LGC NEWS
November 1999
LGC NEWS |
November 1999 |
Alan D.
Most of This
year’s Trophy Winners
After a disappointing meal last year at the Grange Hotel, the annual dinner moved this year to the Coot restaurant at Urswick. Fortunately the meal was much better this year.
After the meal our chairman, John Martindale, welcomed everyone and said a few words. He also surprised Peter Lewis by presenting him with the Duddon Trophy for services to the club in recognition of the huge amount of work that Peter does for the club.
Peter then talked about the past years achievements before announcing the trophy winners. Cec Batty presented the trophies.
Peter Seddon won the Dodd Trophy for most outstanding progress during the year that was collected on his behalf by John Burdett.
The Lonsdale Trophy for the best cross-country from Walney went to Graham Welch for his flight in May that took in Sedburgh and Keswick before returning to Walney.
The Leighton-Hall Trophy for the most outstanding flight of the year went to Peter Redshaw for a flight of 705km in Spain.
The Alsford Trophy for the greatest gain of height went to John Burdett who climbed to in excess of 21,000 feet at Portmoak.
The Sir Leonard Redshaw Trophy for the most outstanding flying achievement by a non-silver went to Keith Whitworth for his five-hour flight in thermals at Walney.
The next two trophies to be presented were both donated last year by some of the clubs' sponsors. The Elegant Window Systems Trophy for best flight in a two-seat glider was presented by Yvonne McGuire to Keith Butterfield and Andy Tebay for their flight to Sutton Bank in the K21. The Optimum Financial Services Trophy for best gain of height in a two-seat glider went to Peter Lewis and Andy Tebay who climbed from 3700 feet to 15200 feet in the K21 from Walney
The Club Ladder was won by John Martindale with 10204 points (provisionally 15014) Andy Tebay was second with 9706 points and Graham Welch was third with 8223 points.
The Wooden Spoon for most meritous clanger went to Peter Redshaw in recognition of the number of times he landed out in the IS28 at Pocklington this year.
Afterwards the party was divided with some staying in the dining room to endure the noisy disco whilst the majority adjourned to the bar next door. When the music finished at midnight Jean's ghetto blaster appeared in the bar for some unofficial musical accompaniment. The bar staff were obviously keen to get to bed and to put an end to the music, hence most people had drifted away in small groups by 2:30 to continue the party at various houses and hotels around Furness.
The venue provided a completely different atmosphere to the Grange which although it didn't last as long as in previous years, was none the less enjoyed by most of the 48 who were there. Thanks go to Lyn who organised the event this year.
Peter Seddon for gaining his Silver Duration (five hours), Silver Height (1000m gain) and Gold Height (3000m gain) at Portmoak.
Roy Jones for gaining his Gold Height at Portmoak.
Dave Bull for gaining his Gold Height at Aboyne.
John Martindale
At the last AGM a motion was passed that the Club should have a development plan so that any decisions made subsequently would at least have some logic behind them. This should improve the way we manage the Club. So far we have considered the club fleet and launching facilities, and had long discussions on the possibility of developing a satellite site. For some reason this is a very emotive issue.
Much of this issue of the newsletter is taken up by articles on the merits of Walney as a gliding site, presumably prompted by the discussion in committee meetings. As far as the committee policy is concerned it is felt that apart from 2 or 3 months in the summer Walney is hard to beat because of the facilities we have and the ridge and wave soaring. More importantly there are not enough committee members interested in finding a satellite site and developing it to make it feasible. This was overwhelmingly the majority view.
If individuals decide that they wish to fly from another site that is their prerogative whether that site is in Spain or down the road.
The next item on the committee agenda is to plan what we need to do to recruit new members and keep existing ones. Personally I feel that much of this has to do with how people are treated. When people make mistakes whether it's lifting a glider by the tailplane or driving down the active runway it's our fault for not having educated them, giving them "a bollocking" is not an appropriate response but does seem to be the standard reaction in many gliding clubs.
Don't forget to bring photos to the Christmas social for the competition BIG PRIZES!
John Burdett
I don’t think it escaped anyone’s notice that for a few months this year we were without Golf - Oscar Lima. It all started on May bank holiday when Alan Dennis noticed a lot of vibration from the engine. He naturally waved off the glider that was following him and landed immediately. We got Goldstar to come up and have a look at the engine and they confirmed our fears that something was not quite right with the engine. They removed the offending object and took it back to Blackpool with them.
This is where what turned out to be a very long, painful and expensive saga began.
We needed to send the engine away to CSE at Oxford because Goldstars license does not allow them to do bottom end overhauls. Unfortunately CSE were very busy at that time so they could not even look at our engine for 2 weeks, then we were told the work should take 2 – 3 weeks to do and we should have the tug back in the air 4 – 5 weeks after encountering the problem.
Well things went from bad to worse, with reports from CSE of a major break-up of one of the main crankshaft bearings. This in turn had scored the crankshaft but we were told that this could be machined out. The camshaft on inspection was also worn but again was repairable by re-profiling.
There was a delay of about 2 weeks from getting the report from CSE to them actually starting work, this was due to a communication breakdown between myself, Goldstar and CSE. I sent a fax to Goldstar saying ‘get on with the work’ but they claimed not to have received it, so when we contacted CSE to see what progress was being made then the answer was none as they were waiting for ‘go-ahead from their customer, Goldstar’. This sorted then the Overhaul started.
It was at about this point that I went on my hols to Spain, Dave North, Keith Butterfield and Phil Storer all took up the cause and monitored the situation with Goldstar and CSE. It was one morning in Spain that I phoned Phil and got some disturbing news on the progress. I phoned John Dodds who in turn contacted CSE to find out what was going on. This is when the real problem was identified, the crankshaft and the camshaft were found not to be salvageable and new ones would have to be bought. With no choice in the matter I gave the go-ahead to buy new ones. The camshaft was available off the shelf but unfortunately the crankshaft had to be ordered from America.
When the engine was finally rebuilt and bench tested they found a few problems with our HT leads and a small crack in one of the cylinder heads. The leads were replaced and the head welded and this time the engine passed.
We then had to pay CSE before they would release the engine, which we did via a bank transfer. The engine was fetched by one of John Dodd’s lads and the next day it was brought back to Walney and refitted.
Unfortunately the story did not end here, as there were a few minor problems that we sorted out over the next couple of weeks, but the tug was back and we were flying again.
What did it cost in the end? £12952 to CSE and £2505 to Goldstar, we did get £1482 back of CSE for a refund on the old camshaft and crankshaft from Lycoming and for returning the wooden packing crate to CSE, so the total cost came to £13615.
A lot of money I know but we have got a virtually fully overhauled engine for it. I have heard various comments about the way it was all handled, most of them derogatory, but what I can say is I did everything I could to progress the job and get the tug back to us. A fully overhauled engine would have cost about £17000 and a brand new off the shelf engine with no trade in would cost about £28000, so even if at the beginning by looking into our ‘crystal balls’ we knew what was needed we would not have done anything different.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and knowing what I know now then the only thing I would have done different would be to ensure that the communications were better between the three parties involved to save delays in the administration processes.
Lets not dwell on this hopefully never to happen problem any longer but look forward to a long, smooth trouble free future of our beloved little Oscar Lima.
John Burdett
It’s just over a year now since we got the bowser on the airfield and a lot has happened in that time. As many of you are aware we went into long discussions with VSEL about what we were going to use it for, how we were going to convert it to our needs and how we were going to use it before any work could even start on it. After many phone calls and faxes going backwards and forwards between myself and VSEL and with a lot of help from Malcolm Whiter of Fuelling Equipment Specialists Ltd we eventually got the go-ahead to start work with our work permit all signed up on the 14 May.
Now this is where the fun really started!!
Over several weeks and with a lot of help of several people we managed to strip out all the old pumps, meters and filters from the pumping bay (see photo). Some of these items were substantial lumps of metal and required some very unorthodox methods to remove them, enough said.
All of the old filling points and re-circulation points bar the one we were going to use had to be removed and blanked off. Because of the nature of the Avgas that we are going to use then only aluminium or stainless steel can be used for this so I had to get some blanks made up, these five 5" diameter blanks cost over £120 to sort.
The pump and filter unit were acquired through Malcolm Whiter and cost £750, also we had to buy new hose and a nozzle, another £320, a fuel shut off valve £280 and several labels £45.
Two more aluminium flanges of approx. 12" diameter were required and these were made up for us by Keith Whitworth’s brother and cost £82 each.
