Flying Report Sat 3 Aug 24

After the disappointment of last week’s forecast not living up to expectations our intrepid aviators kept everything crossed that this week would deliver, and tentatively prepared to challenge themselves. With a large number of students, a few early solo pilots and two visitors it was to be a busy day at the airfield. With so many of our MEF and Go Solo students the average age on the airfield was half its usual number!

So whilst our tug WG was having some essential maintenance completed that had our engineering team engaged in deep thought (at least that’s what they claimed!) there was just enough time to get the aircraft out of the hanger in time for the morning brief.

With the brief out of the way and plans laid for the day the priority was to get each of our students a number of flights each so whilst the majority did the heavy lifting Harry sloped off with Colin in the ‘Yellow Peril’ for a trip in our motor glider KE before it would assume tug duties for the day.

Once everyone was out on the airfield it was all hands to launch and retrieve the gliders with Oli and Rahul, two of our Go Solo students, in first. With good conditions and the early ‘sacrifical lambs’ soaring, the single seat jockeys were quick to take advantage, with Jon, Jack and Andy taking flights before we welcomed our first visitor of the day, Kevin.

Kevin lives locally and enjoyed a trip with Geoff M that also included some aerobatics. We hope you enjoyed your trip and was really nice to meet you

With all the aircraft soaring away our tuggies got a well earned break and some de-brief on their performance from our visiting expert Pound Bear who was occupying the copilots seat, many commented on the improved quality of todays tows!

There was just enough time for junior member Darcey, who was Colin’s 400th aerotow, and Harry C, on our exclusive MEF scholarship, to take flights before we welcomed our second visitor, Derreck, and his partner. After Derreck had taken nearly a year to use the golf lesson he got for his last birthday he was presented with a BGA Discover Gliding voucher for his recent birthday with the comforting words of ‘by the way your going Saturday!’

Derreck and his partner, who live locally, have regularly enjoyed watching us soaring gracefully through the Shropshire skies whilst enjoying a gin in the garden and he ‘has always fancied trying it’

Derreck went for a trip with Nick and due to the fantastic conditions was able to go and see his garden from a new perspective before returning to the airfield having really enjoyed his flight. Great to meet you and your partner Derreck.

There was time for Harry M to get some further training and early solo pilots Charles and Paul to get some local soaring in after check rides, with the final flight of the day being Nigel and Geoff M taking a trip in KE

As we went to close down the launch point down Ollie, our trusty launch point bus decided he didn’t have the energy so, with no heavy lift helicopters available we tried to get our students to take a look but they became hypnotised by a running engine something about VR googles, controllers, lack of a turbine and not being signed off on the mk1 adjustable wrench meant it was left to more traditional means, though we will let Jack think it was his fine ‘Storm’ impression and his electric personality and lightning wit. We ended the day with 21 aerotows and total flight time for those of 13 hours and 2 mins on what was our best day’s flying for some time.