Saturday 18th April

Had a slight re-jig of duties with Stuart  helped by Peter Sm  and Phil M- and Robin Tug Pilot. There was some local lift occasionally, and the K21s had a few soaring flights of 20 mins to 30 mins. But mainly circuits or slow descents from the aerotow. It was Blue card all day and the Trial lesson flights had to be postponed due to the gusty turbulence. Pleasant club day all round, despite the challenging conditions aloft! Wendy did a very short stint as DLM, so that rostered could have a couple of flights. Hardly a day that needed much in the way of organisation though. Lovely sunshine, a constant trickle of members, lots of winch launches, a couple of aero tows but practically zero lift most of the time. Can’t wait for this high pressure to buzz off and a few westerly winds to clear the air. - Wendy 

The strong easterly wind with gusts reaching 30kts recorded in the LPV and the satpics showing wave clouds in Wales (see Happy Exped. news from Talgarth) gave hopes for those of us still at North Hill that we might be lucky enough to get some wave too. M5 Matt took a very turbulent 3000ft tow, downwind of the club to investigate and despite the promising signs couldn't make anything work and was only just able to not beat Robin in the tug back to the ground. Stuart meanwhile had managed a longer soaring flight off the winch in a K21. 

After lunch John P in Lak12 HOG, after 2 winch attempts, towed to 4000' even further downwind around Cullompton but was spotted back near the club not long after. With no more interest in aerotows, Robin and Wendy went off to put the tug to bed. The wind by now had settled down to a relatively steady 16kts and it even felt a bit warmer. Flights off the winch started soaring with strong narrow thermals and even stronger sink in-between. Phil and Ruth in KEK established that the Flarm was working with the help of M5 who tried to share their narrow thermal. It required concentrated effort to use the thermals and any faffing around in the sink soon had you back on the ground. 

John P in HOG, put in the most concentration and after dropping back down to about 1500ft over Forest Glade from his tow worked his way up to 4600ft in what he assumed to be wave-boosted thermal - easily securing the longest flight of the day with nearly 4 hours. Jonathan outperformed the many other winch drivers with over 2 hours of hauling people into the sky and as that hadn't exhausted his altruistic nature he put in some 'bubble' (aka LPV) duty and some cable retrieving into the bargain. Thanks to him and everyone else who mucked in to get everyone who wanted to fly into the air. - JP

West end turbulent approach needed height and speed

Long Mynd – Friday 17 (Fresh Out of Thermals Friday)

With a great soaring day forecast, Matthew Wi was awake at 4am (think child at Christmas) and already didn't like what he heard – a gusting easterly.  At 9am briefing course instructor Dave confirmed the worst. The weather had changed from the forecast, and with limited launching options in a strong easterly the chances of flying looked slim. The only hope, he explained, was if a very obvious, visible wave bar set up to the west of the club. In these conditions, modus operandi is to make a dash towards it and hope. In the event of failure, you're in a field in the valley. Dave volunteered to try it first... if it happened. Unfortunately it didn't happen. This caused some of the group to set off for home, and some to repeat Thursday mornings antics of coffee and cake. Anther great evening meal finished the day off.

Friday 17th April - Course week

Whilst the Course were busy at the other end, and with a little help from some 'out-of-work' students........

 

Matt Sm and Liam help upgrade the Flarm receiver ( Matt W)

.........we managed to upgrade the UKNHL Flarm receiver to the new version, so that Spot the Gliders is now working again for those who like to watch from the ground. (We still have a little problem when the gliders at the western end are not quite seen by the aerial on the Clubhouse, but we have a new aerial on order, which will hopefully address this. - Jill 

The Course meanwhile enjoyed yet another blue sky day..........

