July 2009, the tug is back.
June 2009. Rod Murfitt has qualified for a Community Grant from United Utilities, well done Rod and many thanks to United Utilities for your support of our gliding club. We managed to damage a runway light much to our embarrassment and more so the tug pilot who is definitely making an early bid for the wooden spoon. Our tug now has a problem with its trimmer and so was out of action last weekend. We have taken the opportunity for a working weekend and done many jobs that needed doing, notably the binding rear brakes on the bus, many thanks Simon not many people could have fixed them. The IS28 is nearly complete with a new instrument panel and more tow hitches are being installed on the trailer park. The annual dinner has been set for Saturday 6th February 2010 at the Abbey House Hotel, put it in your diaries. We have a number of photos from Rod and Graham Sturgeon to add, anyone else got some old gliding photos they would like on the website?
May 2009. We flew every weekend with some good flights, notably Andrew Green completed his second Bronze leg. Graham Sturgeon has found an unusual way of putting in a ladder claim form - check out his height claims http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmle3a1tjDg and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNMfhsN_y8Q The webmaster has been gliding at Gransden and Husbands Bosworth. BAE have a new website for their Barrow operation and have asked us to provide a link to their website. Check out http://www.worklifebarrow.co.uk which is aimed at being a definitive guide to living and working in south Cumbria. If you find any broken links or missing web pages please let the webmaster know - the website has been restructured due to the amount of data held on the website.
April 2009. Some good flying weather, a number of Ladder Claims, the AGM and new members. We welcome David Brockbank back, Kunzi Chikohora who we first met at Pocklington and Andrew Green who is our new link with Lancaster University. Peter Craven has put in his first claim for the wooden spoon with an unusual way of opening the canopy. How nice it is too see a lot of gliders out and flying being done. Nigel's Gull 3 was flown at Walney for the first time. The AGM was well attended and preceded by pie and peas. Our Treasurer reports we are again managing a surplus for future use.
March
2009. The AGM has been set for Sunday 19th April at 6.0pm, hope
you can make it, put it in your diaries. Two re-solos last weekend,
Nigel Dickenson and Graham Sturgeon. Well not quite as they are bo
th
experienced but had been laid off for a while - good excuse for a
round of drinks anyway. Still awaiting the dinner report and prizes
summary from certain individuals who I will be naming shortly. Who's
that in the photo, could it be him. The dinner photos are now on the
website. Graham Sturgeon goes to12000ft in wave and back
inside 60 minutes, mid March, will be on YouTube shortly. The last
weekend produced a lot of firsts. First decent flying day for ages,
first time John Hunt's lovely yellow Elf arrived on the airfield,
John's first flight in it, John's first field landing on his first
flight, John's first round of beer for a field landing. For those
without a gate key, a new combination lock will be on the gate soon.
February 2009. We were flying at the weekend again. Sunday was tantalising, lovely wave but a few too many knots of wind to operate. The tug looks and flies well. By the 18th Feb at long last the CAA were processing the paperwork, would you believe they then back dated it nearly 3 weeks. The tug had been finished and test flown quickly but we had a long wait for the CAA to issue the paperwork. The K21 is finished, thanks Jan. The transition to EASA regulations has not been kind to the gliding world as the application of the theory keeps illustrating unnecessary bureaucratic failures. This was the same last year, hopefully the worst is passed. We have caught all the mice in the bus, 6 weeks without any further catches. It would have been nice to have been flying but, as luck would have it, we only lost one good flying day whilst the Tug has been away due to wind and rain. The annual dinner and prize giving was on the 21st February at the Abbey House Hotel, photos coming shortly together with write up. Peter Redshaw took over the role of Secretary, making him the third generation of his family to hold this post since the Club was founded in 1930. He was heard muttering that he would do a better job than his father!
January 2009.The tug was flown to Blackpool for its annual inspection today (10th Jan). It was due to go Sunday afternoon but the consensus was that the weather would not permit it. (Turned into a good decision) So no gliding until further notice. With a bit of luck it should be back for next weekend but we will email all to let you know when we have it back. The K21 is also having its annual inspection done at the same time. The first weekend saw us flying in sea breeze, wave and thermal mix (for those that could find it). Gordon got the highest. The mouse tally is now 22 in the bus and we are catching them in twos. We had a visit from the Chipping CFI in a Ximango with John Hunt.
