Members' area

Gill and Adrian have been trying to get a winch driver or two to cover this Monday (25th) as our professional winch driver is away for the day (he has to take some holidays during his six months !) and there is a course on. So far they have drawn a blank.

Whilst I could cover Monday morning up to 12.00 if necessary, I have to then leave to take an elderly and inform neighbour out for lunch and I cannot get back to winch before 15.30 or so.

Out of a club of 140 or so members, and whatever number of winch drivers I hope someone can help with this. Preferably for he 12.00 noon session onward at least.

I know the forecast is rain or at least showers, but it may well be flyable between the showers.

I'll stand clear to avoid the stampede.......

DGR / chairman

Our "B" wInch is U/S and it may take a couple of weeks at least to get it back into service as it requires some replacement parts which are not immediately available and may need to be manufactured. The supplier Skylaunch is dealing with this as a matter of urgency. Their spare winch is in Holland but due to come back to the UK in about 10 days, after which it will be made available to us if our B winch is not ready.
So, in the meantime, extra special care in operating the A winch .....PLEASE !
As an adjunct, the committee will be considering proposals to have one winch go through a major overhaul this autumn, with the other one the following autumn.
DGR / chairman

A late start was forecast but a busy launchpoint with the course and trial lessons. The forecast showed a short window in the afternoon but tricky conditions around AD. The task was AST - Avebury - Chieveley - Whitchurch - AST and a number of gliders attempted it but I think only Tony Parker and yours truly made it round, not an easy day.

Good forecast for tomorrow, briefing at 09:30

The task set was AST- Newbury South - Newport Pagnell - Oundle - Thetford - Ast with the option of returning from each point to AD to score points. Most pilots found bad weather around Bicester so some turned back with a few landouts on the way. Andy Smith and Doug Gardner turned Thetford and Andy made it back to AD to complete the 500km task. Weather was not quite as forecast but well done to Andy.

Today and possibly tomorrow look like rest days.

A very busy day, thanks to Ian Hey for providing aerotow facilities, 25 aerotows in all today. Congratulations to Adrian Mears for his first solo in the the Sport Vega, to Andrew Fleming for his first solo, to Don Brookman for achieving his aerobatic rating and good to see Tony Chapman back at the club and flying again. Simon Lucas landed out at Cherington, thanks to the Hubands for the retrieve. a very good day.

Another day to make some of us glad we don't have to go to work. It didn't really get going till nearly two o'clock but then became really good. Several 350 k + flights were done in the time available.

I contacted Frank B today to ask him, as the key liaison point with the farmers, to alert the farmers to the need for a grass cut within the next week. Hopefully they can fit that in with their crop harvesting.
DGR

After the Chairman's exhortations of yesterday, ambitious flights of up to 500k were planned and declared on Wednesday. Unfortunately a subtle change of air mass with a much lower cloud base meant that nobody even attempted their tasks. Instead, two pilots used their recently acquired Cloud Flying Ratings to climb to 6000 and 9000 ft respectively.

For those stuck at work today, don't read any further.

Several private owners ventured south today to place like Blandford Forum, Dorchester, Cerne Abbas, and then went north to Worcester and similar TPs. Yours truly ventured to Portland Bill with the help of a slight sea breeze front taking the cloud base to 5,500 AMSL instead of the 4,400 experienced on the run south. Then westwards to Dartmoor and back via WIncanton. Others returned direct from the south coast to complete large tasks today - Doug G, Tom G, Tony P, and Andy S.
We are experiencing some really good XC weather at the moment, for a change. Take a day off work if you can !
DGR / chairman