April Course members and Helpers

Thursday 16th April - Course week

Thursday arrived with a spring in its step – another blue sky day. Being a club day, there were plenty of bods about to shake out the vehicles and empty the hanger etc. Those with more gliding experience than me (which, as the Jack Russell hadn’t resumed his role co-piloting Launch Control, was everyone...) discussed the implications of a wind shift from Westerly to Easterly. There was also a good amount of chit-chat about important sounding factors such as ‘thermals’ – which, contrary to my mountain climbing experience, were expected to be found in warm weather, not worn in cold.
The clubhouse was alive with the whiff of bacon and sun-cream. With the gliders DI’ed and sheep rounded into their pen, we course students were rounded into the lecture room. Here JB primed us on circuit planning and launch failures, while I practiced aileron/rudder coord. under the table. With the grey cells fried like the aforementioned bacon, we took to the field to start the fun.
Team JB kicked off with Chris, who practiced an approach and landing on the West end of the field before being unleashed on the Junior. He seemed to have good success in the Junior and went MIA (ed: Missing In Action) for long periods of the day as, to the envy of the assembled crowds, he sniffed out the best of the thermals.
I was next into the hot seat. JB handed me the controls after we had left the ground, and I was starting to settle into my climb routine. Then, with speed that would impress an agitated warlord, JB pulled off a ruthless coup and seized control. Next thing I knew, we were nose to the ground and heading back for an unexpected cross-field landing. It turned out that, using the sixth sense acquired in the course of  2400 hours (or was it 24,000?) in the sky, he had spotted a loss of power and done the necessary to extract us from the sticky situation, before I’d noticed that anything was amiss. Once established on terra firma he explained that this was his first ever unexpected loss of power. I felt strangely privileged, and better informed as to why British pilots had the better of Baron von what’s-his-name back when JB was a lad. Flights two to four were less eventful, and I enjoyed practicing the circuit and counting through the shrinking animals as we rounded out. For those not in-the-know, the animals are JB’s method of rounding out smoothly: aim for the elephant, then the cow, then the dog (not the one in Launch Control), then the mouse etc.
Team Paul seemed busy and happy... We forgot that Paul K and Paul C existed for part of the afternoon when they disappeared for 42 minutes – the longest of the day. Rob R flew it himself allowing Paul a nice snooze in the back – much needed rest after 42 minutes locked in with Paul K. Meanwhile, Rob F scooted here there and everywhere on the Gaitor and, like the 1990s Spice Girls hit ‘When 2-Become-1,’ successfully synced aileron and rudder.
Konrad seemed to be having terrible luck. Every cable he attached to broke, and he struggled to get past 700 feet.(ed: expect JB had something to do with this!)  He remained unfazed and brought JB back down time after time with cool panache. All in all, another fantastic day. We’re so lucky to have such fantastic instruction, and of course the able help of Aston, William and Allan. HUGE thanks to all. Looking forward to Friday!! - David L 

(ed: David had a trial lesson day with Blundells School 14 years ago at North Hill, and has now found time to take up gliding with DSGC)

The wind was fickle today requiring three different launch points, and a few very interesting cloud formations. 

Altocumulus castellanus with virga (Dave Cl)

There was just the short period of soaring mid-afternoon as an almost invisible sea breeze front came through with Paul and Paul in K21 Matt W in K6 HEB, Gordon B in Junior and Chris M in Junior all managing nearly an hour.  Dave tried out his new camera....and Matt W completed BI renewal checks.

Pete H and Matt W (Dave Cl)

Peter Sm spent a productive afternoon rolling the area of bare earth.........

View from the back of the tractor (Peter Sm)

...........and now all we need is some rain to make the grass grow again!  In the evening the course members and hangerson  enjoyed  night out at The Viceroy in Dunkeswell. -  J&P

Long Mynd - Thursday 16 (Coffee, Antiques Emporium and Sliding in)

A change in wind direction meant the forecast for today was not so great. That was all the excuse Mark C needed to write the morning off, head to Church Stretton to drink coffee, tour the Antiques Emporium and look for other things that caught his fancy.

