Party-Time !!!

Some photos of the Christmas party taken by Paul Mucha.

 

Out of the grey...and into the blue!

Some cold grey days this week, but Thursday provided some improved visability and (most importantly) a gap in the cloudbase just east of the airfield towards Banbury.

 

As we both had birthdays this week (mine today), we decided to give ourselves a birthday treat. So off we went in the Supermunk to find the sunshine...and find it we did!

 

We climbed up through the extensive gap to break out and enjoy some magnificent views of the cloudscape and clear skies above. Having played around in the sunshine for a while we decended back into the grey winter landscape below and made our way gently home.

 

Coventry ATC Visit

A great morning visiting Coventry Air Traffic Control tower with a few club members. We were shown around the visual tower and the radar room.
More trips planned for Birmingham in early 2013, I'll keep you posted.

Friday Fun and Frosty Falke-ing.

David, Don and Steve looking pleased.

No instructors available, but with remote authority from the CFI Friday proved to be a good day, if very cold, with several "Licence Standard" members having a good time. The ridge was working well with thermal interspersed. John R and Alan L seem best able to manage the cold well for the longest flights, however most flights were upwards of 40 min with voluntary return to the field for a warm up.

  

Also, Don has paid us a couple of visits recently for X/C Endorsement training with some Dartmoor members, all of whom have had a great time. Read more at the DGS blog at:

 

http://www.dartmoorgliding.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/blog-sunday-2nd-december-2012-mike-and.html

and;

http://www.dartmoorgliding.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/thursday-29th-november-2012-david-and.html



Falke on a frosty morning.



Ridge...not furrow!

Keith and Ian getting ready to fly DVX.

A bright and chilly day with a moderate westerly wind with just a touch of north, right down 28, but enough to make the ridge work.

 

A few hardy souls braved the chill, and each enjoyed some soaring. John L-C flew his DG, whilst Keith, Jane, John R, Scott and I had a relaxed but fun day soaring the ridge and admiring the fantastic winter colours created by the low sun, which also nicely highlighted the "ridge and furrow" fields at the southern end of the ridge.

With such a stiff wind we decided to lauch on RWY 28 inset from the short hard cross-runway to minimise driving on the 8-Acre field and avoid creating our own furrows by damaging it with vehicles! Thus, allowing us to mainly drive on the hard surfaces, and land in the 8-Acre "undershoot" and roll up to the launch-point ready for the next flight with minimum effort. The slightly shorter launch run still gave launches of around 1000-1300ft, so making it to the ridge was still pretty easy.

We packed up around 3:00pm, having each had our fill and retired to the clubhouse for some hot tea!
 

Scott soaring the ridge - note the ridge and furrow fields.

A better view of the ridge and furrow fields to the west of the ridge.

Floods

This week I was called to fly off with a photographer to shoot the floods and beat Sky News helicopter to get the exclusive.

Below are some of the pictures taken from the C172 News ship!

Our pictures were shown on NBC, The Sun, The Mirror and some of the Sunday papers.

Lee

 Oxford - Abingdon Road

 Caravan Park - South Tewksbury

 Cherwell River - Along side the M40

Tewksbury - River Avon & Severn

Mid-Week Fun

The tug stands by.

Cold and bright with the wind on the hill, but too light to provide any ridge soaring.

 

RF-5 Cockpits

Mid-week fun all round with Lee organising the day. Don pitched up with 2 X/C Endorsement candidates that kept the Falke busy all day with NavEx and Field Landing Cx. The Duo was out and John R brought out his RF-5 and offered me the spare seat for a trip round Buckinhamshire. Inevitably, we ended up popping into Enstone for tea and cake at OSF. Always good to see Ray, three RF-4s also pitched up including John M and John G. Do you have to be called John to own an RF?

 

Back at base, amongst those that were enjoying themselves flying the club kit were Terry T, Eric, Mike R, Paul B, and Lech. I even had a quick flight in the Ka.8 before sending Lech off for his first flight in it near the end of the day. Last flight went to Tony T with Lee on an A/T to 3000ft. 

 

 

Floods to the West (click to enlarge).

JR up front.

Ka8 ready to launch.

Lech hooks on Mike in the Ka8.

Special thanks to Kath for winching all day "...just to keep current"!

Sunday 18th November

Surprised there weren't more people here today as the forecast was good and the weather obliged! Blue skies, very light wind, and it was quite warm in the sun until it went behind the haze line at 2:30pm. So warm in fact that Gail managed the one lengthy soaring flight of the day, having got in the K8 at the prime time for small puffy clouds (what are they I hear you ask), though she did bring it back after an hour. Russell & Eric went soaring - in turn - in DDB at about the same time.
 

