I am the first to say that you
should never believe the forecast, but today I did, and boy did they get it
right! When I left Plymouth at just
after 7:00am ( I was nominated chief gate-opener) I was rather thinking
that it surely it can’t clear up to give a bright day. The rain was torrential!
Liam V started his instructor
training with Mark C, Liam did remark that Mark was a perfect “punter”, I think that’s what he said anyway!
After lunch, Graham and Cheryl, Pete and Jill left to join with over 30 DSGC members (past and present) attending the funeral of our much loved member Les (the winch) Hill who sadly died recently.
After a quick Costa however things
seemed to improve!
As I unlocked the gate Will.i.am
turned up, together we rigged 5 or 6 extension leads in
the tug hangar so that we could plug in the many heaters that we have managed
to scrounge over the last week or so. You see Ian M insisted that for
him to spray the finishing coat of paint on the Pawnee, the hangar temperature had
to be precisely 17.5 deg C and the humidity between 61% and 72.9%, anything
outside these parameters - and it plays
hell with his onesie.
Very few members had turned up by 9:30 and we were getting worried that even if it did clear, we would not have enough to fly. Slowly but surely however the members drifted in. Pete took the opportunity to try to fix the problem with KEK varios, (hopefully sorted subject to flight test feedback).The ducks took off and the canoeist left so we decided that the field had just about dried out enough to enable us to operate.
By 11:30, Ron and Dan took a launch, they were soon soaring, there was weak wave, lines of energy as well as a mixed bag of rotor, ridge and thermal. With only one person requiring training the instructors flew together at times; Chris W and Mark C had over an hour only coming down because of the need for food and the toilet! Every single flight was a soaring flight, there were three two seaters on the go, as well as both Juniors. Matt and Ray D got flung in the air just as we packed up for lunch, enabling them to hog the DG505 for the longest flight of the day at nearly 90 mins, Matt seemed so pleased to be called down when the DG was required by Wooly - - - - - -.
Very few members had turned up by 9:30 and we were getting worried that even if it did clear, we would not have enough to fly. Slowly but surely however the members drifted in. Pete took the opportunity to try to fix the problem with KEK varios, (hopefully sorted subject to flight test feedback).The ducks took off and the canoeist left so we decided that the field had just about dried out enough to enable us to operate.
By 11:30, Ron and Dan took a launch, they were soon soaring, there was weak wave, lines of energy as well as a mixed bag of rotor, ridge and thermal. With only one person requiring training the instructors flew together at times; Chris W and Mark C had over an hour only coming down because of the need for food and the toilet! Every single flight was a soaring flight, there were three two seaters on the go, as well as both Juniors. Matt and Ray D got flung in the air just as we packed up for lunch, enabling them to hog the DG505 for the longest flight of the day at nearly 90 mins, Matt seemed so pleased to be called down when the DG was required by Wooly - - - - - -.
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| Ray enjoying the view from Hembury Hill (Matt) |
After lunch, Graham and Cheryl, Pete and Jill left to join with over 30 DSGC members (past and present) attending the funeral of our much loved member Les (the winch) Hill who sadly died recently.
 |
| Fondly remembered - Les (the winch) Hill |
Last landing was just after
sunset, the last of the fleet washed and tucked up in the dark.
 |
| Last landing was just after sunset (Mark C) |
A fantastic days flying, the
stats showed only a 14 launches but all of them long soaring flights, totalling 12 hrs 30 mins, thanks to
everyone who turned up to enable this to happen.
Big thanks again to Ian for his
continued effort on the Pawnee (topcoat next), even if it is ruining his favourite garments!
- Mark C
