Whilst chatting over dinner we learnt that Cheryl also soloed during the previous course.
Well done to both, now the real learning starts.
A post by pharmer on the old DSGC forum
Thursday thermallings 21st August - congratulations
We have had a happy event. One of our Thursday band has gone solo. During last week's course Simon and Mark had applied much pressure, but he did not crack and on a beautiful still Thursday evening Ian Hunt was off by himself, watched by his wife and daughter and the evening trial lesson group that he had organised. Then off to the end of course steak and chips provided by H in the Clubhouse. Not the quietest of solo celebrations!
Whilst chatting over dinner we learnt that Cheryl also soloed during the previous course.
Whilst chatting over dinner we learnt that Cheryl also soloed during the previous course.
Thursday thermallings 14th August
Hi all,
At last something to write about for a Thursday!
And at last a day when it was not raining, for a while anyway.
Lovely bright start and gentle south westerly breeze, but a bit short on numbers which meant a slow start. During the day we had a few periods of non activity due to the showers, the heaviest and most prolonged coincided with lunch. There were a few problems with the winch, but ably sorted, yet again, by Mike. It was soarable and I believe that everyone who wanted to had a decent flight. A good job that there were not many people, as we did only just fly everyone and used all the available day. Two K21s, DG505, Junior and one Discus were active.
The highlight of the day, for me, was giving an air-ex to a gentleman for his 90th birthday. His last flight in a glider had been 64 years ago in a Horsa during the airborne attack on Arnham in Operation Market Garden, brought to the cinema screens in "A Bridge Too Far". Once in the air and climbing away he was overwhelmed by the beauty of the Devonshire countryside, the rain showers and rainbows. He started to remember the views he had out of the Horsa windows as he was towed across Holland all those years ago. His supporting group of family and friends were entertained by those on the ground, and all left with many thanks and nothing but a good impression of the Club. The press were also present and the event will be covered in Friday's Express and Echo.
At last something to write about for a Thursday!
And at last a day when it was not raining, for a while anyway.
Lovely bright start and gentle south westerly breeze, but a bit short on numbers which meant a slow start. During the day we had a few periods of non activity due to the showers, the heaviest and most prolonged coincided with lunch. There were a few problems with the winch, but ably sorted, yet again, by Mike. It was soarable and I believe that everyone who wanted to had a decent flight. A good job that there were not many people, as we did only just fly everyone and used all the available day. Two K21s, DG505, Junior and one Discus were active.
The highlight of the day, for me, was giving an air-ex to a gentleman for his 90th birthday. His last flight in a glider had been 64 years ago in a Horsa during the airborne attack on Arnham in Operation Market Garden, brought to the cinema screens in "A Bridge Too Far". Once in the air and climbing away he was overwhelmed by the beauty of the Devonshire countryside, the rain showers and rainbows. He started to remember the views he had out of the Horsa windows as he was towed across Holland all those years ago. His supporting group of family and friends were entertained by those on the ground, and all left with many thanks and nothing but a good impression of the Club. The press were also present and the event will be covered in Friday's Express and Echo.
Pete
A post by pharmer on the old DSGC forum
Thank you.....
Just to say a BIG thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate my birthday at the weekend!
The barbecue went really well and I hope everyone who attended had a great evening - I certainly did! After all the worrying about the weather - it was the hottest weekend of the year so far!
Thanks to Simon (Minson) the barbecue king, who slaved over the hot coals cooking a ton of meat to perfection. And to Steve, who provided entertainment later in the evening on the guitar (easily forgiven for not always remembering all the words!! & thank you for the Eagles song, one of my favourites).
Thanks also to Andrew Muggleston for taking me up for my aerobatic flight on Sunday (sorry I swore a bit... - well, probably quite a lot actually - but it was awesome), and to Pete Warren for my very first aerotow.
Thank you for my cards and presents and good wishes.
If you weren't there - why not???.......
See you all soon
Cheryl xx
A post by cheryl on the old DSGC forum
The barbecue went really well and I hope everyone who attended had a great evening - I certainly did! After all the worrying about the weather - it was the hottest weekend of the year so far!
