6/21/2023 0 Comments Teamspirit hang gliding launchBut after the club soaring week DGS members had melded into a well-oiled machine with members ready with the quad bikes to bring the gliders back to the launch point. I started the day as the Duty Pilot (to coordinate launch operations) as we thought it was going to be busy. Both took part in launch operations and observed retrieve and winch operations at the other end of the field mostly in the pleasant sunshine. In the end Geoffrey (27 mins) pipped Bob (18 mins). Both seemed to thoroughly enjoy their flights with Rick in K-13 CCY, of which most soaring flights. Rick Willes promptly took them into the club house for an introductory briefing as the final arrangements on the field were being made. Bob and Geoff live in the same street in Wembury and conspired to undertake the challenge together. Shortly afterwards we welcomed our two one-day course candidates Robert Hone and Geoffrey Fairmiloe. This included all four of the club aircraft, more of that later. Today the start point was at the western end for a forecast southerly wind. Members responded to a “call to arms” from one of the duty instructors (Ed: can an email really be a “call to arms”?) and by 0900 all the equipment was out on the field or arranged, daily inspections completed, ready to go up to the start point. With other priorities, including Father’s Day, beginning to take precedence it was time to make tracks for home. Returning trainee Paddy Cosgrave, (class of 2004) was then able to exploit two brace of cables to practice stalling, trimming, slip and skid before spit-spots of rain deemed it prudent to return the K-13 to the hangar. On RASP, the ‘window of opportunity’ was brief and so, in view of the predicted light S/SE’ly, we quickly got the airfield ready to launch from the west end. Rich Roberts drills the clubhouse gable in readiness for the Atom mast. That said, the mast is now fixed above the ‘back door’ of the clubhouse (which is now a hard hat zone). ![]() Rich, who is clearly a member of the Worshipful Company of Eyeball, Drill and That’ll Do It Craftsmen, had come unusually ill prepared for the task and, by the time we had worked our way through various wrong-sized clamps, screws (second-hand) and donated drill bits (blunt) the cloudbase (not clubhouse) had indeed lifted by a significant margin. So off we went (like a bunch of hi-hos) with drill, clamps and pole in hand to assist. Flying could wait: at least until the cloudbase lifted. Clearly, in the view of former Chairman Rich Roberts, having made the tea and asking if anyone had a drill, it was going to be the Atom. And today’s top priority was a choice between getting the Atom ( see note 1) mast fitted to the clubhouse, or to fly. Gliding, like life, is a matter of priorities.
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