MIDLAND GLIDING CLUB
NEWSLETTER

Number 78 March 1999

CONTENTS

Talk to Janet in the office for special offers on courses. All sorts of deals are available, some of which are mentioned later in this newsletter.

The treasurer has made it very clear that the current situation, with falling membership, falling amounts of flying by members, and increasing expenditure on the fleet as well as on the establishment is not sustainable.

Basically we have too many aircraft chasing too few pilots, at a time when unavoidable costs are appearing. An example of these is the new BGA approved winch guillotine made by Skylaunch.

Since Jim Wootton Davies’ tragic accident work has being going on to improve the guillotines, and the new design seems excellent. It is also very expensive, and we need two of them, but the committee have agreed that we cannot allow costs to determine this important safety issue.

Another unusual cost has arisen as the result of the scrutiny we have been subjected to recently by the council’s health and safety department. This one may well run and run, but in the short term we are extensively renewing the fabric of the workshops as well as improvements to the kitchen and beer store. We will also have to complete the small storage buildings between the MT Shed and the old diesel pump, to provide safe storage for oxygen and flammable materials (in separate sheds naturally).

All the above has focused our attention on the membership issue. Basically we are doing well with our ‘outside’ business, trial lessons, courses and so on, but the ‘club’ side is waning.

After much discussion the committee have decided to try the free membership ploy to attract some new members. This will be a strictly limited offer for prospective new members who visit the club during the May Bank holiday weekend initially, although the scheme may be extended if it proves successful.

We shall advertise the offer, and the deal is that they have to put £200 into a flying account if they decide to join. They will then be members for the rest of the (MGC membership) year. This will not be an open day in the old sense, where we fly large numbers of the public who are there just for a thrill, it is a serious attempt to increase membership. In fact we will not be offering trial lessons in the normal way at all, although it may be necessary to offer a money back offer, less the cost of a trial lesson, if after a flight the new member finds that gliding is not for them. Since it a serious effort to attract members, we must welcome prospective members and try to make them feel at home, at the same time as explaining what gliding is about and what being a member of the club will involve.

A second initiative, following on from remarks I made earlier in this column, is the contacts we are making with the hang gliding clubs. Eddie Humphries has met one of the clubs, and Eddie and I are meeting another during this month. These meetings are partly to discuss safety, partly to explain what gliders can do, and also in the hope that the odd hang glider pilot might be persuaded to defect to the MGC.

If membership initiatives fail, we will be forced to cut costs in some way, and possibly the only short term solution is to sell gliders. The CFI is confident that his scheme to ‘semi privatise’ the Discus, as discussed in the last issue, will attract enough members to make it work, but in addition we may well have to sell one K23 in order to balance supply and demand.

On a brighter note the season starts not long after you receive this, the club will be open 7 days a week from the 13^th of March, and no doubt MGC members will be achieving great things in their flying this year, building on the momentum that started a couple of years back.

On the competition scene we were within an ace of winning Rockpolishers last year, and this year a record number of our pilots are entering comps. One example is the team competing in the Northern Regionals at Sutton Bank in July, which has increased from two in recent times to five for 1999.

So here’s wishing you all better soaring, and above all a safer year for 1999. English gliding had an appalling safety record in 1998, so let us all work to improve that statistic as we approach the millennium.

A couple of weeks ago I started the day with two serviceable Land Rovers and by the close of flying had none. One had been driven around with the handbrake on and the other reversed over its towrope, bending a brake pipe against a moving part of the suspension, soon to wear through with complete loss of brakes. It cost £56 in parts and a half-day to repair the handbrake, and about £10, two hours and a trip to Shrewsbury for the brake pipe job, having just completed the winter overhaul and makeover on both vehicles. I felt justifiably (I hope) p….d off about the way they had been treated. It is not only my morale that is dented but also your pockets. So please treat the equipment (not only the Land Rovers) as you would your favourite aunt’s Spode teaset. It’s cheaper that way.