Mark and his sign

Henry and Matthew waiting for the film to start in the Antiques Emporium

On return, Henry and Rowan geeked around with laptops, wires, PDAs and instruments, Matthew and Roger (Mynd Maintenance Man) bonded over a welder and tow out gear, John B wrote extensive personal notes on the weeks activities, Mark C munched Anchovy biscuits while Mike S hung around acting as his translator.

After lunch, conditions improved slightly and it looked like it might have turned at least slightly thermic. John B and Mike S launched just prior to a tangle with the retrieve winch. This took at least an hour to untangle and involved some very pleasant walking around the field to look for lost bits of cable. Dave the course instructor perfectly timed the longest flight of the day of 48 minutes to land just as the winch came back on-line.

Matthew Wi then fancied his chances, but only managed a slightly extended circuit. Simon L and Tim P took a couple of short flights, the second of which involved a lunge at the best looking cloud downwind of the ridge. On arrival, finding no lift and turning around to look at the Mynd, a swear word might have slipped out of Simon's mouth before he busily checked out the available fields. Some off the cuff training on eeking out every last hint of lift later, followed by a demonstration of 'sliding in' to the Vega Strip and they arrived back at the field in time to pack away.

Everyone was looking forward to the Thursday evening Steak Night at the Mynd, but obviously not before some model flying. Simon wouldn't let Mark land on top of his van, so Mike volunteered his head instead. He didn't land it, but did manage a touch and go!

Steaks were up to the usual high standard - cooked by Dave, and the chips were equally amazing.

A slightly lower-key day, but equally fun, especially with the knowledge that tomorrow is looking like a promising thermic day. Andy Holmes and Rob (Mynd course instructor) are going to set some tasks to challenge the North Hill members. Matthew Wi has already handed Tim his van keys...

A perfect evening after a relaxing day

Long Mynd - Wednesday 15 (Wednesday Wave)

The gliders were unpacked and ready to go prior to the usual Dave brief this morning.  The forecast was for optimal ridge conditions in the morning with the wind swinging around to the north in the afternoon. This didn't stop Mark C and Simon L having a blast on the ridge with their models prior to 'full size' flying.

H5 Matthew was first on-line in a busy grid and quickly assumed the position of 0 ft QFE on the ridge along with Rowan in his Libelle. The next few gliders to launch joined in until the 'duvets' got in the way. Shortly after launching, Stuart in MV reported contacting the wave just off of the ridge, and pilots were soon reporting wave straight off of the launch. The retrieve winch made short work of the long queue, and everything that went up stayed up. Max height in the wave was 6100 ft QNH. Other North Hill pilots to join in the fun were Roger Appleboom K6, Rowan Libelle, Birthday Boy Summers in 477, Toms Sides DG1, and Henry Ford JD7.

Paul in 477

Mr Sloggs arrived today after a long, long trip towing ENW, trailer still dirty from James' field landing last weekend. He then helped rig and clean the glider, and tow it to the launch point. It was at this point that Mark C jumped in it and flew it all morning leaving Mike to share an 'introduction to The Mynd' flight with Simon L.

Dan Welch offered to take a North Hill member for a flight in the Arcus, so a very excited looking John B hopped in. They managed a 128 km flight in wave into Wales but were scuppered by 8/8ths over west Wales.

John B with Dan Welch

More low-level runs of the ridge with Mark C in ENW, Mike in JZK and Henry in JD7.

By the time the afternoon arrived, conditions changed markedly. Slowly everyone scuttled back to the ridge, but even that stopped working and by early afternoon everyone was back on the ground after some flights of 3+ hours. After watching Dave manage nothing more than circuits for a couple of hours, club member Roger managed to find a couple of weak thermals in his DFS Olympia Meise. Nick Harrison was inspired and had a few more flights in the club Discus. Unfortunately he couldn't repeat Roger’s success.

