From the CFI
January has passed with fairly mild and fair weather allowing the club to do more flying than average for this part of the year. Yesterday I saw what looked like the first usable thermals marked with good looking cumulus. Not long now!
The Pawnee is back, fresh from having its new engine installed, and the motor glider is ready to fly awaiting paperwork. I am hoping this will be ready for operation by the time you read this. Once the MG is operational, we will be available to start doing field landing training / practice for the coming season, Bronze Nav training, and N.P.P.L training.
Regionals
Places are available now, and the competition is the cheapest rated comp in the country, being absolutely free to enter. Get in touch with the office for your place.
Tugs + Glider maintenance
Whilst in the process of finding an engineer, it is important to keep the cost of unnecessary maintenance to a minimum . Keeping the tugs clean is a large part of this, and something Dave Sarney was always very passionate about, as it reduces corrosion and wear and tear, thus cost. Recently, I have found the tugs in a rather poor state of cleanliness, and would urge all tug pilots and members to keep the aircraft clean, free from dirt and grease.
I have been helping Dave Richardson with Glider C of A’s over the past month and found that 50% of the job was cleaning the gliders where they were left dirty. 50% !!! If we keep the gliders clean not only do they go better, the maintenance bill goes down (One glider was covered in thick mud under the wings and belly). If you find a glider in that kind of a state when you come to fly it, please speak to the last person who flew it, or let me know so I can find out who leaves them in this state.
New Private Gliders
Now we’re heading towards the season some people without
gliders are beginning to think about buying one. If you are thinking
about buying a glider, please speak to me before deciding whether to
purchase a glider, as I can offer you advice on what is suitable and
what is not. One of the few rules at Booker is that this happens, and
that the committee is asked permission to bring a glider on site as
numbers are limited.
Shobdon 2005 25th March until 3rd April inclusive. We will be visiting the Herefordshire Gliding Club again this spring, the list is filling up. We have seven private and two club gliders on the list so far. Shobdon is a large airfield, easy to fly from with wave, thermal and hill soaring possibilities. The local area is full of bed and breakfast and pub/hotel facilities to suit all pockets. There is a caravan park on the airfield. The Herefordshire
Gliding Club web site has self-briefing notes and local accommodation
addresses. |
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Booker Regionals
This will be taking place from the 25th June – 3rd July. With the entry
being FREE it makes this the biggest bargain of the comps calendar!
To register speak to the office.