• Drive around the airfield like Colin McRae.
• Reverse when trailing ropes.
• Open doors when facing downwind.
• Drive around in low range when not required.
• Drive with windows steamed up.
• Drive with flasher lamp unplugged.
• Stop the vehicle with the handbrake when moving except in an emergency.
• Carry too many people (maximum 6, includes driver).

And please, please if you fill a Land Rover with tyres at the end of the day, please take them out and put them where they belong. Don’t leave them for the winch driver. He has enough to do.

• Ask if you don’t understand what all the knobs do.
• Keep a good lookout: 360 degrees will be just good enough.
• Roll up tow rope after towing.
• Drive at sensible speeds.
• Use low range (red knob back) to tow gliders.
• Make sure the radio is on the channel of the day.
• Remember the effort that keeps the kit running well and looking good (our oldest Land Rover is 30 this year).
• Ask me if you want instruction in driving Land Rovers. I’ll be only too pleased.

The Knobs:

• The long one with the black top just like the one in your car. Normal gear range, two wheel drive.
• The red knob. Pulled back: low range and four wheel drive (used when towing gliders). Middle: neutral (don’t worry why). Forward: normal, as in 1.
• The yellow knob. Push down for normal range four wheel drive (use on wet ground etc). To release move red knob into low position and back to normal. Yellow knob will spring up on its own. If you need to know more please ask me.

It’s a well known fact that just inside the airfield gate is a lodestone that attracts brain cells. Please take care to see you are not the one!

Sorry to moan (but it’s for your own good). Have a great flying season!

The preliminary stage list posted at the beginning of February has caused some ‘excitement’ amongst flying members, and the editor has suggested, (in the nicest possible way!) that I need to address two points in particular. He puts it so well I shall quote him:

I expect this list to change quite dramatically over the next few months before it settles down. If you are not where you think you ought to be, for instance if you have been flying at other clubs or abroad; or if you simply think I am wrong about your currency, then tell me so. Or have a word with one of our Full instructors. The editor is right, if the instructor wants to fly with you, it won’t be to put you through the hoop, all we need is to know that you are safe and competent for your stage.

Blow away those winter cobwebs! Chris Ellis has arranged for the Cosford motor glider to be at the Mynd for two days during the weekend of 27/28th March. For those cross-country pilots who, for currency reasons I have classified as red, this is an ideal opportunity to get cleared again. For those needing their cross-country endorsement or just wanting to freshen up on field selection, I recommend you get in quick. There is a list on the CFI’s notice board, so choose a day and add your name.

The proposed private syndicate for a motor glider moves on a-pace. It has the committee’s blessing and indeed the club will be a member along with all the others who have declared an interest. If you have an interest and have not done anything about it yet, add your name to the list in the club house or speak to Chris Ellis on 01691 622788.

On a recent weekend, short west with the retrieve winch having its winter overhaul, pilots were initiating their own launch radioing the winchman. Several pilots were seen to take a launch without checking with the wing tip holder for "All clear above and behind", and I heard one call - "Main winch all out".

Two potentially very dangerous omissions.

• In recent years we decided to adopt the BGA recommended change to the launching procedure; namely, that the pilot no longer asked for the all clear, nor gave the signals. It is now all done by the wing tip holder. Clearly, if you the pilot are radioing the winch you are controlling the launch, in other words reverting back to the old system, and under these circumstances, if you do not ask for the all clear, it probably won’t be done. And if the wing tip holder does not call "take up slack" others are not aware that a launch is about to take place.
• We share our wave bands with the whole country. We launch from the highest airfield in the land, our transmissions carry for miles. (Flying out of Sutton Bank last year I listened for several minutes to a discussion on the finer points of weak ridge lift on the Long Mynd). The radio call "Main winch all out" could give some poor pilot at any other club the shock of his life.

So, it is not often, but when circumstances dictate we launch by radio, the correct procedure is:-

• The wing tip holder picks up the wing, does a thorough look out, calls "All clear above and behind" then calls again "Take up slack" and simultaneously gives the correct signal.
• On hearing the Take up slack call or on seeing the signal being given, the pilot calls the winch, "Long Mynd Main Winch, FWQ, (your glider call sign) take up slack, take up slack.". As the cable tightens call again "Long Mynd Main Winch, all out, all out."

