A Day Out 1:1 Scale Flying
The Thames Valley Silent Flyers is an extremely active club and have many 'days out' during a year. One such day was a visit to the Cotswold Gliding Club, based at Aston Down airfield, for some full size gliding.
No apologies for the posing picture on the right (you just have to do it, don't you?)
During the summer months a group booking was made for approximately ten people to attend a days full-size gliding at a price you just could not refuse. When we arrived, it must be said very early at the airfield, it looked deserted (we must have been excited). They are late risers in the Cotswolds, but we found a club member and were duly directed to the club house where we could make coffee or have something to eat, while we waited for our instructors to arrive. We did not have long to wait and were quickly ushered out of the door with the word's "what are you waiting for, there's work to do".
We
thought you just turned up, jumped in a glider and went flying, not quite!
After we had signed a form blaming ourselves for everything that was about to happen that day, we had a short briefing from one of the two instructors, mainly about launch procedures, and as we were all accomplished model pilots we knew all about the flying side (he obviously did not know the T.V.S.F. Members very well.). The order of flying was posted on the side of the double decker bus which is 'launch centre'. The idea was for all of us to achieve three launches each and roughly 3/4 hour in the air.
Launching at Aston Down was by winch using a gas powered chevy pickup driving towards the glider with the towline on a turnaround pulley, the line being a single strand steel wire, and yes we did have a line break, and yes we did tie a knot in the steel wire to join it back together (this is more like large modelling).
The weather was superb for soaring and we all experienced quite
powerful lift. It's strange when watching a full-size glider circling in lift,
the diameter of the circle looks fairly large, but when you are in the cockpit
it feel's like the glider is rotating on its nose. I found this sensation
difficult to get used to.
The instructors were very trusting and we all spent very long periods flying
the K13's ourselves (perhaps model flying helps after all).
We
were all expected to 'muck in' and help out when needed, to keep the flight
line running smoothly. This involves retrieving gliders after they have landed,
operating the launch control lights, connecting the line to the glider, and
definitely no standing around or a job was instantly found.
The launch period is one of the most exciting parts and very exhilarating, the push over the top just before release being particularly memorable. Then all is quiet apart from the rush of air (it is surprising how the glider creeks and groans on the launch). Now all we have to do is find that lift, aided by the variometer beeping to indicate climb or sink rate. When it's time to land, enter the circuit and pop her down adjacent to the launch point on the grass. (In your dreams).
At the end of our day the instructor announced that he could not be bothered to push the glider back to the hangar and was going for an aerobatic flight and did anyone wish to join him?
Well, most took one step backwards and Tony Morgan seen strapping himself tightly into the rear seat 'jumped' at the chance. After they had completed a loop followed by a hammerhead stall turn, a fast and low beat-up of the runway was called for. It was amusing to see the instructor waving to us all on the ground and Tony staring straight ahead obviously mortified, as they pulled up for another stall turn, popped the airbrakes and landed beside the hangar on the other side of the airfield.(flash @#$*&£#).
Tony had managed to keep his dinner down and even said he would love to do it again. We retired to the club bar for a well earned drink and listened to stories of near misses from the instructors (good job they kept these until the end of the day).
We now make this trip an annual pilgrimage 'one not to be missed'