Now with most of the equipment that we required bought we had to start to put it all together. Alan Meadows used his welding skills and made up a framework to hold the pump. Using a few contacts, who for security reasons shall remain anonymous, I acquired a length of 2" diameter aluminium tubing (to see what it looks like have a look at 526’s, EDZ’s and 495’s new tow out bars!). This has been all welded up with one end on to one of the large flanges that goes into the tank and with a few appropriately placed bends the other end on to a small flange that fits onto the outlet valve.
Keith Butterfield got a small JCB digger, and last Saturday Dave North and Myself cleared back all the bramble bushes that were in the way of the tug getting to the compound, I don’t know about Dave but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Graham Welch could not resist a little play later on it as well but I don’t think it went fast enough for him!
On going to press all these bits and pieces were being fitted onto the bowser and hopefully with a following wind by the time you read this then we should be nearly there.
When we do get our first delivery of Avgas the job is still not over as next year when the weather gets a little better then I want to make it all look a little better, as well as protect it as well, by painting it. This is a job that can be done by anybody so I will expect a good selection of helpers to finish this task off.
As you can see from the above this has not been a cheap project. With £500 to buy the tank, then another £400 to move it up to Walney, all the bits we’ve bought another £1679, plus a few bits and pieces probably in the region of £200 then overall we have laid out nearly £2800. The good side of this is that with the cheaper cost of Avgas as opposed to 4 Star then we should be able to save about £1000 a year on our fuel bills. It doesn’t take a mathematician to work out that with a three year payback then £1000 a year saving after that then even if 4 Star had not been on it’s way out this would have been a good thing to do.
Finally a big thank you to all the people who have helped out on the project over the last few months and sorry for sending you home stinking of kerosene, but as well as being hard work I think we had some fun as well. Maybe in a few news letters time I’ll finish off with a few lines on the last little bit of work and the first fill of fuel (at least that will keep Alan happy).
Dennis Carey
After reading the chairman's WORDS, the secretary's OPINION and Lyn's MEMORABLE FLIGHTS (previous issue), I had an attack of déjà vu or something like it. I had heard it all before, back in the mists of time, and history was now repeating itself.
Thirty years ago there were upwards of seventy-five paid up and mostly active flying members, including several affiliated groups of air cadets, scouts and students. We operated winch and tug all weekend, as well as running full time courses throughout the summer, all of which required a great deal of voluntary effort which then, as now, fell upon the same group of dedicated enthusiasts who kept the show on the road. We averaged around 700 hours a year and ten minutes per launch, as I recollect.
Then a long decline set in for various reasons, until we were down to a third of our previous membership, a handful of active regulars, and annual flying hours dropped to a level where one could confidently predict the end of all gliding activity at Walney.
We struggled on against the forces of apathy and inertia, discussed the problem at great length in the bar, on the field and in committee, which then, as now, seemed undecided on what, if anything, to do about it. The voucher scheme started about this time which brought in some money and a few members who did not stay very long.
There were two schools of thought. Those who wanted to do something positive, like moving to a better site, and those who took refuge in preserving the status quo and their creature comforts, provided so generously by Vickers. At the time, the majority of our members and most of the committee were employed by Vickers, and our chairman paid our wages, so there was a certain reluctance to rock the boat on matters affecting the future existence of the club. But it was becoming obvious that when Len Redshaw retired from the shipyard we would lose our security of tenure on the airfield. Prudence required that we should not close our eyes to a problem which still exists, and we should be seeking a permanent home of our own.
A number of successful local expeditions were mounted to Cark and Haverigg, which revitalised the club to some extent, but failed to address the more fundamental problems associated with Walney, which over the years have not changed at all, and in some respects have actually got worse.
While it is true that improved glider performance and instrumentation have resulted in longer average flight times, this is not of much help or interest to the novice or recently qualified solo pilot who sees an airfield surrounded by water, no safe undershoot, and all of the more interesting soaring areas located miles away from the airfield.
It requires a lot of experience and confidence, and a very expensive aircraft to exploit with safety, the soaring potential of the surrounding area, and we have had many new members leave over the years for precisely these reasons. We used to have a very effective slag bank where new solo pilots could accumulate flying hours and experience in relative safety, before venturing further afield, but someone got the idea of selling it and then landscaping what was left, until it's soaring potential has largely disappeared.
All gliding sites have their problems, some more than others, and they all suffer from weather. When I was CFI, Bill Scull, former BGA National Coach, told me that Walney was one of the most dangerous sites in the country, he had seen them all, and I could find no reason to disagree with him. We have unconsciously accepted an above average level of risk in exchange for hard runways, a hangar and peppercorn rent - and wave flying. The fact is that wave is not unique to Walney, and it can be found all over Cumbria when conditions are suitable.
One of the less obvious disadvantages of being surrounded by water is that we have less than a quarter of the capture area from which to recruit members, when compared with an inland site. Statistically, one can expect to find one active glider pilot in an average population of around 5000, so that from a town the size of Barrow we can expect to recruit no more than 10 or 12 members, or perhaps a couple of dozen from south Cumbria. Actually we seem to do much better than that, which is fortuitous, but the fact remains that we would undoubtedly attract more members by moving to an inland site with a larger capture area, better soaring, closer to larger centres of population.
Over the years gliding has become a much more highly regulated and expensive pastime, and other cheaper competing forms of less regulated leisure activity have become available to the more adventurous members of the community. Rafting and bunjee jumping require no training at all and the essentials of parachuting and hang gliding can be mastered in a weekend. While we do not set out to recruit the thrill seeker, who wants an instantaneous flow of adrenaline with minimal training, it is from among such people that we are most likely to find potential recruits who want nothing more than to indulge in local soaring, cheaply, in safety, without feeling pressurised into badge flights, scoring points and pot hunting.
Whenever I go to the parachute centre at Cark I am quite amazed at the number of people it attracts, far more than we ever see at Walney, and they are all perfectly normal - just like us! They pay much the same rates as we do for a launch, for an average flight time measured in seconds, and I can't help thinking that we could offer them much better value for money.
Winching provides a cheaper method of getting airborne which will appeal to the less well off, and perhaps, if we cultivated a less competitive culture with greater emphasis on the more intangible benefits of soaring for pleasure, even ridge soaring, it might just have the desired effect of attracting new members.
We lost the use of Haverigg when the windmills went up, but the Cark ridge and Cartmel Valley provides an excellent alternative soaring site which does not suffer from orographic cloud, it is more thermic, and there are plenty of emergency landing places. We could have become established at Cark airfield years ago, if we had the will to do so.
There is a site at High Frith, at the foot of Cark ridge about half way along, that we were offered by Hugh Cavendish, some years ago, but the committee again chose to turn it down, and there are other potential sites at either end of the ridge, at Old Park, near Holker Hall and Fish House lane in Haverthwaite.
There is no shortage of potential sites in south Cumbria, and the decline in agriculture opens up possibilities that were not available until quite recently. The only commodity lacking is the drive and the determination to do something about it, like starting a special fund to finance a site of our own, if and when the opportunity occurs.
Newer members are now beginning to question the wisdom of maintaining the status quo, and they have one great advantage that was not available to the old timers, - an excellent news letter where important issues can be discussed in public. If this letter stirs up a serious debate on where the club is going, it will have served its purpose. It will be interesting to see if there is any reaction!
D.J.C.
Peter Redshaw
I read the last newsletter with my usual enthusiasm and see that history is repeating itself. Again the idea of an inland field for weekend use in the summer months has surfaced supported by the argument of security of tenure of our current site. This time it is referred to as a satellite field. Let me give you a few thoughts to digest in reconsidering this idea and defining what is a ‘better site’
This club started in 1930 and tried a field at Hawcoat, a field at Gleaston, Birkrigg Common and then the Moors at Kirkby. Our area was seen as one of the best seven soaring sites in the UK at the time, even holding the UK National free distance record in 1932. This site closed because the peat/grass surface disintegrated and then the war intervened. The ATC then started at Cark airfield and then moved to Walney with I believe a short spell on a local field at some time. The next move was back to the moors and following an exhaustive survey in 1957 (approx.) to an inland site on Tebay fells. During this period at Tebay various other sites in the Kendal, Penrith and surrounding districts were tried or investigated. In 1962 the club was unable to fly from Tebay in the winter due to the peat/grass surface breaking up in the wet. 1964 saw the club reluctantly come to Walney full time as the best compromise for this geographic area and the abandonment of an excellent clubhouse and hangar. Even in the subsequent years no alternate sites were found that provided a better all round compromise. When Len Redshaw retired in 1976 the search for our own site again surfaced in strength. No better sites could be found. Had they been found then further use would have been made of them. We have been flying from Walney for 37 years, 22 without Lens protection, and really have no reason to believe we will have to move.
Other well known sites have their own problemsChipping, do they have a crowded ridge, suffer from sea breeze, and a soggy grass field? Yes.