A last call for any others interested in being part of this syndicate. We have had an excellent response and a meeting of interested pilots will be held during March.

Please note that mutual flying is quite a privilege, like instructing. You must get permission for the flight on the day from the instructor in charge. The more advanced of the two of you must sit in the front and do the launch, pre-landing plan, circuit and landing. If you are of an equal level or can’t decide who should go in the front then get an instructor to decide for you. If you are still too equal then toss up for who goes in the front first and the next time you can swap.

The logic of this is that you cannot be P1 in the back seat until you have an Instructor’s Rating and if you are sitting in the back and don’t fancy the way the other person is flying you can say so, but not interfere, just sit and enjoy the crump.

There have been quite a few accidents with mutual flying when the less experienced pilot was P1, cocked it up and the other pilot tried to take over without success. Bending the stick in different directions leaves the glider unsure of what it is required to do. Obviously don’t go P2 with a P1 unless you are happy with them. You must be prepared to be their passenger if things aren’t looking too good. Point out that you think things aren’t looking too good and let the P1 get on with it.

With the new card scheme, red card (with mutual flying clearance) can only fly with yellow or blue, so the TOO EQUAL PROBLEM will only occur with two yellows or two blues.

Transfer of control during the soaring phase MUST BE DONE FORMALLY.

Use "YOU HAVE CONTROL", "I HAVE CONTROL" otherwise you will find the designer can fly pretty well from the drawing board, but not for long. Apart from the risk of flying into the ground this can also cause too long a delay during collision avoidance with less massive objects.

Unless you have been cleared for mutual cross-country you must fly in range of the circuit and don’t drift off downwind in a crappy thermal. If, like most people, you can’t judge this by eye then do it by calculation. Stay upwind of the site and allow two thirds of the glide angle to get home PLUS circuit height.

Finally, remember the word PRIVILEGE. If you just have to fly like an arsehole in your own private glider then don’t fly like that on a mutual. The privilege will be withdrawn as you roll to a halt after a low circuit or a low final turn or anything anyone doesn’t fancy. Make a point of carrying a clean handkerchief and keep your nose really clean and polished!

Genuine super-sink leading to a good modified circuit or a good outlanding is allowed, of course. Sink leading to a perfect circuit pattern at low level is not.

P.S. Having just written all this for mutual flying I can’t see why the flying bit shouldn’t apply to all our flying.

The day after I met Simon to interview him he flew his new office. He has parked the BGA Duo Discus 98 at the Mynd until his job starts in March. He and John Stuart went off in wave, above cloud, on Wednesday 3^rd February. Peering down through a hole, thinking they were somewhere near Shobdon, they saw a large river running east-west, and realised it was the Wye. Back to the Mynd, where Simon took Chris Nickolaus for a flight, again in wave above the cloud, touring around and then wondering about how to return to the clamped in Mynd. This second flight probably qualifies for the first cross-country of the year, the first missing it by a few km.

Most of you will know that Simon is our new national coach, his job to teach cross-country soaring. Well, how did Simon end up with this job, one he has wanted for a while? Apart from getting his hair cut, that is?

It seems that Simon is one of those pilots who has always wanted to fly, ever since he can recall. He used to build Airfix model aircraft which he would launch, and then rebuild them after the crashes. He grew up wanting to be a commercial pilot, but was disappointed when fifteen years old to find he is colour blind. At sixteen he’d earned some money working for his father to start a PPL. A neighbour, a member of the Sidoli family in Shrewsbury, pointed out that a possible route to PPL was to learn to glide. Where could he do that? Simon found us in the yellow pages, and got his Dad to give him a lift to the Mynd. He recalls that Nigel Holmes and Alasdair Lewis were among the first people he met. Simon first booked his gliding course, and then went for his trial lesson.

