Dartmoor Gliding News-Wednesday 10th January 2018

An optimistic weather forecast suggested that there might be the opportunity for some flying today so a ‘who wants to fly?’ email on the Club Google Group was sent out to gauge interest.

With a small but keen number of members looking to fly today, and with the weather and wind set fair, it was then a question of whether the airfield would be too wet, after recent rain, to allow us to launch and land gliders as well as use vehicles and tow out cables

With an easterly wind component forecast the area to the West end of the airfield was carefully looked at and although it was evident that certain areas were unusable it was also clear that a good sized area to the north of the track was usuable, but with a reference point further into the airfield than would normally be the case

Daily inspections on the wet hangar apron
The K13 (DMX) and K8 (FXB) were taken out of the hangar and daily inspections started whilst the winch was taken down to the eastern end of the airfield. With the field being as soft as it was a decision was made to not move the launch point vehicle from the other end of the field, with one of the tow vehicles used as a temporary launch point

West end launch point
With gliders and winch ready by mid morning flying could not commence due to misting canopies so it was back to the Clubhouse for warm drinks and a chat before a return to the launch point confirmed that our patience had been rewarded with the canopies all clear

Colin watches Phil make an accurate landing
Bob beside his K8
And so it was on with the flying list with a dozen or so flights then completed in the K13 and K8 allowing pilots to either regain or maintain flying currency. Best flight of the day was 17minutes by Steve Fletcher in the K8 who managed to find a small thermal.

Looking south from the circuit
Mid afternoon with everyone who wanted to fly having flown, and with signs of the canopies starting to mist albeit under a bright blue sky, the decision was made to take the gliders back to the hangar for a good clean of same from the accumulated mud

Mary Tavy
A good day all round with optimism and patience rewarded suitably

Mike Sloggett

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