Husbands Bosworth, a good crowded thermal site, do they fly in the winter and have ridge and wave? No.
Pocklington, do they suffer from sea breeze? Yes.
Portmoak, does everyone have a radio licence to cross the airways mid week? No.
Aboyne, do they have a wide runway for novices, undershoot or overshoot fields? No.
Feshiebridge, do they have landable fields for out landings or cable breaks? No.
Sutton Bank, do they suffer from sea breeze and curl over? Yes.
France, does everyone have a PPL medical and the time and money? No.
Lasham, does everyone feel comfortable amongst 50 plus gliders in the air on a good day? No.
I can keep going with this list but it is more important if as individuals you recall the good and bad points of every site you have visited. If you have not been to other sites it is important for your flying education and progress that you should. It would then be highly evident that every site is a compromise. Progressive clubs encourage flying at other sites. As a generalisation, pilots move north in the winter and south in the summer, why? Also I would ask those that have travelled to many clubs in the UK and abroad, which site would they like to fly from all year round, how far from Cumbria is it and would they still visit other sites and why. How many times on our travels have we come across pilots with no ridge or wave flying experience?
Chipping (now known as Bowland Forest) is worthy of special mention. They have a good web site that is worth a visit with a fair bit of information on their history. They started on tarmac at Blackpool, went to tarmac at Samlesbury and then to the Bowland fells with their own site. Last year they spent about £18000 attempting to drain the site following two wet and soggy winters. The worst spell of virtually no flying, due to the field being water logged, was from August 98 to April 99. This has led to a number of private owners basing their gliders in Yorkshire for the winter. What happens to club income in this period and is being forced to fly from other sites acceptable?
How many times have the recent flying holidays at Portmoak, Husbands Bosworth, Pocklington, Aboyne, The Mynd, had disappointing weather. Some good flights have been had but we have had a lot of non-flying days, even in France and Spain. If you sit on an airfield long enough you will get some good weather. This also applies to Walney.
Why should we consider alternative sites? Various arguments are put forward.There are various reasons put forward, when you cut out the trimmings the main ones are,
Walney is not a good thermal site
We do not own the site
First let me deal with the myth that Walney is not a good thermal site. This unfortunately is translated to Walney not being a good soaring site, which is as far from the truth you can get. The newsletter illustrates this illusion. "is this the first time anyone did 5 hours in thermals" The answer is a positive NO it was done back at least in 1948 and has been done many times since. "I can no longer spend time sitting at Walney looking at clouds in-land" Lyn’s entertaining stories from different locations with dates are very helpful in analysing this illusion. Out of the 10 memorable flights that Lyn related only 2 were on a weekend. One was extended local flying in Holland and the other a 260km flight with an experienced pilot in a Duo Discuss, the rest were midweek from various sites. 454’s, 434’s, 23’s, FJK’s and I believe the Astir’s best flights in Spain were done on a Tuesday and a Thursday. My first 300km from Walney was on a Sunday in 1983, my first 300km return from Walney was done on a Monday, my Diamond height from Walney was done on a Friday and my Diamond distance on a Saturday. I believe Keith Whitworth did his 5hrs Silver duration from Walney on a Sunday, again from the newsletter on the same Sunday the K21 did 230km from Pocklington. When I look back in my logbook a lot of my good flights were mid-week. Yes we have a sea breeze and the thermals are often inland, many other sites are in the same position but this does not make Walney a poor all year round soaring site.
From this simple analysis it becomes evident that to progress quickly we need to go away to various other sites and partake in wave/thermal/ mountain/competition and cross-country flying and/or specialised courses. This gives us the chance of flying 7 days a week, giving the benefits of a 7 day spread of weather, visiting those sites that are fortunate to have easier/better conditions at particular times of year, so that we may have memorable flights more frequently than if we only fly at weekends from our own site. Lyn and John have both ably demonstrated this. We should encourage one or two-week gliding holidays and find the means of flying 7 days a week (not possible for Walney with our catchment area). Certainly we should not convince ourselves we can’t soar from Walney. Gliding achievements require a positive mental attitude, we all find excuses for why we couldn’t do it. Think about it, the only person you can fool is yourself. Don’t blame the site or the glider. Yes it would be nice to have an Ash 25 and an ideal field, that is not reality.
Now let me deal with the fact that we do not own the airfield, as this is the only real reason for considering an alternate site. It really has nothing to do with sea breeze or thermals. A wet day at Walney is a wet day at Kendal, Cark, Penrith, Chipping, a satellite site, etc. The potential uncertainty of tenure is what many clubs live with and is regularly put forward at those clubs (including Walney) as a reason for seeking an alternate site. One that you purchase not rent, beg steal or borrow. If the ideal site existed within say 50 miles of Walney I would probably fly there, so would the rest of us and it would have been found decades ago. So why doesn’t this ideal site exist. It is at this point that the compromise of good all year round soaring, hard runways and in particular cheap flying take over the logic. It is not for the sake of looking, it actually boils down to how much existing and future members are prepared to pay for their flying. For those of you that have been to other sites look at their charges and how they change your attitude to whether you fly or not. Winch launching is not the solution, study the history of Chipping, their achievements and failed attempt to provide aero-tows. Why did they want aero-tows, could it be because they have problems reaching the lift also.
Ask other questions and seek the answers.Here are some that immediately come to mind. Who would put in the time, effort, money, has the necessary instructor rating, is in current winching practice, will take the 2 seaters every weekend and bring them back, will take the single seaters and bring them back, has a van to sleep in, has all the tools to keep an old winch going, will be there early to rig and stay late to de-rig, will notify club members of the trips and whether they are on or off, charge the batteries overnight, how do we sell vouchers (our life blood) if we are not at Walney, who is the hardcore of the club, who would do the work, who flies the tug for one or two months, who would build the hangars, build a club house and so on to mention a few of the problems. Would the enthusiasts for a move think this out and explain it to those that have settled for the current compromise, do the enthusiasts for a move actually keep the club running at the moment, are those that wish to move prepared to pay a lot more for their flying.
Who would move? With a few notable exceptions most of the clubs more experienced pilots have access to private machines. Over the years the number of private owners will increase. Now here is a catch, many of the private owners are the hardcore members of the club. Unless we are actually thrown off Walney and all focus our minds on a new site with all the problems and costs involved what would they do. If you need another inland site for a weekend, a few months or even on a semi-permanent basis, I believe they would find it a lot less hassle and time consuming to go to Chipping, Rufforth, Dishforth, Sutton Bank etc. Apart from the initial fun (both getting there and flying) of a different site, our past experience at trying alternate sites in this area has demonstrated it causes a lot of hassle, extra work and frustration for all. It will only take one or two private owners to say ‘sod it’ and the hard core of pilots could be off in the summer months on a permanent basis, not just for flying holidays
Potential sitesLets spend a few moments thinking about where these potential sites are and what we need. It is assumed that the search embraces the West side of the Pennines up to Carlisle and down to Preston and that we must be able to buy the site. The assessments of sites must take into account ALL requirements and not be blinkered by thermals. See how the options rapidly narrow as you consider the requirements for a good all year round soaring site.
Far enough inland to be on the thermal side of the sea breeze. This is the main objective, but the catch is that to avoid the sea breeze the site must be in the hills or near Penrith and at least some 15 to 20 miles from the coastlines.
Big enough fields to provide aero tows and winching from 3 ‘runways’. By default this means that we must be looking at coastal areas or again in the Penrith area.
A lot of ‘large’ flat fields suitable for land outs whilst learning to fly within say a 5 mile radius. Again this puts a site in a coastal area. The Penrith area is not flat but does have a large undulating area.
No airway restrictions overhead. This means we must either restrict wave flying to a 6000ft to 7500ft ceiling in the Penrith area or we have winter visits to Walney.
A ridge that permits ridge soaring with at least a SW wind within 1 mile of the site. The only combination of flattish fields and ridges is in the Penrith area if we want to avoid the coastal areas.
The ability to fly all year round. The only airfields that exist are in coastal areas so we must assume that a move dictates that we fly off a grass surface. Now Cumbria is not renowned for being an arid area, flat areas are coastal and have a tendency to flooding and the higher areas are hilly and peaty. Our club has had to move twice because of peat. We must therefore pick a field that has a good draining soil base and allow enough money to lay down hardcore for three narrow runways and draining the field.
Planning permission will be required to build a hangar and clubhouse, to winch, aero tow and operate as a gliding site. Most of the area we are looking at will require special approval as it falls within the National Park.
Ah well, back to Walney then!!!!!! No just a minute several sites have been tried and have been claimed to be suitable. Certainly fun was had on these expeditions even though the desired safety standards were not always achieved.