This was in 1984, with Jeff Rowson, at the end of Task Week. For some reason their launch to the south in a K21 was a low one, giving only enough time to turn and land on the Vega strip. This flight was enough to hook Simon, "This is the business!" He returned the following week for his course, managing to ram Bob Rice’s car at the top of the Burway. Jack Minshall and John Stuart were the course instructors that week. Simon went solo 63 launches later, sent by Bobby Neill on Mothering Sunday in snow, in the blue K13. This was after a winter of weekends at the Mynd, pestering his Dad early in the morning to drive him to the club, where Alasdair Lewis and he were often the only people there first thing. Ron Hawkes got Simon going on circuits, and much of his early flying was with John Stuart.

When I mentioned that Roland Bailey’s early memory of Simon was of a clean cut young man in a sports jacket flying a Skylark 3, Simon said those were the days when he called JS Sir, as in "Please Sir, I think it is flyable", knocking on the caravan door. After his Bronze C Simon shared a Skylark 3 with Dave Cole and Bob Williams. He flew her lots, and she taught him to fly, including wave flying. Among the many people who have helped and influenced him in flying Simon mentioned John Stuart and Roger Andrews especially.

He gained his Silver C in one year of flying the Skylark 3, having taken a year off after A Levels around this time. During an attempted duration on the ridge, in the club’s Astir, the ridge went soft after four and a half hours. At 300 feet above the valley Simon needed to land, so picked the field that already contained a K8. On approach he hit the top of a tree, but being in the Astir didn’t loose much speed. He didn’t fly solo for two months after that, but got back into it with two-seater flying and encouragement from instructors. He flew his Silver distance to Bidford, after an attempt the day before.

Twenty years old and Simon was now flying in the Cirrus CEA, and being surprised when it was suggested he become an AEI. Steve Allsop was CFI at the time. So Simon became an instructor, attending a course run by Roy Dalling. He enjoyed being an AEI, and remembers the surprise of his pupils when they found he hadn’t yet got his driving licence, which he acquired when he was twenty two.

In 1989 Simon competed in the Junior Nationals, Phil King having suggested he just do it. He came 16^th, flying CEA, after an enjoyable week, which did however include nearly spinning in from a thermal. He recovered at 300 feet and then landed. Was it this that prompted Simon’s two rules of competition flying? One: don’t land out. If rule one not possible then rule two: always be able to fly the next day. After that he flew in the Junior Nationals every year until he was too old, his best placing being 6^th. Since then he has flown in many competitions, and encouraged others such as Nick Heriz-Smith, Julian Fack and Rose Johnson to start doing so.

Simon became an assistant instructor in 1991, on a course at Bicester, and a full cat in about 1994. At the time he was working at Shenington for Mike Cuming, who had offered him a job, and then sent him for the instructors’ course at Husbands Bosworth. As Simon wasn’t satisfied with his understanding of the course, though he passed it, he asked if he could sit in on some assistant instructors’ courses. By the third one Chris Pullen asked him to help with the course, which was the start of Simon becoming an unofficial third national coach. Around this time he also became an AEI coach and regional examiner. At the end of 1996 he applied for the post of national coach, which went to Gee Dale. Simon knew by now that that was what he wanted to do, his dream job, sharing his love of cross-country flying.

He especially likes to fly in wave over the spectacular scenery of Wales. Simon and Liz Tusar talked of a flight they had on 28^th March 1997, when they found themselves climbing in wave at Cader Idris. They had flown under a cloud street to Lake Vyrnwy, and then seen a solitary lenticular to the west. Flying to this cloud they found the best wave lift Simon has encountered, with a 10 knot climb, unexpected in view of the otherwise weak wave that day. It was still going at over 8 knots at 12,000 feet when they left it. So far Simon’s longest flight is 580 km and his best height climb 14,000 feet (he didn’t have oxygen). He has flown about ten 500 km flights, and maybe twenty 300 km flights. However he has not yet got round to claiming a Gold C.

