Another lovely spring day forecast for North Hill. Gliders were being taken out of the hangar before 9 and the winch run set up for launches into the North West corner of the airfield.
 |
| Hangar unpacking (Mike Sloggett) |
Mark Courtney and his Instructor Coach team then completed a de-brief of the previous day’s flying with the Basic Instructor trainees, with Peter Smith and Mike Sloggett planning the day’s flying with the DSGC members present.
It was no surprise that with clouds starting to appear various private owners started to rig their gliders with justifiable optimism of the day steadily improving. The early flights found some broken thermals not quite strong enough to stay up in and then mid- morning the sky became much more helpful with various Club and private gliders managing to get away from the winch. With cloudbase steadily improving the day got better and better although as ever finding the first thermal off the winch launch was not as easy as it looked.
It was no surprise that with clouds starting to appear various private owners started to rig their gliders with justifiable optimism of the day steadily improving. The early flights found some broken thermals not quite strong enough to stay up in and then mid- morning the sky became much more helpful with various Club and private gliders managing to get away from the winch. With cloudbase steadily improving the day got better and better although as ever finding the first thermal off the winch launch was not as easy as it looked.
 |
| Cumulus clouds over the Blackdowns (Mike Sloggett) |
The Perkoz and DG505 were in continual use on the aerotow line during the morning with flight after flight of ‘fun in the back seat’ for the various Basic Instructor trainees.
Andy Williams in Junior (FZF) decided that lunch could be foregone so stayed airborne for more than 2 hours whilst everyone else stopped for lunch. Pete Startup (Discus 230) launched and as ever went off for a Club 100 flight
George Sanderson (Pegase HES), Andy Davey (Libelle 5), Tim Petty (Pilatus B4 CVV) all had fun of one form or another. Hans Jenssen completed his currency/Red Card checks and then a solo in a K21 followed by a later flight in a Junior.
Andy Williams in Junior (FZF) decided that lunch could be foregone so stayed airborne for more than 2 hours whilst everyone else stopped for lunch. Pete Startup (Discus 230) launched and as ever went off for a Club 100 flight
George Sanderson (Pegase HES), Andy Davey (Libelle 5), Tim Petty (Pilatus B4 CVV) all had fun of one form or another. Hans Jenssen completed his currency/Red Card checks and then a solo in a K21 followed by a later flight in a Junior.
Various members had good soaring flights in Club gliders, both dual and solo - Sue Dyson had her first experience of flying out to the M5 and back to the airfield.
The afternoon saw the Basic Instructor training move across to winching which allowed Martin Woolner and Peter Smith to take a K21 off for some ‘upside down’ fun after which Peter Smith decided to do some more of the same by himself.
William Pope and Mike Sloggett had the last aerotow of the day allowing William to build his currency in gliders without engines and it gave a nice view of another form of flight in terms of a hot air balloon drifting from a field near Cullompton towards North Hill.
After two good days of ‘ad hoc’ Club flying - more of the same please’ - thank you to everyone who made the two days a success. - Mike Sloggett
The afternoon saw the Basic Instructor training move across to winching which allowed Martin Woolner and Peter Smith to take a K21 off for some ‘upside down’ fun after which Peter Smith decided to do some more of the same by himself.
William Pope and Mike Sloggett had the last aerotow of the day allowing William to build his currency in gliders without engines and it gave a nice view of another form of flight in terms of a hot air balloon drifting from a field near Cullompton towards North Hill.
After two good days of ‘ad hoc’ Club flying - more of the same please’ - thank you to everyone who made the two days a success. - Mike Sloggett
