Recent News September 29th 2013

 
What a difference a month (or so) makes.  Here we were trundling along, anticipating the new season in all its glory only to be thwarted by the engine of RWS being declared u/s at the outset of its annual inspection.  What a to do!  Pens and calculators rapidly seized before you could say “the thermals are a’coming” and benefits of motor overhaul vs buying a brand-new microlight tug.  Which latter course the Canterbury Gliding Club are doing whereas Norfolk replaced their totalled Wilga with another – from Romania I believe.  And here we were, pondering the chances of getting something – a glider that is and a DG1000 for starters, just to replace our poor old Blanik JB freshly withdrawn from the CAA Register after years of trusty service.  The last two years tied up against a wall.
 
Sooooo- the winch has been done and dusted and some new bits and pieces fitted in here and there and a good day of winching was held on September 15th  with eleven flights and two “getting away”.  One was Tim doing the first as a self-check (it took 42m before conscience pangs overwhelmed him!) and later he and Rodrigo were off for a 32 minute jaunt which must have greatly impressed Rodrigo’s senorita who has just come out from Spain.  Prior to that day and on September 1st, JTA (Jim & Tim’s Aeroprakt) did four launches.  Iain Finer showed up from somewhere or other and he and Tim had a 40m flight.  A 48m flight for Glyn in his Ventus 2a and John Tullett, not to be outdone, had 30 minutes in the Twin to finish the day off.
 
A QGP evening on the 24th to finish off the radio theory segment and followed by an exam.  Must have gone alright.
 
The Annual General Meeting was held on the evening of the 17th and the previous good year was reported on.  All the positions retained by the usual people with Les Sharp coming back as Tug Master and Jim McKay as a committee member.
 
President:                    John Tullett
 
Vice President:            Steve Barham
 
Secretary:                    Peter Williams
 
Treasurer:                    Peter Miller
 
Committee:                 Jim Finer, Jim McKay, Will Hopkirk, Peter Cook,
                                    Glyn Jackson.

Tug Master:                 Les Sharp
 
CFI:                             Tim Hardwick-Smith.
 
The trophies for the past season will be awarded at the pot-luck meal in December.
 
Glyn organised a big working bee for the 21st which attended to all sorts of things in the hangar.  An attack on bird-proofing was got underway.  The Blanik radio was transferred to the winch and more work done on the Twin’s radio which has been less than spectacular in its performance for quite a while now.  A new cable for the data logger in the Twin, plus new upholstery to replace the tatty old material. Thanks to all who came.  The glow from assorted halos might get a thermal going!
 
No halos for many for yesterday the 29th.  A winch day was scheduled, Glyn & Tim turned up.  No-one else there so they went for a trip up the coast pretending they were in their gliders and not the Aeroprakt. When they got back, Steve Barham and Les Sharp were at the hangar but gliding for the day was canned.