This is a little about some of Simon’s flying career, and nothing at all about the many stories about him, of which no doubt everyone has their favourite. The tutu story gets mentioned a lot. My own list includes stories involving: table traversing, socks, boots, CPA and late nights in the bar, the naked cross-country, breakfast on the bungey meadow, land sailing, the Janus and its motor, the LS4, food technology course, hangovers, sheep, doors, mushrooms, fancy dress, hair, Luke’s dirty washing on a fast trip… And then there are the photographs. He has been a familiar figure at the Mynd for over fifteen years, spending much time here in all seasons. When I asked "Why the Mynd?" he talked of the lovely place and nice people. One of John Parry’s favourite Simon stories is of an entry for the briefest comment conveying maximum information. They were about to launch on short west into low cloud on the ridge. As John gave the all out signal he heard Simon say ‘Errrr…’ Then they were airborne, Simon took control and did that magical thing about flying a circuit in cloud and landed them back safely. Some years later they were waiting to launch facing similar conditions. Simon said, "Do you remember the time I said Errrr?" They decided not to launch.

Welcome to new member Malcolm Hendra.

Flying occurred on seventeen days in January, with the best wave climbs on 3^rd January for 797 and CEA, and a snowy weekend of flying on 16^th and 17^th. February 3^rd was a good wave day (with lots of cloud), with Phil Foster at 7,500 feet asl while Simon Adlard went touring in the Duo Discus with John Stuart and Chris Nickolaus (but not at the same time), probably gaining the first cross-country of the year. The very strong winds that stopped play after two launches on the 4^th moderated to 35 knots WNW on the 5^th. Nick Heriz-Smith and Iain Evans launched early enough to catch the wave, the rest of us missing any serious height climbs. Nick reached 16,000 feet asl, and Iain got his Gold height, having been "spat into the wave by an exploding thermal" according to Nick. Saturday 20^th yielded wave flights for Keith Laidler (10,500 feet asl) who headed off for North Wales, and Dominic Haughton (10,000 feet asl). Meanwhile John Stuart took Richard Langford to the bar behind the Mynd (7,000 feet asl). The next day we bungeyed K21s only until the increasing wind stopped us.

I can still hear my instructor’s voice now, "Pull, pull, pull" and "Speed up we’re in sink!"

Statistics: Long Mynd - Hereford - Long Mynd. Approximately 95 km, time 1 hour 25 minutes.

I had just finished my Bronze badge the previous Wednesday, and been listening to encouraging weather reports all week as well as a gliding colleague moaning about what a good weekend he was going to miss while he was off on holiday to Thailand! So Friday night I decide to pack my bags and head for the Mynd, to try my luck there as I didn’t fancy our field (Bowland Forest GC) would be in operation due to the continual rain the last year.

Saturday morning I managed to get myself first on the flying list, then noticed the familiar grey cloud surrounding the site! Typical! The Mynd has its own local conditions too, I should have known better. Still, gliders were unpacked and DI’d and flying was forecast for 11:30. The weather conditions were meant to improve throughout the day, with a low cloudbase of 3000 feet QNH and possible cumulus mid afternoon. Hmm I thought. The Number One instructor of the day said a possible cross-country might be on with Rose (the cross-country instructor for the day) if anybody was interested. I declined at this stage, preferring to sit in a K8 or K23 for a couple of hours of solo soaring.

Conditions cleared soon after 11:00 and I’d got my site check flight out the way by 12 noon (K13). The Number One commented to me that my circuit had the right amount of caution and that I should do a number of circuits in the K8 to familiarise myself with the site. I replied that I’d prefer to fly glass, but as the K8 was half the price of a K23 and it was likely to be mine all afternoon, I quietened down some. Later the Number One buttered me up with a promise of a K21 flight in the afternoon then a K23 if things went OK.

I tried to time my K8 flights so that I’d be at the front of the queue or airborne when soaring conditions kicked off. I failed miserably! Not due to bad timing but bad luck (or should that read ‘poor flying’) as a local (solo) K13 pilot got away between my two flights from the very area of the hill I was trying. This was looking like it wasn’t going to be my day. I queued the K8 up for a third flight along with lots of gleaming private glass, when I heard the duty pilot ask if anyone was interested in a cross-country. Well I was here to do some gliding, so I jumped forward and put my name down and then pulled the K8 off line.