Thanks to Simon (Minson) the barbecue king, who slaved over the hot coals cooking a ton of meat to perfection. And to Steve, who provided entertainment later in the evening on the guitar (easily forgiven for not always remembering all the words!! & thank you for the Eagles song, one of my favourites).
Thanks also to Andrew Muggleston for taking me up for my aerobatic flight on Sunday (sorry I swore a bit... - well, probably quite a lot actually - but it was awesome), and to Pete Warren for my very first aerotow.
Thank you for my cards and presents and good wishes.
If you weren't there - why not???.......
See you all soon
Cheryl xx
A post by cheryl on the old DSGC forum
Sunday 22/06/08 Turbulent flying and Instructor rescue
After having a brilliant day flying in Blue card conditions and getting used to thermalling in turbulence, Simon Minson (Who sent me solo last weekend) required assistance in a field near Exeter. How could I refuse to 'help'. Guy and I went to the rescue :)
A post by hrf on the old DSGC forum
For the few of us that were flying in those fun conditions, did you notice that all those wonderful cloud streets went a bit soggy round about the M5? (Simon obviously did).Jill and I had to resort to a 30hp thermal towards the Exe valley. Two minutes later we were off up the street again to Crediton. On the way back I had a look at the cloud shadows - a good way to assess the sky when at cloudbase - and I could see that the six cloud streets, from south coast to Tiverton, thinned a bit at around the M5.
With a 25 knot wind blowing over Dartmoor, wave was the obvious culprit. So back east of the M5 we started to explore the thinning in the streets from the downwind side. Fairly easily, but patiently, we climbed up in front of quite scrappy cumulus. Things improved, our cloud 'ridge' became more defined. Lift increased from 2kts to 4kts and we left the climb at FL62 about 3.5 miles southwest of North Hill, with the base of the airway approaching fast.
Later analysis of the atmosphere put a bit of 'up' where we were with vertical speeds up to 200fpm between 4500' and 14000' AMSL, and a corresponding bit of 'down' just a bit further west down to ground level. Just downwind of the peak of Dartmoor there was lift at 200fpm between 8000' and more than 26000', and 300fpm between 13000' and 21000'.
Slightly further south, and directly downwind of the Dartmoor peak, there were two large areas of lift, one over the west shore of the Exe estuary and another just west of Sidmouth.
A post by pharmer on the old DSGC forum
Simon Leeson and I got to Credition and back in the DG-505. Was a very good flight in brilliant conditions!
I would of liked it if it was not as windy!!!! I could of soloed then!
James Hood
A post by jhood on the old DSGC forum
Thursday thermallings 19th June
A good day for a change. The overnight cold front did not produce a classic clearance. Most of the morning was a lot of heavy, sometimes wet, cloud with a base at 2000QFE, but it was soarable. The cloud started to break about lunchtime and through the afternoon good thermals to 4000QFE were abundant. I left the club at 1840 and the evening group were still soaring.
Club flying was only two K21s and a Junior, but there were a lot of private gliders out. Those flying cross country had an interesting time with a 17knot westerly to struggle against - perhaps someone would like to report in.
Club flying was only two K21s and a Junior, but there were a lot of private gliders out. Those flying cross country had an interesting time with a 17knot westerly to struggle against - perhaps someone would like to report in.
I think that everyone left the field happy.
A post by pharmer on the old DSGC forum
I jokingly mumbled something like North Hill-Okehampton-Sherborne-North Hill,hoping it would street in the wind,go round in either direction. Before I knew what was happening we were off!
Matt(477) and I(230) went West first and Ron/Woolie(711) went East.
Conditions going West were ok with climbs being fairly consistent to about 3,000',but in the 17 to 18 knot wind it was quite slow going.Dartmoor looked fantastic.Matt came back as far as Honiton,I went a bit further to Chard before calling it a day.Further East I could see it was spreading out a bit mixed with sea air and decided the flog back from Sherborne through that air in that wind was probably a bit much.I know that 711 struggled at times under spreadout after going that way and also called it a day after struggling to get beyond the M5 going West.