Cark airfield. No good as it is a single runway operation with wire fences on the runway edges, on the coast, has intense parachuting activity, steam gatherings, go carting and we could not buy it/control it.
Haverigg. Already in use, single runway, coastal, big ridge, now with the benefit of windmills.
Holker Estates under the Cark ridge. Wet soggy fields in the winter with drainage ditches, still coastal, power lines and restricted field size for 3 runway operation. Holker Estates would not sell their vita grass fields.
The Kendal field. Small, single runway, no ridge, grass, no aero tows, and surrounded by unsuitable hilly landing areas.
Lowther estates near Penrith. Lord Lowther was the President of the club for many years and was fundamental in helping identify suitable sites for the club in 1956/7. When/as the Tebay site became unflyable he offered to rent some of his land to the club for ‘peanuts’. The best area that could be found was unsuitable and nearly resulted in a glider cart wheeling over a tree on the approach.
Lythe valley south of Levens. This is similar to Holker Estates land and is wet, still coastal but has ridges that would permit soaring in westerly and easterly winds. Curl over could be interesting. A number of fields would need purchasing. This is good farming land and in an expensive area.
Don’t forget the sites already tried at Kirkby Moors, Tebay Fell etc. (see history)
Interesting assessment if correct. Certainly not better all year round sites. Ah well, back to Walney while we think about what the compromises will be for the chosen site!!!!
The fact is there are only two potential areas in the Cumbrian area West of the Pennines, Lythe Valley under Levens Village and A N Other near Penrith and close to Crossfell. Both sites will necessitate compromises. There is little point in moving to the Lythe Valley as the sea breeze still dominates the area in the summer but certainly not as quickly as Walney, but it is very soggy so we probably would not be able to fly in the winter. So the only area left is Penrith. Blanket airways at 6000 to 7500ft, wet fields and potentially no flying in the winter, potentially severe turbulence with easterly winds, but yes thermals and a long ridge. There was a man with a T53 who flew from a field north of Penrith (Cumrew, close to Carlisle) and on the west face of Crossfell, I don’t know what happened but I am given to believe it crashed.
SummaryThe very nature of the sites tried over the years by our club and the unique difficulties of every gliding site should tell you that the choice of every site is a compromise. This fact is being ignored.
We cannot sustain flying 7 days a week at Walney
The weather is variable at all sites, not just Walney
All sites are better and easier than others for particular aspects of flying, including Walney
It is beneficial to fly from alternate sites to broaden your experience
It is even more beneficial if you can indulge in wave/thermal/mountain/competition/cross country courses
It is easy to talk about a move but hard to achieve in practice unless everyone is focussed, this needs a common enemy i.e., we have to be thrown off Walney
If we were thrown off the airfield then a site and the means would be found and compromises accepted. Whilst finding a new site we would probably fly from somewhere like Chipping or Pocklington for 6 to12 months.
If the ideal site existed within say 50 miles of Walney it would have been found decades ago. It would not be an illusion.
If we were prepared to pay a lot more for our flying now we could probably purchase another site in the near future, but even then it would be a compromise.
It is not for the sake of looking, it actually boils down to how much existing and future members are prepared to pay for their flying.
Promoting the case for an alternate site means running down Walney and its facilities by default
I cannot see the point in uprooting to another site only to face other compromises unless we are forced to move.
We are Lucky to have a good cheap all year round site with a good mixture of good ridge, good wave, good sea breeze (yes it is a form of lift and it was what got me home on my 500km from Walney) and good thermals. It is the best in the North West.
If we are not careful our club will disappear up the orifice of good intentions supported by illusions, then where will we fly?
I understand a satellite to be a minor object rotating about the mass of the mother object, but this is not what was discussed in committee, nor outlined in the newsletter. An alternate site either temporary or permanent is a subject whose key aspect must revolve around flying safety and year round soaring potential, both perceived and factual. Its selection cannot therefore be a subject for a democratic vote amongst all club members, and should not be a subject for behind the bus discussion and lobbying. It should be handled at general and flying committee level and not in the newsletter. If the committees decide to move then it would be appropriate to hold a postal referendum of all members to seek their approval.
The last time this subject was nearly put to bed I was CFI. It was divisive then and I believe it is now because to promote the case it means running down Walney by default. The lobbying nearly destroyed the club as the idea of how much better it would be at Cark, Kendal, Lindale etc was sold to members. Ever since the club was forced to leave Tebay in 1964 we have progressively lost members and potential members for various reasons but also including Walney and its facilities being inadvertently rubbished in favour of a so-called better site. We have still not learnt our lesson. It is so easy to convince someone that the grass is greener on another site and those with relatively more experience can easily influence newer members on flying matters.
If we were thrown off the airfield then a move would not be divisive but would have 100% support, a site and the means would be found but in the meantime we would probably fly from somewhere like Chipping and Pocklington. A Saturday and/or Sunday expedition with small groups of members to another gliding site with a 2 seater and single seater is worthy of consideration, but not a satellite. Why reinvent the problems in creating another site when it is hard enough to run one and so easy to let another club look after the hassle. Why even take our club machines, could we not do a deal with Chipping to train say up to 4 of our members at any one time for a few months in the summer and we will train say up to 4 of theirs for a few months in the winter.
The idea of a satellite site should be quietly dropped, unless you are all willing to work a lot harder, put in more time and pay a lot more to enjoy your hobby.
Senior/experienced club members and the newsletter should adopt a positive attitude to selling the merits of our site to our existing and potential new members, if you convince them our site is no good why should they join. If we are not careful our club will disappear up the orifice of good intentions supported by illusions, then where will we fly?
I have never claimed Walney to be the perfect gliding site, I do believe strongly that it is a good safe all year round training and soaring site. The site is good for all aspects of basic training and good for the experienced pilot. It is however not easy to go from Bronze C to competent soaring and cross-country pilot and, because of the Pennines, 300km and 500km flights are not easy. There is only one quick way round this problem for members of any gliding site in the UK and particularly on the NW side of the Pennines, visit other specialised sites and/or latch onto advanced training courses. But don’t try and tell me it can’t be done from Walney and that our club gliders are not good enough. Be warned I will start re-telling my OLY 2B stories on the airfield.
I am no longer one of the hardcore members when it comes to effort in running our club, therefore I must put up or shut up. I remain a regular pilot and wish to see our club continue to prosper. Yes it would be wonderful to have a gliding site that we owned and that was the envy of every UK gliding club, but this is not possible in this geographic location. Walney has proved to be the best all round compromise for this area since gliding started in 1930. To own our own site would be good but at what sacrifice.
I will now shut up, leave it to today’s hardcore members and give them my full support in their efforts to guide our club onwards and upwards. Feel free to tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about, but even with my modesty I can genuinely claim to have been there, done that, got the T-shirt and in an OLY 2B.
Peter Redshaw, Aka 23
(And for those that don’t know me) Started flying in 1962 - Club, Lakes Gliding Club, Walney. Total gliding hours: 3692hrs 40min, with 4558 launches. Cross country: 49612km. Number of gliders flown: 37 plus. Certificates: A, B, Bronze, 100km Diploma, Silver, Gold, 3 Diamonds (All done from Walney). Ex Chief Flying Instructor, instructed for 26 years, retired. PPL (lapsed). SLMGPPL: 266hrs 55min. Total flying hours: 3959hrs 35min.
Now that winter is upon us, please could you ensure that the parachutes are put in the tower at the end of the day, rather than leaving them in the gliders, on the bus or just lying around the hangar getting damp. Thanks!
Uncle Bug
E
Envelope (paper) – something into which you slip your humble stipend for services rendered by the club; perhaps the odd 8000ft aero-tow, or even the late payment of your annual membership.
Envelope (flight) – a range of flying parameters (e.g. Speed) beyond which the wings of ones beloved flying machine tend to part company with the fuselage, thus depriving ones arse of an efficient means of support. (Graham please note!)
Echelon (flying) – believed to be some form of jet jockey formation borne out of the belief that if you can see your mate flying next to you, he’s not liable to shoot you in the posterior. See Trust & Teamwork.
Echelon (social) – a) Upper - status allows one the privilege of ordering lower echelons about (see below) and insisting on cringing deference at all times.
They
Should not be looked at directly.
Should not be spoken too unless an answer has been demanded.
Should never have to buy a round.
Should be obeyed unquestioningly at ALL times.
Should not need to conform to the flying list.
Should be permitted to compile flying rules for lower echelons only.
b) Lower – status allows one the privilege of....er....existing.... as long as such existence does not cramp the style of the upper echelon.