On meeting Rose and surveying the sky later in the afternoon, it was evident a cross-country was no sure thing, still I remained eager (and crossed my fingers). One and a half hours later Rose says "come on let’s have a go at it, I’m fed up launching all these gliders." "I’m duty instructor too you know!" With that we go and commission a K21 (797) already on line, and Rose briefs me on the task she has in mind. A small triangle to the NE, incorporating Newport and Cosford. I study the map and get myself prepared. Dark glasses, floppy hat and a drink as the day had got quite hot.

After making all of 800 feet on the launch, due to the still day, I find a thermal (my first of the day) only to miss it. This I blamed on my reclined flying position (quite different to a K13 or K8) as my head was virtually behind the central canopy hoop, and thus making the thermal circle feel all wrong. The only comfort I got from the flight was that Rose couldn’t get away either!

While preparing for our second launch, Rose decides to change the task slightly and head south to Shobdon GC. After another low launch of 900 feet or so I got into a good thermal and made it all the way to cloudbase, about 2,200 feet above the Mynd. From here the cloud streets that had been building all afternoon were clearly visible, and in the right direction too. Having picked up a Hornet (759) from somewhere we headed for the nearest cloud street and away from the site (the Hornet racing ahead). All of a sudden there was this yell from the back "Pull, pull, pull!" I’d just flown through a thermal, and although applying some back pressure on the stick did not make half as much height as the Hornet had made a few moments earlier. (Things would have to improve if we wanted to get to Shobdon, I thought.) We pressed on south, it was something quite magical flying with another glider searching for lift together. Invariably it was the Hornet who was higher and in front, but there was the odd occasions when we got the jump on him.

As we approached Shobdon Rose decided we could press on to Hereford, a further 20 km away. By this time the clouds had started to thin out and what looked like a blue hole was sitting over Hereford waiting for us. Well we wouldn’t go if we couldn’t get back, would we? We managed one good climb en route to Hereford, sped in, did a competition turn over the race course turning point, and sped out again. Quite exhilarating really.

The way home, as I have read many times, was not as easy as the way out and we had to fight quite hard to make our height. The Hornet, who we lost pre- Shobdon, was sighted some 5 km away leaving a cloud, but this was of poor help to us now. Somehow we reached Shobdon with a number of scrappy climbs from between 1,500 - 2,500 feet. After Shobdon we were back into the remains of the cloud streets, and got one rocket climb back to cloudbase, which had now risen to about 4,000 feet. The audio vario was making noises I hadn’t heard since the previous summer with the needle cranked over to +10 knots! Rose started hooting in the back, I couldn’t work out what all the fuss was about. Surely all thermal centres are this strong, aren’t they? From here the Mynd was in sight and gliding range so it was a dash for the (pretend) finish line at over 90 knots.

Afterwards we learnt the Hornet had wanted to fly ahead and search out the thermals for us, but didn’t know our task and couldn’t make contact with us so gave up.

The elation I felt knowing that we had made it back to site was something quite different and special, I only hope I’ll experience it again someday. For me the cross-country flight encapsulated all I’d been training for the last few months (years): airmanship, navigation, meteorology, field selection and some new aspects such as turning points and dolphining between lift and sink. Recommended practice to all pre-Silver pilots.

Now that the soaring season has arrived, it’s time to start thinking about Rockpolishers again. For those of you that didn’t read Jon Hall’s accounts of participating last year or don’t know what it’s all about, Rockpolishers is an inter-club league designed as a very gentle introduction to competition flying. We compete against Aston Down, Nympsfield, Shobdon/Talgarth, and Usk and the winners of the group go through to the national final in August.

Last year, we were just one point away from making the final. Unfortunately we had not even managed to rustle up a team for the first weekend. On the basis that you get one point just for launching (!) if we had fielded a team on all 4 weekends we could have reached the dizzy heights of the national finals.

So, don’t be shy! The game is about having a go and having fun. There’s room for all levels, from the novice class (you don’t even have to have your Silver to compete), to the pundits, (you too could race against ex-world champions!). If you don’t want to compete, volunteer to crew for the team and see what goes on - the pilot buys the beers!

I’ll be putting a notice up shortly asking for volunteers - put your name down before I press-gang you. Defend the honour of the Mynd!

As the new season approaches the tug is being made ready by having its C of A in the third week in March.

