Flying Report 1 Jul 23

What started as a bright and breezy day finished with a land out and recovery from a launch failure.

Despite many members taking their holidays we still managed to muster twelve brave souls out on the airfield.  So we commenced the day with a rig of a new glider to the fleet, an immaculately refurbed K13 (R46), and probably the best finished K13 any of us have seen.  We hope to see it out one the airfield soon.

With a first launch at c10:45, we had just got into our stride flying off the short r’way 23…..

 …….when an hour later, on the 5th launch of the day, R35 suffered a launch failure when the tow rope parted at a height of c150ft..  Well, every one of us has eye-balled our favourite field for a low level launch failure on the short r’way 05/23, and those fields play a part in our “eventualities” mental rehearsal before every flight.  Given today’s wind speed and direction there was no turn back option so Nick and Miroslaw executed the perfect land out into a wheat field just beyond CG2.

The message soon got back that both crew and aircraft were OK and this was confirmed by Alan in the overflying tug.  Given the numbers on the airfield the decision was taken to cease flying and concentrate resources on the recovery operation, an operation that would involve the need for a lot of manual labour (grunt!).

Making max use of the tram lines and with minimum damage to the crop, the recovery op saw us back at H4 at 1430 just as the first of a band of rain squalls passed though the area.  Well done to all and particularly to our junior members for whom this was the first opportunity to take part in a recovery.  They now know what purpose the trailers serve.

Many thanks to local farmer, Mr Crow to whom we have promised a flight for both him and his son by way of a big thank you.

 Many apologies to our two BI visitors who we had to defer to another date and we hope we see them on the airfield soon.