winch cable changed
Soaring done
Nimbus fettled*
Managed to only spend 2 figures at the garden centre*
Roast dinner*
What did you do?
(* only Claire and Pete)
Soaring done
Nimbus fettled*
Managed to only spend 2 figures at the garden centre*
Roast dinner*
What did you do?
(* only Claire and Pete)
Saturday 3rd
Bank Holiday weekends often suffer from a lack of members and this one likely to be more so with the returning expedition participants needing to replenish brownie points. Certainly, there were only a few of us there to setup. However, shortly after toys ready and in the right place there was an influx and I had a long list of those looking for the services of an instructor. I took the first launch (with a TL) - straight off the launch into a thermal to 3,000' and that's the way it seemed to work for most flights. Most training flights were half an hour of soaring followed by creative (and instructive) ways to remove surplus height. A few launches found the sink between the thermals resulting in circuit (Bill O claiming the prize for finding most impressive sink with a 4 minute circuit off a 1,400'launch).
We only managed to fly because Steve B was prepared to winch all day with Richard D pitching in so that Steve could at least get a flight. Richard, Bob B and Ken R helped me work through the instruction list, without their help some folks would not have got to fly.
One Wyvern pilot appeared with his Nimbus 2A with Upavon being closed. He took longest flight of the day honours of 2:34.
Of the 4 hangar flights 3 took an hour or more. 21 hours flown off 27 launches with a cloud base of up to 3,900.
We only managed to fly because Steve B was prepared to winch all day with Richard D pitching in so that Steve could at least get a flight. Richard, Bob B and Ken R helped me work through the instruction list, without their help some folks would not have got to fly.
One Wyvern pilot appeared with his Nimbus 2A with Upavon being closed. He took longest flight of the day honours of 2:34.
Of the 4 hangar flights 3 took an hour or more. 21 hours flown off 27 launches with a cloud base of up to 3,900.
Sunday 4th May (meanwhile - back at the ranch)
With precious few people operating on the ground, only the tireless efforts of Steve G on the winch and Pablo at one time both retrieving cables and operating the signals ensured we all got airborne - and for the most part stayed airborne. Gliders were launched and stayed that way for extraordinarily long times. I've never seen a day with so few launches and so many hours. Selvam and Graham got priority launches and duly achieved their target one and two hour flights as planned - well done both. Then two Nimbuses (ii?) flown by Jim and a visitor from Upavon, me in the LS3 and two Kens in the Duo got aloft to tour the countryside for a few hours.
Meanwhile DI Richard gave extended instructional flights to all and sundry, with soaring still active until the last glider was derigged.
The kind of day we all dream about.
Meanwhile DI Richard gave extended instructional flights to all and sundry, with soaring still active until the last glider was derigged.
The kind of day we all dream about.
Club exped - last report
As I write this most members who came up to Portmoak are now back down south. Trevor and I are towing the remaining gliders back later today but so just time for a quick update covering the last few days of flying.
On Thursday the rain finally stopped around 5.30 and with the local evening flying group cancelled it was down to Shalbourne to run the airfield. With the aid of the professional winch driver and the rest of us manning the launch point Nigel took the Vega up for a 8 minute circuit swiftly followed by James who contacted a patch of lift which enabled him to stay up for 10 mins.
After the early low cloud cleared Friday turned out to be a reasonable day
and both Nigel and Paul both had their first flight in a Junior. Nigel remarked that with Paul flying it should be called a Senior!
Wednesday 30th
Meanwhile, south of the border, Wednesday is a flying day - and a quite reasonable looking one at that. I should maybe qualify that by saying we could see good looking cu the north, south, east and west and we started the day sitting in the middle of a blue hole. Whilst rigging his Pilat Justin B asked me if I though a 2 hour flight would be possible and I encouragingly said "yes" but thought "hmm, depends".
Shortly after midday Bill C failed to immediately return in the K8 so Chris K pulled his Cirrus online, shortly followed by me in the LS3. The ability to scratch and determination to do so was needed but with those, climbs to 3,200' were possible (Chris K claiming that particular prize). Cloud base was very variable and was down 2,200' at times and in places. Justin didn't manage his 2 hours but did do over an hour to go towards his cross country endorsement. Having said a 2 hour was possible I felt obliged to stay airborne for at least that time and that proved to be the longest flight of the day. In total just over 14 hours of flying was clocked up by "the Wednesday boys" (I'll skip the aka).
Shortly after midday Bill C failed to immediately return in the K8 so Chris K pulled his Cirrus online, shortly followed by me in the LS3. The ability to scratch and determination to do so was needed but with those, climbs to 3,200' were possible (Chris K claiming that particular prize). Cloud base was very variable and was down 2,200' at times and in places. Justin didn't manage his 2 hours but did do over an hour to go towards his cross country endorsement. Having said a 2 hour was possible I felt obliged to stay airborne for at least that time and that proved to be the longest flight of the day. In total just over 14 hours of flying was clocked up by "the Wednesday boys" (I'll skip the aka).
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