Club news 2010s

Extracts from S&G February 2010 to 2019

 

February - March 2010

Congratulations to Alex Schmarsel on being sent solo and to Henry Ford on passing his Bronze written exam. Members had a great trip to Portmoak in October with some fantastic flying. Matt Wright did his usual trick of launching in the morning and not landing until it got dark. Our DG-505 spent a month in Talgarth with members attending for some very interesting flying due to the weather - one instructor claimed he had had his 'hairiest' aerotow in over 2,000 hours of flying! Unkind weather has given us time to strip out and renovate our glider workshop. Many thanks must go to Peter Smith who has organised this, and to the club members who have put in many hours of hard toil. Our old winch has now been sold to make way for a new Skylaunch.

Cheryl Smith

 

April - May 2010

Congratulations to Rowan Smith, who was sent solo in January. Also to James Hood who has passed his Bronze exam. Our AGM saw a good turnout with a packed clubroom. Peter Smith has taken over as chairman from Mike Fairclough, and Pete Harmer has eagerly taken on the duty of CFI from John Burrow. Amongst the many awards given this year were Paul Summers for the most improvement, Dave Reilly for the club ladder, Henry Ford for the best flight in a wooden glider and Peter Field for best performance in two-seater competitions. The Wily Old Bird trophy was awarded to retiring treasurer Peter Callaghan. A special award from club members and original caricature by Matt Wright was presented to Mike Fitzgerald in recognition of his achievement of 50 years' dedicated instructing with the club.

Cheryl Smith

 

June - July 2010

Easter Sunday saw Pete Startup, Simon Minson and John Pursey complete a 100km triangle, the first good cross-country day for a long time. An instructor training course held in February was very successful and, despite the snow, Matt Wright and Mark Courtney managed to climb to 8,000ft in wave. We are enjoying smooth launches with our 'borrowed' Skylaunch. Many members have been trained as winch drivers (thanks to Les Hill) and we have added rope splicing to our skills. We were sad to hear that Dr Gordon Peters, one of our founder members, had passed away in February.

Cheryl Smith

 

August - September 2010

The weather has taken a turn for the better and so have club members. Congratulations to Jonathan Stoneman and Mark Layton on their solos and to Rowan Smith and Ed Hirons for converting to single-seaters. Ernie Perrin and John Sillett have both become Assistant Instructors. Nick Harrison gained five-hour duration and Silver height during our trip to Portmoak. Kaye Alston has gained Silver height. Henry Ford got his 50km with a flight to The Park, Peter Smith gained both 50km and 100km and Daniel Johns gained his 100km during a cross-country week organised by Ron Johns. Our Bronze pilots are rapidly increasing with Paul Summers and Joao Leitao passing exams in May. An amazing start to the season!

Cheryl Smith

 

October - November 2010

Congratulations to David Stevenson on going solo. Rowan Smith has passed his Bronze paper and completed his first solo aerotow - all within his first year of gliding! Well done to Fred Marks for winning the

novice class in a recent inter-club competition. Many members enjoyed a trip to Long Mynd, where Paul Summers achieved his five-hours. Matt Wright and John Burrow have both been flying at La Motte Du Caire, with Jacques Noel and his team. We had a surprise visit from the 'Swift' Display Team who dropped in for breakfast en-route to RNAS Culdrose Air Day.

Cheryl Smith

 

December 2010 – January 2011

Congratulations to Roland Clarke, our newest Basic Instructor. He has been relishing his role with a good number of trial lessons. Well done to both Nigel Everett and Peter Stoker on their first solos. The weather has brought some mixed fortunes, but September saw some good cross-country flying, including Steve Westlake, Pete Startup, Mike Fairclough and Matt Wright. A fantastic party was enjoyed to say a fond farewell to 'H' (Hilary Evans) who has catered for us over many years, and provided an endless supply of tea and bacon butties. She was presented with many gifts including an original cartoon by Matt Wright, and honorary life membership of the club.

Cheryl Smith

 

February 2011 - March 2011

Congratulations to Dylan Davies and Will Bond, who both went solo within a few days of their 16th birthdays and, not to be outdone, Dylan's father, Wyn, was sent solo at the beginning of December. Andrew Mugleston and Lisa Humphries have both now achieved Assistant Instructor ratings. Well done to both.

