Well there is definitely a feel of autumn in the air now, all of a sudden the leaves are falling off the trees and last night it was dark at 6:20pm !!!
I managed to get of couple of flying sessions recently although one was slightly hampered by some fog and low cloud. I had taken a model which I had not flown this season but thought better of it and left it in the car due to the conditions.
I have noticed that a good number of people are taking advantage of our ability to charge batteries at the field, some of the field chargers being used are great pieces of kit and small in size. I did order one from Ali Express but when it arrived the item was not what I had ordered I did manage to get a refund the same happened to Dave Hindley, the same charger Jake ordered a couple of which Evri managed to lose he did get a refund though.
Indoor Meetings
The indoor meetings have now started. As a club we pay for the hire of the room regardless of if one person or fifty people turn up.
I would encourage people to attend the meetings, the meetings are only as good as the people who turn up.
Coming up in December is the AGM and the quiz/hotpot night. The AGM is only formal meeting we hold and its your opportunity to have your say or even volunteer to join the committee !!!
Indoor meeting dates
November 12th
December 3rd
December 17th Quiz and hot pot
January 7th
February 4th
March 4th
If you have any ideas for the indoor meeting topics then please contact a committee member
Bonfire Night
The club bonfire night is to be held on Saturday 8th November, yes I know thats not bonfire night but we always have ours on a Saturday night.
The format is a Jacobs join which club members bring along food, normally we have soup, hotpot, chilli, curry, sausage rolls, cakes, feel to come along and bring some food. Duncan you can bring some of the hotpot you were going to bring last year (if you know you know) .
There is always a small bonfire, night flying and a great firework display all operated under the ‘Run for your life’ safety team !!!!
Slope Soaring
A few weeks backs (21st September) a few of the club members went up Jefferey Hill to do some slope soaring.
It was a nice sunny day with marginal lift conditions. Many flights were had.
Dave Hindley took along his recently completed flying wing to experience his first time slope soaring and he loved it !!!
If you recall last winter/spring I built a Veron Impala which is a three channel slope soarer trainer, it had never flown so I took it along to try it. Well it flies fantastic and makes a great trainer. When we go slope soarering we normally see a chap called Colin who flies some fantastic slope soarers, when I was flying the impala he came over to me and asked if it was a Veron Impala because he learned to fly with one many years ago. When I told him it was he asked if he could have a fly, I handed the transmitter to him, twenty minutes later he said I might as well land it for you !!!
It was a very busy day on the hill and the paragliders were out in force. Some of the take offs and landings were interesting to say the least !!!
A couple had to land at the bottom of the hill due to the lift suddenly dropping, a long walk back up the hill carrying a paraglider !!!! Andy Moore would have been proud of them landing in a field at a bottom of a hill.
There was one pilot who managed to wipe out two other pilots whilst trying to take off the result was like a crocheted blanket with all the lines crossed.
Later I spoke to my friend who was there flying his hang glider and I mentioned this incident and he told me this particular pilot has past form trying to knit with other pilots lines.
Below are some photos taken the day
Now slope soaring relies on the lift being generated by the wind as it hits the slope, if the wind drops the amount of lift drops and sometimes your model lands down the slope, unfortunately one of members had this and he had to go down the hill and retrieve his model, he was not very pleased about it.
The same member also test flew another model and on its second flight complained of not having control of it, it turned out he was not flying his model but another members model. A search party was launched to look for his model which he said must of landed down the slope. The search found nothing and was given up on. About thirty minutes later a paraglider approached from behind and said ‘Is this one of your models’. He had found it about four metres behind us !!!
learning point never take your eyes of your model !!!
Trainers/Trainees
The list of club trainers has been refreshed and their names are below.
A couple of the trainers are of an age where work does not get in the way and if contacted may be able to accommodate mid week sessions.
As a trainee get to know these trainers if needed ask for their phone numbers or use the Clubs messenger group to make contact with them.
Don’t rely on the same trainer all the time, all the trainers will offer the same amount of training and to the same standard/goal.
Training sessions are Wednesday evening and Sunday mornings weather dependant of course
Trainers :
Chris Vernon, Jason Reid, Jake Reid, Mark Conlin, Andy Harrison, Anthony Ollerton, Dave Hindley, Kev Watson
Regards Chris V