A weather discussion over breakfast, based on both the forecast and
local knowledge, confirmed what everyone had been predicting - a strong
Easterly would mean no flying at the Club for the day.
Determined to get something out of the day after further discussion between the various DSGC members present the decision was made to de-rig the DG505....
Determined to get something out of the day after further discussion between the various DSGC members present the decision was made to de-rig the DG505....
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| Time to derig and head off to Shobdon (Mike Sl) |
.......and take it, together with some of the private gliders, down to Shobdon
Airfield for the day.
 |
| Follow the leader (Mike Sl) |
Just under an hour later and the trailers
were all parked up with gliders being rigged - with Shobdon being a busy Gliding and General Aviation airfield it was important for everyone to get a
detailed briefing on launching and landing protocols. Once this was
completed it was time to start flying, and with just one "home" two-seater glider being used there was plenty of launch capacity available
from the EuroFox.
 |
| Great looking sky at Shobdon (Mike Sl) |
ASW 20 (Mike S) was first to launch followed by
the DG505 (Simon L and Tim) with DG200 (Nick H), DG100 (Gordon B)and Cirrus (Paul S) launching in turn.
It became
clear that the previously evident thermals were deteriorating under an
increasing 'top cover' but that if the aerotows were taken higher than
2000' then the lift was much better in consistency and strength the
higher gliders were towed to.
 |
| Sky starting to deteriorate (Mike Sl) |
And so a pleasant afternoon of local soaring from / at a site new to all involved was completed.
Mid-afternoon a call came in from Simon L and Tim who had nearly completed an out and return task to The Mynd and back in the DG505 - but with a strong headwind getting in the way of a return all the way back to Shobdon, they had decided that a field landing was appropriate.
Mid-afternoon a call came in from Simon L and Tim who had nearly completed an out and return task to The Mynd and back in the DG505 - but with a strong headwind getting in the way of a return all the way back to Shobdon, they had decided that a field landing was appropriate.
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| Nick keen to look after DG505 after it is derigged (Mike Sl) |
And so various cars and trailers started to wend their way back to The Long Mynd stopping off to de-rig the DG505 on the way.
By
early evening everyone from DSGC was back at The Mynd with trailers
carefully parked ahead of the poor weather forecast for Monday. - Mike Sl