Could I remind launch marshals and Number Ones of the necessity of co-ordinating tug pilots’ lunch breaks so they don’t clash with the winch drivers - thereby causing an unnecessary total shut down of launching?

There is now a ‘Notices to Tug Pilots’ folder in the clubhouse so anyone who is interested may gain further insights into the ‘black art’.

I always thought it was a German swear word but a music programme played a piece with this title and gave the translation as thunder and lightning. Both the music and title brought my mind back to the last day of gliding during our summer holiday in California.

We had twelve days allocated to flying from Minden in the Carson valley. There was a high pressure weather system established over the area and conditions were weak by their standards. This meant thermals did not start until early afternoon, often only just reached ten knots, and topped out at fifteen thousand feet.

The service at Soar Minden was excellent. We were pampered by British standards, but you do have to pay for it. Ground temperatures (4,700 feet above sea level) reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit and gallons of water were consumed with little return at the other end.

Nigel and I had explored the local area together in a Grob two seater and stretched to a 200 km cross-country. We had marvelled at the spectacular scenery, snow capped mountains, salt lakes and arid deserts. I was ready for a long thrash and conditions seemed to be improving.

The area was RUGGED and maps were marked with conservative 1 in 20 circles around airfields on track. The day before we arrived a Discus had been disassembled on a canyon wall and the Japanese lady pilot had been lucky to be able to walk out many miles to safety the next day.

The Whites were my target. A turning point below Bishop in the Owens Valley was selected to give a 500 km round trip. Moister air was forecast and the local pundits assured me it would be on. An early arrival secured a Ventus 2B and the mothballs were removed. A visiting Japanese CFI was also planning a cross-country and told me it was foolish to try for the Owens Valley as it was sure to overconvect. I didn’t come all this way to spend the day criss-crossing the site, so I declared my task.

Ventus V2 (an ominous call sign) was towed by the now familiar golf cart to the launch point where I DI’d it and tried to familiarise myself with a new cockpit and instruments. Small clouds (the first we had seen) were forming over the local hills by 12:30 but so far everything that had been launched had fallen back to earth. An aerotow was taken at 13:00. Not much time for 500 km so must get a move on.

The Ventus had still ailerons but it soon felt like an old glove and handled more easily in the strong, narrow thermals than our Vega does in soggy England. 16,000 feet above the Pine Nut and I was off for Mount Patterson. Clouds marked lift on the way, this was easy. The view down the Sierras to Yosemite was magnificent, the view to the left over the Nevada desert frightening. Man and machine sped along never dropping below 14,000 feet. The clouds got bigger and lift under them more consistent, wider and stronger. The averager showed eight knots! I hadn’t even had an averager before never mind one stuck on the top stop.

Mono lake came into view, more than half way there but the biggest jump over inhospitable ground lay ahead. I could see the base of the Whites but access was completely denied by a long squall line with heavy precipitation. "Press on" they say and the island in the middle of the lake provided a welcome thermal. (Someone had landed on it only to find that no power boats are allowed and retrieval by rowing boat took a long time.) The squall line was close and no break or way round in sight. Below was a line of recently (in geological terms) active volcanoes that suggested it was time to abandon the task.

The view towards home was disconcerting, the nice puffy cumulus had coalesced and an ANVIL had formed on top. The base was spreading and there were no stepping stones visible. Three choices passed through my mind.

• Land at Lee Vining – safe but an expensive aerotow home.

• Head out east round the edge of the thunder cloud – few marked landing sites this way.

• Try to sneak up the gap between the storm cloud and the Sierras – two airfields this way – go for it.

I was down to a mere 9,000 feet so I took the next climb with only three knots on the averager. At 11,000 feet I moved on and within minutes the vario was off the clock. 16,000 feet getting darker then ‘Donner und Blitzen’. I have never seen so much lightning, all around, thunder rolling, rain, then hail, then bigger hail. Full negative flap and ten knots short of V_ne still the vario was stuck on the top.

These moments concentrated the mind and senses and initiated a series of questions. Will opening the brakes at this speed break my arm? What happens when lightning strikes the glider? Where is the canopy release? Are my parachute straps tight? What was V_ne? What am I doing here? Fortunately lightning lit the cockpit and the placard was visible.