Local soaring was reported as mixed with some stonking climbs and a few struggles.
Robin W-F got caught low over Honiton for a while.His ASI was stuck at 80 knots so he had to multi task and try to fly at the right speed and still climb to get back!
A better day than recently only marred by the strong wind but at least we got away from the site.
Next reasonable day for soaring-a ridge of high pressure on MONDAY - why isn't the Club open 7 days during the season?
A post by pete s on the old DSGC forum
Going flying with a time dead-line sucks. Despite my fear of messing up and landing in some remote part of Devon and then being late for the school pick-up, I set off on a shortened version of Pete's task only just uploading the declaration to the logger before "All clear above and behind". Climbed to cloud base at 2500’ QFE over NHL and headed west only to be back at launch height before I was half way to the M5. I was soon joined and promptly overtaken by Pete but I managed to keep him in sight to Okehampton. He makes a great thermal marker by the way. The return leg was a breeze at 95kph as opposed to 35 on the way out, with stunning views over the moors and the south coast. Spent a bit of time playing around over the club and posted a few pictures which you can check out at,
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=690060650#/photo_search.php?oid=2411863512&view=all if you are really bored.
Thanks to the Thursday gang for getting me in the sky and not getting too bleak when I went home early. The grin is indeed cheesy.
A post by matt on the old DSGC forum
Thursday's thermallings 12th June
Have you noticed? We are getting about one flyable Thursday per month. And yesterday was one of those days - so where was everyone
Post cold front instability made it soarable, albeit in a stiff northerly breeze. Two pre-solo, four post-solo and two trial lessons in the K21s, one flying a Junior, three private owners and three instructors made up the numbers. Everyone had a soaring flight (except one trial flight), most of over an hour, the last one forced it down from over 3500QFE at six o'clock because everyone had gone home.
We are still a bit thin on the ground with regular Thursday people, which does mean that there is not a lot of time to stand around chattering to keep things going. So why not join our fun flying days.
A post by pharmer on the old DSGC forum
Thursday's thermallings 1st May 2008
We were lucky with the weather today, getting much more out of the day than I expected. Through the morning two lines of showers, blown through on a southwesterly wind, were split by the Blackdowns and we stayed dry until about 1300 when rain drove us in for lunch. After refuelling a clearance of an hour and a half allowed a bit more flying and thermalling in front of a developing thunder storm, looking as if it stretched from coast to coast. The sight of flashy things made the decision, and we packed up for the day.
Not that many people on the field but OK for the day: 4 students, 1 solo, 5 instructors, 3 winch drivers and 4 gliders.
We were using the V8 winch with electronic control, and on my sample of 3 launches and practise cable break it worked very well. Launching the Ka6 at 50kts and when I pulled a bit it slowed to 45 - all without any drama. One thing we must watch is that the launch marshaller does not give "All out" until the glider wheel has moved.
Not that many people on the field but OK for the day: 4 students, 1 solo, 5 instructors, 3 winch drivers and 4 gliders.
We were using the V8 winch with electronic control, and on my sample of 3 launches and practise cable break it worked very well. Launching the Ka6 at 50kts and when I pulled a bit it slowed to 45 - all without any drama. One thing we must watch is that the launch marshaller does not give "All out" until the glider wheel has moved.
Pete
A post by pharmer on the old DSGC forum
Thursday thermallings - 24th April
Hi all, I'm back after a short time away. This Thursday was very quiet. The front came through about five in the morning instead of mid-day, but it took a long time for the showers behind it to clear, the last downpour was over lunch.
However, we could not do a lot as our ever reliable winch driver, Godfrey, was unable to make it. So an otherwise flyable day was lost due to a lack of launch facility. But the four fliers left took to the air in the Falkes, VG took Francis and H along the south coast and SC did a navex to Yeovil and back with myself and Ian H.
However, we could not do a lot as our ever reliable winch driver, Godfrey, was unable to make it. So an otherwise flyable day was lost due to a lack of launch facility. But the four fliers left took to the air in the Falkes, VG took Francis and H along the south coast and SC did a navex to Yeovil and back with myself and Ian H.