They should:
ensure all gliders are rigged, D.I.’d, polished, dragged to the launch point, and made ready for the upper echelon.
be ready at all times to push out the upper echelon, and attach them to the launch device on command.
refrain from contradicting the upper echelon, even in the face of extreme provocation.
if commanded, forfeit the right to fly before the upper echelon, unless said party has commanded him to sniff for lift.
be prepared to retrieve the upper echelon without complaint, and if previously acting as ‘sniffer’, be prepared to take full responsibility for the land-out.
Eventualities – the last pre-flight check following CBSIFTCB, by way of primitive risk management. The timid get out of the glider at this point, only to fall over the cable trying to run away. The intrepid, skilled, and deluded however, bravely sit it out and imagine all the diabolical situations they could get into during the launch, and devise a CAP (cunning action plan) to improve their chances of survival.
Engine - a nasty smelly thing that is bolted between the fuselage and the propeller, by way of turning the former, to drag the latter through the air. Normally quite noisy these, they occasionally fail expensively, to restore an air of peace and quiet to the airfield.
Elevator – a flappy bit stuck onto the tail-plane to assist the aviator in coaxing the machine into some semblance of a normal gliding attitude. Operated by deft fore and aft movements of the joystick, the plane will assume an oscillating motion akin to a roller-coaster (see PIO). Correct operation can be maintained provided the following easily remembered mnemonics are learned and chanted in times of stress.
SBSSSIS(SS) – Stick Back, See Sky, Shit I’ve Stalled (Spun, Screamed)
SFSGSISWFO – Stick Forward, See Ground, Speed Increasing Seriously, Wings Fall Off.
Epaulettes – dubbed ‘les little shoulders’ by the French, they (along with a lot of other French things like 2CVs, snails, Bijaves, letters, polish, kisses etc.) serve no useful purpose whatsoever. Early military aviators wore the full-monty ‘gold braid and bog brush’ style of epaulette to distinguish the upper echelon from the lower, but it was soon realised that they did nothing for the drag factor of their primary gliders, so the practice was discontinued.
Ear bashing – something the upper echelons give to the lower version, by way of coaching and behavioural modification.
Egg – as in ‘all-round good egg’; someone of a generous and selfless nature. I.e. Does not hide behind the bus when it is time to rig the Nimbus, in spite of suffering from back pain, strangled hernia and haemorrhoids. See – pillock.
Egg (v) – to gently encourage an unsuspecting individual to participate in (usually marginal) flying endeavours. Listen for phrases like "yes of course the Combe is working!" and "are you going for the picture?". The deliverer will usually be ensconced in the bus with a face full of doughnut/hot dog/pie etc.
Alan Dennis
Following a legitimate complaint made to me at the Annual Dinner after the award of the Club Ladder Trophy, I feel that it is necessary to highlight a couple of the ladder rules and to state how I have previously interpreted and applied those roles and how I intend to continue to apply them in the future.
The rules clearly state that eligible flights are those made between November 1st and October 31st. They also state that all claims must be submitted within 31 days of the flight, or by the annual dinner, whichever is sooner. This is all well and good except that a problem arises where badge claims are concerned and the sometimes lengthy ratification process of the BGA (often enforcing the rules of the FAI). As you probably know, club ladder flights have to be made from Walney, unless it is a badge claim in which case they may be made anywhere. Also, points for badge claims flown from Walney may be doubled. Hence badge claims can have a significant affect on the result of the ladder.
The rules dictate that it is often necessary to enter ladder claims for badge flights before they have been ratified by the BGA. In this situation I enter all such claims onto the ladder on the assumption that they will eventually be ratified. As an Official Observer I have a pretty good idea whether a badge claim will be successfully approved or not, subject of course to the thorough scrutiny by Basil the B...GA claims person. If they are subsequently not confirmed then I will "adjust" the ladder claim - either by removing the double bonus or by removing the claim completely if it was away from Walney.
If however at the time of the dinner the winner has unratified claims outstanding, then the award of the trophy can only be provisional on the successful ratification of those claims. If they weren't to be confirmed then it could mean that the trophy should rightly go to the runner up. In this situation it will be made perfectly clear when the trophy is presented that it's award is provisional and it might pass to the runner up if the badge claims are not ratified.
Hence the results of this years ladder are confirmed as:
1. J Martindale 10204 (provisionally 15014)
2. A Tebay 9706
3. G Welch 8223
(....and the bonus ball is number 15)
I hope that has cleared up any ambiguity. As you can appreciate, where the ego's of glider pilots are concerned, looking after the club ladder is sometimes a thankless task, but on the whole it is one that I enjoy and am happy to continue doing. However the club is a democracy and if ever my integrity or impartiality are called into question then I will be more than happy to hand over the reigns to a more suitable successor. At all times the claim forms are available from me for independent scrutiny if required.
So, now that we all know the size, shape and position of the goalposts and also have a level playing field, at the dawn of a new ladder year can I urge you all to take part in the Club Ladder in the spirit of fun and friendly competition that it is intended. Indeed it is worth re-stating here the objectives of the ladder: "The ladder is open to all club members. The points and handicapping system is designed to allow all pilots, from pre-solo to triple diamond pundit, to compete on an equal basis." If you are unfamiliar with the ladder then collar me or anyone else and we'll explain it. May the best pilot win!
Alan Dennis
(Ladder Steward)
Neil Braithwaite
Since Linda is under the illusion that I am extremely well insured she has recently been introducing me to increasingly exotic aeroplanes; Recently I have had the pleasure of surviving flights in a Jet Provost and a Yak-52.
The Jet Provost was, and hopefully still is, operated by the Fast Jet Club out of Sandtoft. For those of you that know Pocklington (and those that don't), Sandtoft is a small tarmac strip on the opposite side of the Humber from Pocklington. It is a typical wartime airfield that has largely been redeveloped, leaving a main road and an industrial estate on the threshold of the runway, more of this later. The field hosts a small flying club and an aircraft museum. Well, there were large piles of bits of aircraft, anyway. The jet in question is an example of what was the RAF's basic jet trainer at one time. I believe they have now been replaced by Tucanos, which has resulted in quite a few ending up in private hands. The sample I was to fly (G-BWGT) was a mark 4a, which meant little to me before I met its operator, Eddie Todd. He informed that this meant it had the (good) handling of a mark 3 and better performance than the mark 5 (pressurised and consequently heavier). There is a picture of me in the offending aircraft above.
I didn't think the weather on the appointed day was too clever; there was about 6/8 Cu at 2000 feet and a gusty South westerly wind. If I was bumbling around in a Cessna I wouldn't have bothered, but when we arrived at Sandtoft Eddie said that he would rather have the windy days as a) Sandtoft is a 600 yard strip, b) Jet Provosts are heavy and c) brake shoes cost £300 a set. In short the weather was no problem. After a small panic when WE (what a diplomat) couldn't find the gift card proving that the flight was paid for, we adjourned to the hangar at the far end of the strip and unceremoniously hauled the aircraft out of the hangar, tail first, with a four wheel drive. Eddie instructed me to climb up onto the trailing edge, place one foot in a spring loaded recess near the cockpit and climb over the sill and down into the cockpit, 'you can stand on the ejection seat'. I was quite impressed with the seat bit as Jet provosts have had an interesting time in civilian hands: One guy was doing aerobatics with his brother next to him when, at the top of a loop, there was a loud noise and it suddenly got extremely windy. The seat, brother attached, had fallen through the canopy. Luckily the seat, although having no charge, had been disabled in such a way that the 'chute etc, worked and all lived happily ever after. More sadly there have been fatalities recently. The "being impressed with the seat" bit didn't last long as I was told they were disarmed and no chutes were fitted. No helmets either which was a bit of a shame as I was rather looking forward to looking the part!
I was shown what was what in the cockpit: Conventional controls but with a suitably meaty stick, hefty throttle lever. The briefing was reasonably comprehensive but I was conscious that I was rapidly going to get overloaded so made a mental effort to remember where the DI, ASI and Altimeter where amongst the clutter of the panel. To my untutored eye starting the thing looked extremely easy and a few minutes after hauling it out of the hangar we were lining up. The advantage of the full dual controls was that I was allowed to do the take-off. 'When I tell you to rotate, pull, then check the attitude'. I duly obliged. Once it had gathered speed, the acceleration was similar to a winch launch and the climb out angle much the same. Our initial rate of climb was around 4000 feet per minute and I have a feeling that this was at around 150 knots. Sorry to be vague but I had better things to do than take notes. Since the cloud base was at 2000 feet, shortly after take off I found myself on instruments. More exactly one instrument as I am a great believer in the artificial horizon and had no spare brain to look at anything else. Luckily we soon popped out of the broken Cu going in approximately the same direction as before (I had made great efforts not to actually move anything while in cloud). At this point Eddie took it off me and simply rolled the aircraft 360 degrees. I 'm not sure what the rate of roll was but it appeared bloody fast to me. Since I didn't make a fuss about this manoeuvre I was given the controls back and we continued on up to 10,000.
