With the weather looking more promising than the previous three days, the decision was made to start gliding as early as possible to make up for the lack of flight time earlier in the week. We all helped at the hangar, carefully manoeuvring aircraft out and onto the grass for DI's, and then towed out to the launch point. After setting up the winch at the other end of the airfield, we started flying operations for both Course and Club Members with five gliders: the two K21’s, the DG505, the Perkoz and the Junior.
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August (2) Course Members, Instructors and Helpers (Jake Stabb)
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After waiting a little while for the low cloudbase to improve, flying operations commenced at around 11:00 with various club members and course members taking to the sky in an effort to make the most of the retreating cloudbase. Multiple flights were had by everybody, with some more experienced pilots practising their launch failures and others spent their time in the air trying to find some elusive thermals. Most flights did not land much longer than 10 minutes because the monotone sky seemed to be largely void of lift, however the views were stunning with clear sights over to the Exe Estuary and even the South Coast of Wales popped through the clouds. At 13:00 there was a short break in glider operations as members enjoyed some delicious food and refreshments from the café before flying operations once again resumed. At around 16:30, glider operations were stopped, and everybody helped in the complex task of putting the gliders back in the hangars and packing away parachutes into the lockers, ready for the Course Fish and Chip Supper.
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Not great weather (Mike Sloggett)
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A big thank you to all the incredible ground staff- Dave Perriam, Tim Petty, Hans Jenssen, and guest helper Simon Stabb - for making sure we can get up in the air safely each day and thank you to Mike Sloggett and Peter Smith for instructing young pilots (and not so young Julian West) on how to fly, and gradually advance on the course.
-Will Budd-Thiemann (new member and first-time blogger)