We really do need some help from the more qualified Club members to help Thursdays along, particularly winch drivers. Relying on one does not leave a lot to spare, and does not allow him to fly.
A post by pharmer on the old DSGC forum
Thursday's thermallings - 27th March 2008
:) That's what it all about. The cold front cleared thru' last night and a transient ridge was enough to control the instability. The wind started as a fresh northerly and backed to the west as the ridge passed thru'. The incoming warm front just started to cover the sun as we closed the hangar doors at about 1730.
First launch at 0945 straight into 4 knots to 1800 QFE cloudbase, which rapidly rose to 2500 QFE within an hour, and reaching 3400 QFE by mid afternoon. Last landing at 1710 having left gentle thermals to 2000 QFE off the ridge. Seven and a half hours of thermal soarability, but with a few 'difficult to get away' periods mid morning
Task for the day (150 km Dorchester - Tiverton) was completed by 611, 477 and AM. Matt hung around locally after finishing to achieve his 5 hours and completing his Silver. Dave overshot Tiverton, went on to South Molton and some soaring over Exmoor. Pete Startup is posting the first time for the Devon and Somerset Dash at 75kph.
First launch at 0945 straight into 4 knots to 1800 QFE cloudbase, which rapidly rose to 2500 QFE within an hour, and reaching 3400 QFE by mid afternoon. Last landing at 1710 having left gentle thermals to 2000 QFE off the ridge. Seven and a half hours of thermal soarability, but with a few 'difficult to get away' periods mid morning
Task for the day (150 km Dorchester - Tiverton) was completed by 611, 477 and AM. Matt hung around locally after finishing to achieve his 5 hours and completing his Silver. Dave overshot Tiverton, went on to South Molton and some soaring over Exmoor. Pete Startup is posting the first time for the Devon and Somerset Dash at 75kph.
Most training flights were over an hour. Peter added to his morning's winch instruction with a two and a half hour advanced soaring instruction after lunch. Sorry to some pilots who failed to catch their thermals. :(
A post by pharmer on the old DSGC forum
Social night + supper!! - Sat 5th April. Book Now!!!
Saturday 5th April is now booked for a fun social evening at the club!!
It's going to be a Grand Beetle Drive and 'H' is booked to do Lasagne, Chips and Salad. (veggie / other meals on request - just let H know..)
If you haven't been to a beetle drive before - why not come and find out what happens! It really is a good laugh (for any age!) and can get rather competitive (in the nicest way of course...) With a prize for the winning team.... The only skill you'll need is to hold a dice and a pencil! (hopefully not too taxing eh?)
There will also be a raffle on the night (donations of prizes very welcome) and profits for the evening are going to the Ian Beckett fund.
Cost = £8.00 adults, £5.00 under 14's.
Food at 6.30pm, Beetles at 7.30pm.
There is a list for names on the door opposite the main notice board (not enough room on the board!) Or reply (or e-mail me) through here and I can put your name up for you. (need to know numbers for H - or you may go hungry!)
Do come and have a fun evening and help support a great cause for the club.
Hope to see you there.... Cheryl.
It's going to be a Grand Beetle Drive and 'H' is booked to do Lasagne, Chips and Salad. (veggie / other meals on request - just let H know..)
If you haven't been to a beetle drive before - why not come and find out what happens! It really is a good laugh (for any age!) and can get rather competitive (in the nicest way of course...) With a prize for the winning team.... The only skill you'll need is to hold a dice and a pencil! (hopefully not too taxing eh?)
There will also be a raffle on the night (donations of prizes very welcome) and profits for the evening are going to the Ian Beckett fund.
Cost = £8.00 adults, £5.00 under 14's.
Food at 6.30pm, Beetles at 7.30pm.
There is a list for names on the door opposite the main notice board (not enough room on the board!) Or reply (or e-mail me) through here and I can put your name up for you. (need to know numbers for H - or you may go hungry!)
Do come and have a fun evening and help support a great cause for the club.
Hope to see you there.... Cheryl.
***No beetles have been harmed during the writing of this message!!***
A post by cheryl on the old DSGC forum
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