It was at around 4pm that Simon L and Mark C arrived back from drinking coffee and announced that ‘there’s wave up there’. Simon insisted he could ‘keep it up’ and launched in ENW only to return a few minutes later. However by this time, the contagious optimism had taken over and everyone wanted a launch. Unfortunately it was all in vain, and everyone ended back up on the ground shortly after launch. The wind then started to change direction and flying was abandoned for the day.

After the gliders were put away, Simon L, Mark C, Stuart P and Matthew Wi decided they hadn’t flown enough models so far this week and went off to find a ridge that would work in a northerly wind. They found themselves enveloped in mist and were eventually ‘retrieved’ by Paul S, Mike S and Tim P. The swearing, shouting and giggling was heard a long time before they were seen. ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ came to mind...

The mist descended!

Fish’n’chips finished off the Long Mynd Wednesday followed by sheep shaped birthday cake.

Another great day at the Mynd. A poorer forecast for tomorrow... but there’s always coffee to drink and Mark C storytelling to listen to.

Wednesday 15th April - Course week

Wednesday has arrived, beautiful bright clear day, very warm from the get go!  The gliders were out of the hanger with a spring in their step ready and willing to bear us into the air.  Then the club members arrived, so we retired to the club house for our morning briefing.
Everyone had enjoyed the previous days flying and although feeling slightly tired, were raring to go.

Rob R headed off to the winch for the morning  to spend some time familiarising with the Skylaunch where Alan M explained the four second rule and how he counted the squares, ably assisted by Aston K on cable retrieve and close at hand for questions.  Meanwhile the rest of the course guys were supposed to be getting their flights in. 

At lunch time it was apparent that flying had run a little slower integrated with the Wednesday club members, but David L had used this opportunity to freeload on John S' aerotow to 4,000 feet followed by aerobatics all the way down.  His legs were still wobbly at lunch.  Konrad and David L enjoyed the delights of the K13 with JB who perhaps found it all too much as he was forced to grab 40 winks after his lunch.

The afternoon draws on and many gliders are launched and swiftly returned to the field for retrieval, flights were mostly very short, one of the longest of the day was around 15 minutes.
All course members had a good share and thoroughly enjoyed the warm weather and scorching sun.  Rob R finished up the last flight of the day gradually improving on his circuits and landing, which went well and always included a pleasant long walk.

The instructors and helpers were brilliant throughout encouraged and supported us superbly, carrying us through to the end of another excellent day. - Rob R

April Course week Mon13th & Tues 14th

So was it hot for the first course of the year at North Hill today? Did it warm up after all that morning fog and orographic cloud? JB and Konrad were sitting in KEK waiting for a cable and chewing the fat with Chris M, Rob Rand et al when Rob's nostrils began to twitch. He looked around for the source of that strange and elusive smell, then he focused on JB, no - not for the fascination of what he was saying but because it seemed to be coming from him, no, not from him - just behind him - just behind his head..... "GOOD GOD JOHN, YOUR GLIDER'S ON FIRE". The curvature of the open canopy had focused the sun's rays to a point on the top of John's headrest and set it merrily aflame. A few well aimed blows from the observant Rob combined with some frantic groping with spittle-moistened fingers from John saved the plane - and JB's venerable locks - from the conflagration. A black scar remains as a reminder that it could have been worse, - Sorry!

The course has been a great success so far, both days a bit slow to start due to low cloud, fog etc., but followed by lots of up and down activity. Flights have been brief due to complete lack of lift but lots of launches for the novices and crosswind landing practice for the (slightly) more advanced. Apart from the above usual suspects, Paul  K and new member Robert F have had good days and made excellent progress, joined by trainee anaesthetist David L who hails from Chard and has already caught the gliding bug in two days, let's hope he doesn't know a cure!

Many thanks to JB and Paul C for their expert and tireless tuition. Sitting in hot gliders being thrown about all day must be an exhausting experience but they have borne it with great good humour and endless enthusiasm. Ground crew have been led by Aston and William and these stalwarts have given us two wonderful days of gliding together with Allan M who has gone from novice to winching hero in two days and given us consistently great launches. Thanks too to all the others who have stepped in to assist when gaps needed filling. - Chris M.