Once at a safe altitude I was allowed to explore the handling. Initially I just flew around getting the feel of it. In pitch it felt a little like a modern glider but was much more responsive and lighter in roll. The rudder pedals were basically for steering on the ground. Stalls were a non-event, with plenty of warning / rumbling but I dare say we lost plenty of height in the recovery. I seem to remember this occurred around 90 knots clean and a bit less with flaps and undercarriage down. The aeroplane was reluctant to slow down as the jet produces quite a lot of thrust, even at idle. To help with this it is fitted with airbrakes, operated by a rocker switch under your thumb on the throttle. This is a very civilised way of operating this control but I'm afraid the Capstan beats the Provost for effectiveness. What I do remember as being a struggle was the undercarriage: Despite being electrically operated (I assume there are some hydraulics some where along the way) the push button was extremely stiff to operate.
Eddie then took control and dived the plane to 350 knots, pulled up from 4000 feet pulling 5g and rolled in the vertical until we regained 10,000 feet, pulling through back to horizontal flight. This was exhilarating to say the least and I struggled not to grey out during the pull-up, despite tensing my leg and abdominal muscles. It doesn't help that the seat backs are near vertical. After getting that out of his system Eddie demonstrated again before letting me lose. Again I cant remember the entry speeds but I think we pulled around 3,5 g entering a loop and Eddie managed to fly through his wake on finishing one loop. My attempts weren't quite as neat but it was exhilarating to be able to do practically anything with the aeroplane without worrying about overstressing it. Rolls were accomplished without any fuss what so ever, perhaps because they were over and done so quickly, the rate of roll was phenomenal compared to anything I had flown before. The only problem I experienced was in stopping the roll; I tended to over control so that we would overshoot the wings level position and then wobble back! Very sensitive ailerons or maybe just hamfistedess! Inverted flight was equally easy with the nose just held a little above the horizon. I was grateful I'd taken the time to pull my lapstrap as tight as I could before take-off. Being upside down doesn't feel that strange if you can still feel the seat pressing your behind. My instructor obviously had great faith in the aeroplane and his ability as he let me try anything I wanted; rolls off the top, inverted flight, cubans etc. I can honestly say I had never had so much fun in an aeroplane.
When Eddie was fed up with my attempts he took over and showed me stall turns (didn't know you could do that without any slipstream), barrel rolls, hesitation rolls, and then what you would do in a dogfight with another plane on your tail. I must confess that at this point I got completely disorientated; I can only remember that whatever he did was extremely interesting and finished off with rolling through 270 degrees to the left and pulling into a tight right turn.
By this time my allotted 1/2 hour was nearly up so I was prompted to lower the nose, blast through the tops of some nearby Cu and press on down to 2000 feet where Eddie took over and proceeded on down to 500 feet to 'visit' his house. Having woken up the neighbours we proceeded back towards the airfield at 500 feet and full throttle which is a little, but only a little, bit like a beat up only much more so! This was exciting enough but got even more interesting when the aeroplane was rolled inverted and I had the privilege of watching South Yorkshire pass by 500 feet above my head. To recover from this attitude Eddie pushed forward and climbed to 1000 feet before rolling erect, another interesting experience!
Now that everything was back in the right place Eddie pointed out the airfield ahead and prompted me to join onto base leg for a run up the runway, again flat out at 500 feet. From here I was talked around the circuit. Dropping the flaps and undercarriage before Eddie took control on short finals and took full advantage of the undershoot area to save the brakes. We taxied back and I hopped out for the next victim to clamber aboard.
The only down side to this experience is that it extremely difficult to follow. Circuit bashing now seems extremely tame! I can only recommend the experience and suggest you leave hints for Father Christmas.
The Fast Jet Club can be contacted on 01302 820007.
The next instalment of S&G Club News through the ages.
April 15th, 1932 - Vol. 3 No 8
Easter Meeting: Despite widely varying weather conditions, and mishaps to machines, a four day programme was possible.
Our site at Moorside Askam provides, fortunately, for winds N.E. to S.E. and again S.W to N.W.
Friday: Wind S.E. 25-30mph. On account of the good wind our B.A.C.II machine was used, and our more experienced pilots in turn had flights from the hill breast of one and a half to one minutes' duration. Considerable uplift was forthcoming over a roadway, and at times sufficed to keep the machine buoyant.
A particularly creditable effort was made by our ground captain, but in all cases good landings were made.
Saturday: As the wind continued in the same direction and was of increased velocity, it was decided to operate with the Club's intermediate machine, B.A.C.III, which to date had not been flown by Club members.
Mr Pilling led off with a series of flights in which he worked along the ridge for a half to three-quarters of a mile, but owing to the obstructive effect off an adjoining hill was unable to complete the return journey after turning.
Mr Stevens, another of our "B" members, also flew in this machine and made a remarkably good flight for his first experience of a closed-in machine.
Sunday: Wind conditions still held and once more the B.A.C.III was in use. On account of heavy rain, a start was not made until the middle of the afternoon.
The first flight, by Mr Pilling, was a superb effort, the machine attaining a height, over the roadway beneath, of about 250 feet and this was maintained for quite a long stretch, as the machine flew cross wind along the road. A perfect landing into wind concluded what was judged one of the most graceful flights yet witnessed here.
Messrs. Foster and Stevens, inspired by this lead, made flights in a like direction. Unfortunately the latter experienced some difficulty over the roadway, and was forced into a down-wind landing on the hill-side, which he carried out with considerable skill, the machine escaping with a damaged skid.
Monday: Commenced dull and with occasional rain; wind S.W., 15-20mph. Towards noon the weather cleared sufficiently for operations to commence.
On account of the lighter wind and altered direction, our R.F.D. machine was chosen for the day, and, as this is only a recent acquisition by the Club, Messrs. Redshaw, Brittain, Winder, Butterfield and Foster were each given a series of flights so as to acquire the necessary control of this type of craft.
In all cases the results were rather gratifying, and it was much regretted when a cross-wind landing broke a king-post. As the afternoon was now well advanced, flying was called off, although the B.A.C.II machine was in readiness as spare machine.
May 17th, 1932 - Vol. 3 No 10
Sunday, April 17th: Operations were carried out from a knoll overlooking and adjoining our site. Wind S.W. to W. vel 20-25 mph.
Mr Stevens, the ground captain, led off with a flight across our site, then by flying to and fro across the lower face, he was eventually able to land in a field some 700 feet below his starting point.
On account of the launching party being short-handed, it was decided that landings should be confined to the site. Mr Redshaw, following, attained a height off 150 feet, and crossing over made a good qualifying flight of 48 sec. into the centre of the site proper.
C.A. Britton followed with two flights of just under the 45.
Mr Redshaw now secured his second qualifying flight with a time of 52 seconds and just failed to cap this with a "B".
Messrs. Butterfield and Lock also had flights.
May 1st: Wind direction S.W. wind light. Burnett made a series of flights, but conditions did not permit off a qualifying flight being attempted.
Following on this Messrs. Butterfield and Winder had useful flights, and then came the turn of our junior member, D. Todd, who, with an effort no doubt, had managed to drag himself away from the site where two "joy-riding" aeroplanes were operating. His flights, varying from 15 to 20 sec each, were well controlled, and he gives promise of becoming quite expert.
During spasms of unsuitable weather, work proceeds on the conversion of the Club's R.F.D. machine, by the addition of a detachable nacelle, and of the B.A.C. machine by the acquisition of larger span taper wings.
GASIL
I would assume that most of us are aware of the absolute necessity of avoiding alcohol when flying. How many of us however are as aware of the detrimental effect on our flying ability of the after effects of drinking, the common or garden hangover. So what are these after-effects? Let us look at them individually:
FatigueIf sleep is to be refreshing and achieve its purpose, it is important that it follows a natural pattern during which different levels of sleep are experienced. If this pattern is interfered with, the result is that the person wakes feeling less refreshed than normal for a given length of sleep. Alcohol disrupts the sleep pattern. It is a depressant and even when asleep we are affected in a profound manner. The result is that when people have been drinking the night before, they awake tired even if they have slept for a good eight hours. When tired, we do not perform as well. This is due to the development of 'micro-naps. These are episodes lasting for about one second when the brain essentially shuts down. During this time, the flow of reasoning stops and important factors may be missed. The more tired an individual is the more often these occur. All levels of function are affected. Of importance to aviation are skilled performance and intellectual function, including judgement and self criticism and these are affected first. It is vital to realise that these effects are insidious and one is unaware of them until quite severely affected.