I flew on for what seemed like an hour but was probably only 15 to 20 minutes. I didn’t enter cloud and didn’t have to open the brakes. I did take photos.. They didn’t show lightning when developed. The Garmin on my knee kept showing me nearest airfield and this made me feel a little safer. The edge of the CuNim appeared with a tail pointing to Carson valley. It was an easy final glide back even through the inevitable sink. The radio was loud with oriental jabber about lightning and landing out. Landing was uneventful because I remembered that you don’t stop concentrating until you have stopped rolling but on entering the clubhouse Nigel asked if the glider was bent. He said I looked pale and drawn.

The same helper who had de-mothballed V2 towed it back and noted that the tape they use during storage to stop sand entering the pitot and static was still in place!

Tony refused the refund I suggested for shot blasting his glider clean of insects, then washing and drying it.

A photograph from 15,000 feet looking down on Yosemite adorns my surgery wall. It reminds me of the ‘fright’ not ‘flight’ of my life.

Standby places for courses will be available to MGC members, and all pilots under 25, at a discount of 50% of the flying element. Places are provisional until midday of the Friday before the course.

In July 1992 I broke my heelbone whilst windsurfing in Jersey. The hospital told me that, although I would not be able to walk for almost a year, I should keep my leg horizontal, and move my feet and toes as much as possible. This sounded remarkably like gliding to me, so I shortened my NHS aluminium crutches so that they would telescope into the space behind my head in the Discus, charged up my brick sized mobile phone, slipped a thick ski sock over my plaster cast so it would slide nicely over the glassfibre floor of the Discus, and entered Task Week in August.

One day there was a strong westerly, but Vic Carr set a task towards Oswestry. I struggled against the wind, making little progress, until finally I landed in the middle of a huge and very soft field covered in dark brown stubble. I later learned that it was flax. I used my phone and GPS to phone in a fix, gathered my sandwiches and the rest of the gear, and set off towards the enormous house some distance away in the corner of the field.

The soft ground meant that I made very slow progress, on crutches, weighed down with all sorts of bits and pieces. On each step the crutches sank about a foot into the ground and I got very tired. Eventually, sweating and very dirty I knocked at the big door, which was answered by a very pleasant lady.

I explained that, in spite of my disabled appearance, I was actually a glider pilot, and could she give me the details of how my crew could find the location? Naturally she took a little convincing, but she then asked if I would like some food. I explained that I had some sandwiches, but she showed me a long table similar to the one in our clubhouse, heaving with a superb buffet, which was half eaten.

She explained that they had a golden wedding party the day before, but the guests had left half the food. There were a number of huge salmon, caviar, shoulders of beef, platters of prawns, in short a sumptuous feast. I said that I would have difficulty carrying a plate on crutches, so she took me to a large living room, sat me down, and brought back a plate containing a selection of the fare on offer.

I had just started eating when she returned to explain that she had to leave in order to collect her daughter from the train at Shrewsbury. I said I would sit in the yard and wait for my crew, but she would not hear of it, and instead she insisted on showing me where the house keys were kept, so I could lock up when I left!

A little later two young ladies turned up, curious to know who the strange man was in their living room. They did not seem entirely convinced by my explanation.

Eventually Nick Heriz-Smith arrived, luckily he had borrowed John Parry’s Discovery. It turned out that the GPS position that I had given them was at Whitchurch, which was so far off track no one believed it, hence his delay in arriving.

As we set off across the huge field towards the glider, the Discovery was heaving like a ship on a rough sea, it was sinking into the flax stubble, first on one side, then on the other. We managed to de-rig and extricate ourselves with no further dramas, but I will not forget the family’s hospitality and trust for a long time. It is not every household that will welcome a dirty and scruffy man on crutches into their midst, and then leave him in charge of the establishment!

Each week there will be 2 course places available to MGC members, or members of other BGA clubs, at a discount of 25% of the flying element, payment to be made at the time of booking. This is in place of, not additional to, the normal member discount of 10% on the total price.