Volume 16 No 1 Feb 1965.pdf - Lakes Gliding Club

Paul for the best cross-country flight .efthe year, to C.F.I. Norman Revell forthe longest cross-country in a Clubmachine, and to Ronnie Donaldson forthe greatest gain of height in a Clubmachine. Norman Revell alw holds theClub's Runciman Trophy.Various members have embarked upona scheme to beautify the clubhouseand if all the many plans are br.eught tofruition. there should be a considerabletransformation in our pr~nt abode.There are even dark rumours circulatingthat the clubhouse is to be turned intoa den of alcoholic iniquity by the provisionof a licensed bar-what is theClub coming to?B.W.B.NORTHUMBRIATHE Club's Social season got off to a, resounding start with a dim~e organisedby Sigrid Hindrnarsh and attendedby more than 200 members sans overalls,with their wives and friends. This wasfollowed by a bonfire on 14th Noyember.For thfs contlagratio.n, Alan Brownand his band of helpers practicallycleared the Club's wood of timber andtopped ofi' the pile with several partusedgliders.The ladies looked after the inneE menand women with sandwiches and hotsoup to stave off the effects of the galewhich had, that very ,afternoon, producedwrne phenomenal launches. Bestwas the Eagle, which had cast off at3,800 ft. after II minutes on the cable.In the absence of the two-drum winch,the Club's launch rate is still very low,with the red ball of the launchometerstill showing too far up the scale.Since the arrival of the T-21, AlanBrown and Bill Lowrie have been ap'pointed instructors.Despite poor launch figures, the T-21is doing sterling service and membersare getting in a fair number of circuits.On several occasions, attempts by syndicategliders to reach the tantalisinglyfar away Stocksfield ridge have resultedin landings-out or near thing scrapingsback:.The sight of c.F.1. Dave Wilsonsetting off towards the west usually setsmembers to coupling up the Eagle trailer!On 6th December, however, the Hedleywinter wave struck. Your scribe hadthe honouT of being the first to pay74soaring fees for the T-21 after a veryrough 14 minutes in the wave and ashocking heavy landing. Turbulencegrounded the T-21 until late afternoonbut the Ka-7 and Eagle syndicates madehay until the wave collapsed.In the late p.m., the wave re·formedstrongly right over the field, and AlanBrown in the Ka-7 and Dave Wilwnsoon disappeared into the murk, closelyfollowed by my wife, Nee! and TommyRuffell in the T-21 who also disappeaJedin very short Qtder. In due course, theKa-7 made a tlarepath landing andreported 5 up at 70 kts. on the returnlegṪhe T-21 crew eventually returned ona borrowed low performance scooter,covered in what may have been mud,and smelling strongly of pig;, havinghad to land out several miles downwindbeing unable to make any headway.P. W.L.OUSEAFTER some three years of operationat Rufforth, we can now look onour past efforts with a sense of pride andachievement. The Club's small quota ofSilver C legs last year have made usaware that we are at last "arriving~ inthe gliding world, and this season willreally see us on the map.Instructor Bob Plane seems intent oncollecting a certain "pot" while colleagueLes Bellamy. overhearing a friend disc~singgoals and the fact that Lashamis 205 miles away, thinks a Diamond forgoal may be on the cards very soon.Girls appare.ntly are not the only onesinterested in diamonds!Seriously, though. what does the futurehold? Prospects indeed look bright,especially now we can expect a T-2IBand a further high-performance job tosupplement the Swallow. With twodouble drum winches and talk of autotowpulley launching thrown in, weshould be well equipped to take advantageof any stray cumulus. Our moreexperienced members will be settingcourse cross-country for their first awayflights. let's hope they do well.The weIl organised Annual Dinnerand Dance last Qctober was our bestyet, credit being due io Norman Worthy.Brian Jefferson was our most welcomeguest from Camphill, with humour up