DehydrationWhen the body deals with alcohol, water is lost in two ways. Firstly, as the liver chemically gets rid of alcohol it uses up water in the process. Secondly when alcohol is in the blood, it makes the kidneys lose more water than they would otherwise do. The net effect is that the body goes into a water deficit. Why is dehydration a problem? Firstly it hurts. As the water deficit develops, the lining of the brain is stretched causing inflammation and a throbbing headache. Secondly, the higher centres of the brain are affected so that functions such as judgement and decision making may be compromised. Finally dehydration will also compound the effects of fatigue.
SugarAs alcohol is metabolised away, the body uses up sugar with the effect that the blood sugar levels drop. At one end of the spectrum, too low a4evel will result in a coma. At the other end we function normally. To perform effectively, the brain needs adequate amounts of sugar. As the levels are reduced, all the higher functions such as skilled performance and judgement are degraded in an insidious way. This is why topping up the sugar levels by whatever means make those with hangovers feel a little better.
Metabolic ProductsAlcohol when metabolised produces products which are poisonous. Also, certain alcoholic drinks may contain chemicals which are in themselves poisonous. This is why some drinks such as red wines and port often produce a worse hangover than other drinks. These chemicals affect the functioning of all organs of the body including the brain Like the other factors we have considered, they will affect all aspects of human function and will compound those of fatigue dehydration and low blood sugar.
In summary, getting rid of alcohol from the blood stream is not the end of the story. All the effects described above are there well after the alcohol has left the blood stream and may significantly affect our performance. In addition the situation is far worse for flyers. Even when alcohol has left the bloodstream, it remains in the fluid in our inner ear, the balance organ. This changes the physical characteristics of the fluid with the result that the organ's function is disrupted. Even the smallest amounts of alcohol left in the fluid of the inner ear will make the aviator far more susceptible to disorientation in the air. As with all the other effects discussed this will be present, even if not consciously obvious, for some time after the alcohol has left the blood stream.
CAA Comment: We would recommend that pilots familiarise themselves with the contents of AIC114/1996 (Pink 128) 'Medication, Alcohol and Flying.' Pilots should not fly for at least 8 hours after taking small amounts of alcohol and proportionately longer if larger amounts are consumed. It would be prudent for a pilot to abstain from alcohol for at least 24 hours before flying.
(Reprinted from GASIL; Adapted from the RN Flight Safety Magazine COCKPIT with thanks to Surgeon Commander CJ Stoot)
Graham Sturgeon.
This is just a little article I dug out after a recent conversation with a member on the airfield about trailer towing, tachographs and the law relating to them.
I was informed, by an officer of the law, that if you were towing a trailer and the all up train weight was in excess of 3500kg then you are obliged to have a tachograph fitted to your tow vehicle. This had been earlier backed up by a friend of mine who turned up at my works in a Land Rover, complete with trailer, fitted with a tachograph. I have looked into this further and I have found out that the law does state this, but only if you are towing the trailer for gain or reward. There is no need to panic about getting your 4wd or camper van fitted with a tachograph unless you are being paid. If you are to tow a trailer for reward and the weight exceeds 3500kg you need a tachograph fitting. I the weight is less than 3500kg you do not need a tachograph, even for commercial use. See EC Council Regulation 3821/85.
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Rip Pearson
Many things stand out in my mind about my tour of duty in Habbaniya. We got used to feeding the local mosquitoes in the evening at the open air bar and learned to ignore the itches and bumps on exposed parts of our anatomy. The mosquitoes at the Bitter Lake, where we had our barbecues, were like Vampire bats and I swear each took a pint of blood at every bite. Woe betide the victim who made the mistake of discarding clothing prior to the inevitable dunking in the Bitter Lake; getting it on again over wet and swelling flesh was a major exercise. Then there were snakes and spiders. The black banded kritte snake and the Camel spider were both venomous, supposedly fatal. We soon learned to keep our feet off the ground when seated outside; these discomforts were minor compared to the idyllic life we led. We flew in the cool of the day, after which one could swim, using one of two magnificent pools, fly out into the desert in one of the communication squadron aircraft - landing on a saltpan for a picnic, fish in the river, barbecue, sightsee in Baghdad, play any sport, shoot, visit other messes (the nurses was the most popular), or wander round the local Souk. This latter was fascinating and on the Station. There one could have an excellent uniform made, a pair of shoes handmade, pots and pans, carpets and rugs, trinkets, jewellery, almost anything imaginable. Intricate filigree jewellery pieces were built up by old guys using a charcoal block and blowpipe, incredible to watch and everything was of very high standard and excellent quality. In the evenings it was a toss up between the open air cinema, the casino, a barbecue, or more swimming. What was missing, of course, was female company. "South Pacific" was doing the cinema rounds at the time and when the chorus line sang "there is nothing like a dame" we knew exactly how they felt.
The Iraqi desert was a surprising place. On the charts it was pretty featureless, showing only settlements, established wadis, saltpans, camel trails, roads and oil pipelines. In truth there was a fair amount of life around We saw plenty of game on our shooting expeditions, there were occasional herds of camel wandering about, apparently unattended, the Bedouin tribes camped here, there and everywhere in black tented settlements miles from anywhere. Looking at the charts one day in a half interested sort of way, I saw, in the middle of nowhere, a square marked "fort". This obviously warranted investigation and at the first opportunity, I planned a low level navigation exercise and attack on this lonely outpost, which was a considerable distance away. We didn't plan to fly these exercises in a straight line and, with the ground being so featureless, turning points had to be calculated using a compass heading and stopwatch. Low flying over the desert was a thrill a minute as you could really scrape the deck, with no fear of obstacles or anyone to complain. Sure enough, after a period of time, a substantial looking edifice appeared on the horizon. It was like something out of "Beau Geste" and the romantic in me imagined the ramparts to be patrolled by men of the French Foreign Legion singing choruses out of "Desert Song". The first pass in a simulated front gun attack revealed it to be completely deserted. Four solid red (sandstone presumably) walls formed a hollow square around an interior consisting of shrubs and rubble. As I pulled around in a steep climbing turn for another attack I saw the area black with birds which, disturbed from their roosts, had risen in hordes. Not wishing to be downed by a birdstrike in this desolate and deserted spot I hit the deck and headed for home. The only thing that sticks out in my mind about this exercise was the magnificent sight of hundreds of wading flamingos taking to the air as I approached their feeding ground, their plumage changing from white to pink as they got airborne.
The main road from Baghdad to Amman in Jordan ran just beyond the boundary of the airfield. It continues for miles in a straight line and carried a fair amount of commercial traffic in the form of large trucks It wasn't long before we discovered a new game to play. The drill was to spot one of these vehicles from afar and out of their sight, we would then fly about ten miles clear and hit the deck to join the road. It only took a couple of minutes or so to be on top of the hapless vehicle, lifting the aircraft to miss it by inches before disappearing in a bustle of noise and disturbed air. Success was achieved if you could persuade the driver to drive off the road. I preferred to approach from behind as it was a bigger surprise - fright more likely. Somewhere in my film archives I have a movie showing a driver, attending to a personal need adjacent to his vehicle, having to dive for cover in the middle of it during one of my front (camera) gun attacks. This was at the time of the Suez crisis when vehicles were designated as possible targets.
The air to ground range was a few miles away from the airfield in a bare patch of the desert miles from any habitation. My first visit there was an education. I was leading a pair of Meteors and we each went through the full routine of safety height checks and initial dummy attacks; the place was barren. To my amazement, when I pulled up from my first live attack the range was black with people, some on foot, some on horseback, all running towards the targets. Where on earth had they sprung from goodness only knows, the place had appeared deserted on our range recce. I called in my number two for a screaming low level pass over their heads to clear the area. Nothing happened. According to the Range Safety Officer (RSO) the horses laid their ears flat to allow us to pass overhead, the riders laid down in their saddles but the charge continued. Neither he nor we could do anything about it; base advised us to continue the exercise. Apparently spent cartridge cases and unburned cordite sticks from the rocket projectiles (RPs) were in great demand by the Iraqi tribesmen, who took great risks and fought between themselves to retrieve them. Can you imagine picking up sticks of still burning cordite and trying to extinguish them at the same time as fighting off your neighbour? The RSOs were powerless to stop it as the men were very aggressive and numerous. One hapless RSO had the unfortunate experience of being besieged in his pill box by a crowd of excited and hysterical Arabs who were insisting that he came out. After a little white he realised that the hysteria was laughter and that they wanted to show him something that they found -extremely amusing. There was a small crowd of jabbering, giggling men gathered round the target, which was an old armoured car. As the RSO approached with his entourage they beckoned and pointed inside the car. Curious, our man poked his head inside to see what all the hilarity was about. It was not a pretty sight. The car had received a direct hit from an RP and inside was a very dead tribesman, who had thought it the safest place to be. Young Flying Officers in peacetime are not best equipped to handle that sort of thing but he made it back to his pill box without losing face (very important in the Arab world). On subsequent discussion about these problems with the local Iraqi Army Commander and how best to achieve range safety, we got advice that was brief and to the point. "Shoot a couple", he said, and meant it. We didn't, of course.
