It was quite a busy start to the day with booked instructor training, quite a long flying list and a Full Rating test being completed for a visiting instructor from Dartmoor Gliding Society.
The wind was not quite as forecast direction-wise, but was definitely inline with the suggested wind strength. After a check by duty instructor Peter Field as to conditions at the other end of the airfield the decision was made that starting the day at the South East corner of the airfield was marginally better than starting at the West end!
So both K21s, the DG505 and a Junior were walked down to the other end of the airfield and with the strength and direction of the crosswind making it a straightforward decision of a Blue flag being hoisted.
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| Forest Glade (Mike Sloggett) |
During the morning, the booked training and general flying list made suitable progress with the card colour meaning that a number of the solo pilots ‘switched’ to dual flying with an instructor. There was a suggestion of limited thermal activity mixed in with potential wave but neither aspect provided anything other than 'more down than up' so simple circuits were the main outcome of the winch launches.
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| New grass is looking good (Mike Sloggett) |
During lunch, it was hoped that the wind direction might move a tad to the West to allow a change of ends but a return to the launch point indicated that this was not to be.
So it was more of the same until mid-afternoon, when the wind eventually decided to move around more to the West, so a change of ends was the only decision which could be made.
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| Perkoz on aerotow (Simon Minson) |
With the launch point back in the ‘traditional’ South East corner of the airfield it was now a question of completing the remaining training for members on the flying list and the booked instructor slot. Congratulations to Rick Wiles Dartmoor GS for successfully completing his Full Cat test with RE Simon Minson. - Mike Sloggett
Denbigh Day 2
Briefing from Chris Gill was veering more to a “go enjoy the local countryside - from the ground” kind of brief rather than the aerotow sell we were used to. A brief window of thermals of 1-2 kts in a NW but a bright sunny day. Andy Davey in his Libelle and Nick Harrison with the DG200-17 were up for a sightseeing trip and surprisingly Pete Startup Discus shook off his negative thoughts about the day to push out on to the grid too!
"Those that decided to throw money at another aerotow, out of nothing came an unexpected couple of hours scratching in weak blue thermals to 2,500' amsl. Beautiful warm cloudless day so a real challenge to stay airborne - great fun." -Pete Startup
With gentle local soaring going on to very modest heights, Team Eagle took to the second best 4x4 by far to follow Bill Crease’s route along the NW facing slopes down the Lleyn Peninsula.
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| Views back into Snowdonia on the way home from Aberdaron (John Pursey) |
Fingers crossed for later in the week and the Duo doing it by air. Would be a damn sight faster... - John Pursey
Condor Racing
The advantage with Condor is the ability to set the weather, and the 7 Sunday evening racers went on an expedition to Long Mynd with a great 20knot westerly wind. The task was to sample the ridge to Long Mynd N and Long Mynd S a couple of times after familiarisation. Everyone had completed their homework set by Stewart Henshall and the task was won by boy racer Dan Hender. The final twist was a denied landing at Long Mynd, which meant mostly successful field landings in the valley, followed by a talk round the circuit at Long Mynd by Dan. - J&P