Phil Marks was in charge, and had some nice flights with Glen. Russell flew our one Trial lesson who enjoyed his aerotow TL, and the rest of us (Jane, Robin, Eric 'ntd', Andy L, Tess, Bob W, Lucy, Martin J,  Nigel C, Alistair F) bimbled around in DVX or HRJ. Mike C flew the tow, and was also doing some Motorglider work with a visitor, Robin also flew the MG, and Clive was in G-OOMF variously with Christine and an examiner, so we were kept busy. A good natured day, and we even repacked the club hangar to include DVX this time. 

Thanks to Phil M, and the winch drivers Andy, Eric, Nigel and Michael Bell for giving us such good launches all day.

Bonfire Night - 10th November

The club’s Bonfire Party went off well last Saturday 10^th November. The weather was very kind to us and 55 or so people were counted at the bonfire and approaching that number joined in for grub afterwards.

Warm [gerrit?] thanks are due to....

The Bonfire and Fireworks group:

Rowan G, Andy L, Bob W, Kevin H, Jane J, Lucy W, John C, Robin J, Eric L, Colin H, Phil Z, Iwan K.

To the Food Team:   Jane J, Sue W, Jackie B, Tess W, Lucy, Carol S, Liz M and Paul D.

Michael B for running bus trips to the launch point and Scott T for manning the bar.

 Who is this new member ? Will he survive the day?

 Watch out - safety officer on site, hard hat optional!

Look, no caravan incorporated!

Bye bye 'Guy'

 The usual suspects working hard in the kitchen - lots of food...don't think anyone will go hungry.

A quieter moment in the 'restaurant'....
 whilst Paul takes a brief rest.

 The last of the kitchen dream team...thanks everyone for such a great effort.

Mid week flying continues... Mike Rawcliff and Lee enjoyed a few short flights off the short hard. Thank you to Clive and Robin for driving the winch.
Please email the office if you want to be on the mid-week fliers email group.

Awesome Evening Sky

Taken From G-BTUA Whilst Wave Hunting

Weak wave set up over the site this evening, Lee, Bob and Ian went to explore, no stunning lift but enough to hold the Motorglider airbourne for a while.

Building A Bonfire

Eric Starts The Job

Bob & I Join In

The Sunshine Returns!

Me With Our Two Happy Air Experience Students.

A fun and productive day for Day 1 of "Winter Ops". The field was still rather wet so we decided to just fly the Falke off the Long Hard launching on 35 with a lighter than predicted Northerly wind. Our Air Ex visitors had a fun time and enjoyed their time with us having had several previous thwarted attempts due to poor weather. John M flew off in his RF-4 for a lunch at Wellesbourne. John L-C and Gaynor fettled the DG, Phil H worked on his Bolkow and Colin & Ivan continued in the workshop. Later Scott and I went of for a navex to Upper Hayford-Enstone-Shipston and back, checking out the flooded Cherwell River and enjoying the autumn sunshine and long shadows. Special thanks to Jane, who turned out to help things along, but who decided not to fly.



Banbury And Beyond...

The River Cherwell - Flooded After The Recent Rains.

The Falke Looking Splendid In The Sunshine!

Rain Didn't Stop Play...

 It was pouring down with rain, but inside the duty crew and the few who turned up anyway had a very productive and fun day. LPC Dave Price was tasked by Bruno to complete his Bronze by passing the ground exam, which he duly did with flying colours. Meanwhile we decided to have a test run on the simulator that Lee and Scott have put together. I started off with Bruno, Paul M, Scott and Robin J all taking turns. Although still under development, we were duly impressed even though there are several tweaks and some finishing still required. Please don't play without Lee's permission. Hopefully, it should be fully operational by Christmas. I'm confident that it will prove an impressive and fun addition to the club's training equipment able to add real value to briefings and most aspects of the BGA syllabus from ab-initio through to instructor training.

Saturday 3rd November

No flying today, but we did inspect the bonfire preparation area. The organisers (most of the female club members plus Eric!) are doing a grand job, and next week's event should be good fun so do come along. The bonfire will be lit at 6:30pm on Sat 10th November with plenty of fireworks and food to follow. Lucy was introduced to the 'guy', who sat in the clubhouse all day and was only occasionally mistaken for a club member ...

...And Another Autumn Solo!

After Lec's re-solo yesterday after a 42 year gap, congratulations to Charlie Birks who today was sent on his first solo by Bruno.  Well done Charlie! (...and Bruno!)

Autumn Skies and a Solo!

Moreton-In-Marsh Fire Service College

Another decent day with Bruno and Kath running a day course for Norman T and Lech. Congratulations to Lech who re-soloed and made an excellent job of his landing. Gerry K and I went flying in the Falke and had a bimble over to the Cotswold Edge and then to Enstone for tea and cake. Later Keith M and I went off for another local "motor-float" before the growing showers finally encouraged us to pack up.

Friday 26th October

Another great mid week day, Bruno doing a grand job.
Leck, Bob King, Neil Abram, Norman Danby, day course and a few trial lesson all enjoyed a sunny but freezing cold day on the airfield, mean while Phil Z spent most the day watching his battery charger for his new model aircraft.