There were hair raising stories about how downed aircrew could, or had been treated in the past by nomadic Bedouins after forced landings or bale outs. Tales of being "handed over to the women" were awful in the extreme and beyond imagination. We had no way of knowing which of these tribes were hostile or friendly, or whether the tales were true or for telling. For this reason, believe it or not, we always carried a "goolie chit" when flying over the desert. I suppose the tales had some foundation in fact because the goolie chit was a letter in Arabic that said "Dear Mr Bedou, the presenter of this letter is a British Officer. If you return him to the nearest British patrol, alive and well, complete with his testicles where they ought to be and not in his mouth, you will be rewarded in gold." (We never knew what the sum was but trusted it to be substantial enough to be attractive.) I still have my goolie chit. One never knows what the reaction of our local tribesmen may be when mountaineering in England, Scotland or Wales. Mind you, the possibility of being "handed to the women" sounds infinitely more attractive!!
It seems incredible to me nowadays that between 1954 and 1957 I was prepared to strap a single seat aeroplane to my backside and launch into the luft to fly up to 2,000miles without any navigation aids other than map, compass and stopwatch. I suppose it was a case of "what you get is what you have". As we got nothing we just accepted it. From Cyprus, Malta and Habbaniya single aircraft would be despatched to RAF squadrons all over the Middle East to tow targets for them. The detachment would last up to two weeks, depending on weather. We carried ventral tanks under the fuselage and drop tanks on the wings to give us extra fuel capacity, and refuelled en route where possible. After many miles of featureless desert or long sea track it was an enormous relief to sight a navigational feature which, in some cases, was your destination. Malta was a case in point. After coasting out in the vicinity of Tobruk, heading for the island, there was an awful lot of sea to cross. Malta is only 12 miles long and was often obscured by thick haze. Our saving grace was Mount Etna, whose top would appear like a pimple above the haze layer, visible for some distance In the words of Leslie Phillips from the radio programme The Navy Lark, "left hand down a bit", and there was Malta. Thick haze was one problem, dust and sandstorms over the desert locations another. They developed very quickly and reduced visibility to zero. We actually lost a section of our Venoms, whose pilots were forced to abandon their aircraft and parachute to safety after being caught out in a sandstorm.
In November 1956 I was despatched to Malta as number two in formation with the Squadron Commander. The aircraft were fully armed for the journey, which was conducted at night with instructions to cross the Syrian coast outbound (for Cyprus) in the dark and the Cypriot coast in daylight. The Suez war had started and the RAF unit at Habbaniya was grounded pending diplomatic manoeuvring to get them out. Just why two fully armed Meteors were despatched in a clandestine operation escapes me, but we knew that on that very day the Syrian airforce had managed to shoot down an RAF Canberra over flying their airspace. (The crew of this aircraft, incidentally, narrowly escaping with their lives, having to be rescued by Lebanese border guards from being stoned to death by Syrian civilians)
At the appointed hour, nerves a tingle, we moved silently down to the aircraft hangars. The airfield was separated from the domestic site and hangars by a steel palisade which was patrolled by the Iraqi army We waited for the guards to clear the area, then silently rolled the hangar doors back and pushed the aircraft out. When the guards cleared the area again on their beat, the lads rushed down to the palisade, unlocked it and rolled the sections clear. At the same time the pair of us hit the starter buttons to get the aircraft on the move We were both praying that we wouldn't get a "wet start" (i.e. the engine wouldn't ignite) and, thankfully, didn't. As soon as the gates were open wide enough we shot through onto the perimeter track and headed for the runway threshold. Tower had got the taxiway lit on minimum lighting and snapped on the runway lights for us just as we rolled onto the threshold. We took off in formation, which was a new and interesting experience for me, never having done this at night before. After takeoff, out went the aircraft navigation lights and we climbed into the pitch dark with only the dim ultra violet glow of my leader's positioning lights to give me reference. The lead Meteor was a black shadow against the starlit sky, I could see the glow of his instrument lighting through his canopy, but that was all. I daren't take my eyes off him in case I lost him. The thought of two aircraft adrift in close proximity on the same heading was too awful to contemplate and, of course, each needed the other as protection in the event of interception by night fighters. Fortunately there were no ground to air guided missiles in those days and as the Syrian air force operated Meteor night fighters, we knew we were flying too high and too fast for them; nevertheless, we kept our wits about us and it was a relief-to cross into friendly airspace and break radio silence.
By now I was approaching the end of my tour in the Middle East and was appointed Station test pilot at RAF Takali for my few remaining months. This kept me fairly busy until, in February 1957, I embarked on the SS Empire Clyde en route to Liverpool. The resident squadron at Takali gave me one hell of a send off as we steamed out of Valetta Grand Harbour, and I vividly remember looking down onto the underbelly of a jet fighter as it screamed past beneath me upside down. I was standing at the ship's rail at the time.
SS Empire Clyde was a military troopship bringing home a large body of troops from Cyprus. We were welcomed at Liverpool by a full military band and all the pomp and ceremony for which the army on parade is famous. It was an impressive sight, there were only four RAF officers aboard the "Clyde" so it was an army show. Apparently they had played the troops aboard on departure from Cyprus and I recall now an amusing tale that circulated through RAF channels.
Playing a regiment aboard was, by all accounts, normal procedure and one of our pilots got wind of this prior to returning to England by troopship from the Far East We had it on good authority that just prior to the band striking up, with everything ready to go, there came the rising sound of the most -dreadful wailing and caterwauling increasing in crescendo that was ever heard. Our man had hired a Chinese wailing band (normally only used at funerals) to see him off and they did a really professional job making a hell of a din. There was many a sly grin on faces as this epic unfolded, even among the khaki uniforms. I spoke to the perpetrator of this prank some years later and he said it got really awful. As our band struck up the Chinese responded in kind. Neither band willing to be outdone, the end result was a cacophonous mix of moans, groans, wails, "curly" music, brass, wind, and drums. He was pretty certain that the army chiefs were not amused - but we were!
Alan D.
Well there you go - the newsletter they tried to gag!! A quote seems appropriate: "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend, to the death, your right to say it." (Voltaire) I should point out that unless stated otherwise, all views expressed in the newsletter are the personal views of the stated author and do not necessarily reflect the thinking of the club in general or the official line of the committee. Everyone is free to have his or her say and as long as it’s not libellous, then I’ll print it in the newsletter.
As Christmas and the Millennium approach, thoughts turn to the opportunity for more parties! The Christmas Party is on Saturday 11th December. Lyn will be organising one of her exquisite buffets and the bar will be well stocked including barrels of draught beer on tap. Tickets are £6 and are available from Lyn, please get yours early so that she can plan for the food. Don’t forget that this will also be the opportunity for the photograph competition – bring a photo along and enter it in the competition. It’s all for fun, any subject, humorous or artistic and it doesn’t even have to be related to gliding.
Then there will be another "event" three weeks later for New Years Eve. Dave North is organising this one and will be a little bit more "spontaneous" (Is it possible to organise a spontaneous event or am I just talking gibberish?, whatever…). Have a word with Dave if you want to know more.
Quite a few of you attended a lecture given by an Air Traffic Controller, Phillip Holt, from Manchester earlier this year. Well he is returning to Barrow on Wednesday 23rd February to give another talk, this time about the Red Arrows. The venue is the Studio in Forum 28 and the kick off is 7:30, although expect to meet up in one of the locals for a quick drink before hand.
Finally, with the Wooden spoon well and truly sorted out for the year, don’t forget it’s never too soon to make a start for next year. Word reaches us of one incident already. I don’t want to mention any names, suffice to say you all know the chairman, the social sec and an honorary member with a black coat, four legs and a wet nose. The two-legged pair spent a while working on one of their gliders before packing up and making their way home in separate vehicles. When both were safely home they discovered that the wet nosed one was not with them – the conversation went something like "I thought you’d brought her home" – "and I thought you’d brought her home". So both came back to the airfield and spent half an hour searching far and wide for the missing one. She was eventually found crammed in the front of the glider trailer, obviously very pleased to see them! "I thought it was unusually hard getting the glider in" one of the trio was heard to say…
Thanks to everyone that contributed to this newsletter. Have a Happy Christmas and New Year!