Long Mynd - Tuesday 14 (Tuesday Treats)

Mark C asked for a ‘short factual blog’ yesterday, but on inspection of said blog, immediately asked for ‘a slightly longer blog’ (this was the Simon L guess of the Mike Sloggett translation).

The day began with the usual 0900 briefing from an excited looking Dave who was confidently predicting wave. This news immediately put the Mark C grumpy setting to ‘very low’. Rowan Libelle, Stuart LS3 and the DG with Mark and Tim were first North Hill members to launch alongside Andy Holmes (of BGA winch fame). A short but tense climb through some rotor, to around 1500 ft QFE and all went smooth as wave was contacted. Mark C immediately declared the week a success and himself ‘satisfied’ from the back seat of the DG. The next one/four hours, were spent exploring the valley in front of the Mynd ridge. Stunning views of the lenticular clouds to the north west were on offer, while floating above the patchwork quilt of fields and weaving between the wispy clouds scattered throughout the valley. Stuart earned the Mark C designated ‘star pilot’ title having reached 6000 ft and 4.5 hours before returning for a loo break. Mark and Tim got impatient and lost out after trying to reach the next wave bar ‘only’ managing just over an hour.

Meanwhile Dan Welch (Nympsfield) had motored up to the Mynd, and Matthew Wi hitched a ride. Launching slightly later meant wave was more difficult to contact. It was managed by Rob (Mynd instructor), but after a hardy hour or so of effort, Dan and Matthew eventually had to motor towards Denbigh where the locals were reporting strong wave. From here, they managed to get to over 10000 ft (limited by lack of oxygen) and eventually reach Snowdon along with Andy Holmes and Rob who had pushed forward earlier (no motor involved!).

Back at the Mynd, Nick H had managed to fly three new types – Twin Astir, K23 and Discus and is now fully ‘Mynd inducted’. John B had a couple of sessions in the DG with Mark and returned grinning from ear to ear. Simon and Mark shared a session in the DG to get a break from instructing and demonstrated their maturity with a ‘fly-by’ up the field, past the launch point and back onto the ridge.

Despite a strong west wind, ridge lift varied throughout the day due to wave suppression, but full beats between 500 and 600 ft were possible throughout the day and well into the evening.

At the end of full-size flying, the adults extracted their toys from the cupboard and flew the ridge as the ‘duvets’ and hang-gliders floated past in the evening air. Simon L had a lucky escape after not performing his pre-flight checks and launching a glider with both transmitter AND aircraft receiver switched off. The model flew a perfect right hand circuit on its own and did the best landing it has ever experienced.

Matthew Wi shared some of his birthday cake with Mark C (bribery?). It seemed to work as Mark declared it ‘staggering’.

An epic second day, full of sunshine, flying and cake eating. Let’s hope day 3 continues the success. Dave was heard to mutter the words ‘wave tomorrow’ over evening dinner...

Long Mynd - Monday 13

Most people arrived Sunday, with some further 'stragglers' arriving throughout today. No noticeable dramas on most peoples journeys, although Matthew W and Tim P did pass a field with SEVEN tractors working in it. Strangely no one seemed very impressed with this find.

Wave at Long Mynd

First launch of the day, Mark and Stuart launched into weak wave ... and didn’t 

we hear about it.

Later Stuart was seen to be driving the retrieve winch with a cheeky grin!

Stu on the retrieve winch

Simon L and Mark C managed to fly everyone throughout the day – both site checks and flights for those without their own gliders. Amazingly by the end of the day Mark was only scoring a ‘low’ on the grumpy scale, despite not repeating the wave find of earlier.

Long flights were possible with the ridge working and thermals appearing in the afternoon. Paul S, Henry F, Roger A, Rowan S, Stuart P and Matthew Wi all managed significant flights.

Let’s hope the week continues as it began.