The final day of the course started with some blue sky, clouds but a tad windy. The two K21’s were readied along with the Perkoz and moved to the launch point with the first flights off just after 10:00am. The tasks for each of us was as follows. I continued to polish the launch, circuit, approach and landing. Elise Turpin was getting to grips with the launch, trimming and circuits as well as attempting to thermal.
By Duncan Bardney's own admission, he was mainly trying not to crash but leant a good lesson that three Buzzards are the ones to follow when looking for thermals.
 |
| September Course |
Paul Warren, like myself following a long period away from gliding, was also perfecting the launch, circuit and landing in addition he practiced a high level cable brake to good effect.
Rob Adams (following a very long break away from gliding for a few years having previously been at Silver standard), continued to make superb progress and the old skills were soon remembered after the week long course.
 |
| Nice sky (Andrew Chisholm) |
Glenn Turpin offered to take some course members up flying the Perkoz so giving us a ‘third’ instructor after lunch and they experienced a different gliders handling characteristics.
 |
| Not so nice sky (Andrew Chishom) |
The weather for the day did hold though a few light showers passed close by but ominous black clouds were building by the end. The final flight of the day in the K21 with Duncan under instruction from Steve Westlake trying to beat the approaching rain suffered an actual low level cable break. So that concluded the course!
A big thank you goes to our flying instructors Peter Field, Steve Westlake and all the course helpers. Their work meant the course ran smoothly on the flyable days and on the non flying day when lectures along with simulator work, they were on hand to be ready incase the weather changed for the good. - Andrew C Chisholm (first-time blogger)
