Sailplane & Gliding 1966 - Lakes Gliding Club

O.S.TJ.V.
Organisation Soientifilllue et Technique
International du Vol a Voile
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THE lO.mON GUOtNG cLUB.
Dunstable Downs. Bedfordshire.
Telephone: DU.NSTA8LE 63419
TUESDAY, 2ND AUGUST.-Streaky .cirrus
was noticeable at 9 a.m. and most
of the gliders wel'e rigged before briefing
at 9.30 in case ·of an ,early start.
"Cynical sort of weather, this" began
Mike Fairman. Task: Race to SwantQn
Motley, 140.5 km., X=30 km. Designated
starL On the grid by 10.30 a.m.
'You may lovertly the goal, maximum
height 1,000 meters. With some warnings
about the intensive activity at Swanton
Morley, etc., Mike handed over to Peter
Wickham, who started with an apology
"for this mesS" (pointing to the weather
map); "it's the weather situation. The
edge of the cirrus has just passed us but
it will thicken up gradually here. and
from 1 to 2 o'clock it win become dull
and glaomy here ..."
Those to be launched first seemed
very happy as small cu, had appeared
by the time briefing had finished. Pat
Holmes was 'first off at 10.41 and soon
they were winding up and away, not
bothering about start lines.
In fact only half the number of pilots
crossed the line as they did not wish to
come back and perhaps be caught out.
360
Although not easy at first, the weather
was improving and only a few re-li~hts
were needed. This improvement was just
as well for some; Peter Scott had landed
back with variometer troubJ.:, and hurried
off again after a quick sort-out with
willing helpers. He had., however, setofl
in a temporarily inactive patch, and
landed just outside Dunstable 20 minutes
later. Launched again at 14.20, he could
hear the radios bleating "Final glide,
final glide", so off he went to have a
fairly easy ride in goOd conditions. In
fact some of the best times were macie
by the late starters.
Humphry Dimock, who had also
landed back at base, went "arefully and
did not come back for a st-art line
"Crossing. Arriving at 'Swanton Morley
with 900 ft in hand he decided to fly
back. He landed at Cambridge.
lan Paul als0 flew back and landeq
with Humphry. while Anthony Edwards
got back as far as Ely.
Pat Holmes (who had probably flown
ahead of the good weather too quickly)
got unstuck near Ely, and on landing
damaged the tail of the Skylark badly
enough to take her out of the c('ntest.
Bernard Fitchett won the day with a
handsome margin and reported 6-8 knol
thermals to which Cliris Wills referred
as "Po'1ish weather".
All but four pilots completed this task
with speeds varying between 66.? and
28,6 km./h. '
One local paper phoned re a landin~
nearby-----did the wind drop? they wanted
to know. After explaining that it wasn't
the wind that kept gliders up but convection
currents. the paper p.tinted a
report that the pilot was brollght