October 12th 2011

It was a good day on Sunday, October the 9th.  Not as good as the previous days RASP forecast had indicated – 7000ft cloud bases and good thermals to go with it.

We had instead, 4000ft bases with reasonable thermals and some reasonable flights to go with them.  Tim made sure his HP18 worked before turning Glyn loose in it.  Glyn did rather well with a flight of 2 hours 18 minutes.  Steve covered some ground  thinking that flying along in not very useful air in the Nimbus is much better than flying along in not very useful air in the PW5 and not immediately having to think about landing.

Two of our new students, Trevor Pease and Julie Woods had flights of 45 minutes or better.  To begin flight training with good soaring flights is a great way to start.  A big contrast to those of us, who began with the Rhonlerche and the winch.  And we thought ourselves absolutely fortunate.  Andre van der Elst,in the PW5, got shot down by some advancing light rain, as did the Peters - Williams and Miller.  The hangar got itself swept whilst clear of several gliders.  A lot of floor area we now have.  The new floor of the extension will probably need sweeping at least two or three times more before most of the cement fines are gathered up.  The ability of birds to use the hangar as a dormitory, needs to be reduced.  Having a nest built on the Pawnee engine might enhance the aero-tows in quite the wrong way.  And not cheap.

At the moment we are operating with an ad hoc roster.  We need to be quite clear that we will fly at the weekend, only the actual day needs to be clarified.  And we try to have this done and people advised on the Thursday evening.  When we get to fly on both of the weekend days, it will be so much more simple and easy to administer.

Stats:
                                                WZ                   2hrs   2m               5                          15hrs 02m (27)
                                                TE                            39m               2                            4hrs 23m   (5)
                                                VB                    2hrs 36m               2                            2hrs 36m   (2)
                                                KV                    1hr   56m               1                            5hrs 49m   (6)
                                                DN                                                                                2hrs 55m   (2)
                                                XC                                                                                8hrs 07m   (5)
                                                IA                                                                                 3hrs 36m   (1)
                                                SZ                                                                                1hr   30m   (1)
                                                DN                                                                                2hrs 55m   (2)
                                                GH
                                                RWS                         47m               10                          3hrs 28m (41)

Errors and omissions readily corrected.  Let us keep a good launch rate, that way it is at once, good for the club and good for the pilots.
                


                        

                          Our Twin Astir going out on tow from 09.   The first flight of the day -
                          Julie Woods with Tim Hardwick-Smith.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
On a sadder note:

                         Our sympathy to Prue Walker, James and family on the recent death of her father and to John and Judy Tullett and family on the death of John's mother at the weekend.