With the prospect of the possibility of some flying, after so many days of bad, we were a little surprised to see only the Duty Instructor (Pete Smith) at the club when we arrived from Plymouth at 8:45. A quick pitch inspection and the field was declared fit for flying! (North Hill has the amazing ability of draining quickly).
Simon Minson RE was running a five-year refresher course for three of our Instructors in the lecture room but the rest unpacked the hangar for the first time for what seemed like months.
The tug was readied, batteries fitted into gliders, parachutes dusted off and the gliders DI’d, but alas the weather had other ideas, with the humidity at 98% the canopies refused to clear.
During the DI’s we found several “presents” left by one or more Xmas mice, it is thought that the odd sweet wrapper left in the cockpits had attracted our little friends.
If anyone would like to donate a cat to the club that would be great, (he will have to live in the hangar).
After the toys were reluctantly put to bed the Instructors were invited to sit in on the five-year refresher course. We watched some video clips on how “not to do that” and some videos on “how to do that”, discussion ensued, the “B” word never came up once!
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| Simon Minson leading the 5-year refresher (Mark Courtney) |
Lunch temporarily interrupted the proceedings, and for an hour or so the club house was quite busy with everyone in a good pre-xmas mood, no doubt encouraged by the splendid decorations and tree, but with the notice on the table about max cockpit weight the mince pies were nowhere to be seen!
The instructors returned to their “den” and by the time they emerged there weren’t many members left. (Ed: There were still a few working in the Simulator Room, with the help of Test Pilot Daniel making some more tweaks to the system.)
The instructors returned to their “den” and by the time they emerged there weren’t many members left. (Ed: There were still a few working in the Simulator Room, with the help of Test Pilot Daniel making some more tweaks to the system.)
I have asked Santa very nicely for some wonderful cold blue days in January, I even wrote a letter, AND I have been a good boy so let’s hope this big boy's dreams come true for all our sakes!
- Mark Courtney