Recent trips have seen us at Portmoak and an icy Talgarth, where some great ridge and wave flights were had, including Henry Ford's landing into a field newly spread with manure! The arrival of snow has not hampered us too much and a stalwart band has been braving the icy blasts with aerotows.

Cheryl Smith

 

April 2011 - May 2011

Congratulations to Heather Clarke (our first solo of 2011) and to lan Foster (re-soloed). January has given us some decent days - along with ice, wind and wave, as James Hood, Heather Clarke, Simon Leeson and Wyn Davies found out. A successful course week has been held for those wishing to start Full Cat training, with thanks to Simon Leeson and Mark Courtney for organising this. We have welcomed new members from Exeter University gliding club. The winter gave us time for maintenance and inspections and thanks go to Pete Startup, Andrew Logan and lan Mitchell and a band of helpers for their long hours in the workshop.

Cheryl Smith

 

June 2011 - July 2011

Congratulations to newly-solo David Clements. Dylan Davies, Wyn Davies and Will Bond have all converted to single-seaters and are enjoying the start of the season. Members are having a superb week at Portmoak, experiencing wave, most days to around 9-10,000 feet. Congratulations to Rowan Smith and Paul Summers for completing their 5-hours, Henry Ford for Silver height and James Hood a 50km, (fractionally missing his 5-hours with 4hrs 58mins on the logger).

Mike Fitzgerald has been presented with a framed diploma from the BGA in recognition of his services to gliding for over 50 years.

Preparations are well under way for our open weekend at the end of May.

Cheryl Smith

 

August 2011 - September 2011

Congratulations to Rhodri Davies (the third of the Davies clan to be sent solo at North Hill) and Peter Dugdale (a power convert), who have both soloed, and to Mike Sloggett on his Bl rating. Ron Johns organised a cross-country week, which was a great success. One weekend bought us the rare opportunity to aerotow to the coast for stunning soaring of the South Devon cliffs, entertaining golfers and coast path walkers from West Bay, Branscome, Beer and Sidmouth (see p38). Our open weekend was successful with 150 people experiencing their first ever glider flights over the two days.

Cheryl Smith

 

October 2011 - November  2011

Congratulations to Geoff Lawrence, sent solo in August, and Ray Rimes for completing his five-hours in July. Daniel Johns achieved a 300km Diamond flight to Candover Church and back and Andrew Logan gained Silver height in his K-6 on an excellent soaring day, which also saw a number of cross-country flights. Expeditions have included trips to Derbyshire's Camphill (very welcoming) and a number of members visited La Motte Du Caire for some adrenalin fixes. Thanks go to our younger members, who have been putting in 'extra time' working hard and even camping on the field in some foul weather.

Cheryl Smith

 

Obituary Kaye Alston (1955-2011)

 There are no words to describe how shocked and sad we were to hear of Kaye's sudden death while holidaying with her husband Eric in their yacht off the Turkish coast last May.

At North Hill we all knew Kaye as a keen pilot, sharing an LS7 with Eric. We knew her as the mother of Claire and the twins, Alasdair and Daniel. We knew her as a warm, friendly person with a smile as broad as her Scottish accent. We also knew that she was somehow involved in medical matters at Torbay hospital, and that she and Eric also shared an interest in sailing.

It is such a pity that one frequently doesn't understand the full picture until such a sad occasion as this. In fact, Kaye was extremely well-respected in medical circles as a senior anaesthetist at Torbay hospital and, as befits somebody with such a warmth and closeness to the human condition, was also qualified in Clinical Hypnosis. Sailing? Yes, Kaye was equally keen and successful when getting wet. She was sailing when she first met Eric some years ago in Scotland, and they continued their passion for that sport as well as for gliding ever since, with numerous racing successes, and also holidaying on board.

And so it was that earlier in 2011, with Eric recently retired and Kaye about to do likewise in order that they could take more time enjoying their sports, their family, and each other's company, Kaye passed away in her sleep whilst on board their yacht off the coast of Turkey in May, .

Eric has told us that, just the day before she died, Kaye had told him that she had never been so happy as she was then.

Eric, the thoughts of all at North Hill are with you.

Christopher Heide, Devon & Somerset GC

 

 

February 2012 - March 2012

New solos include Malcolm Vest, Tom Sides, Richard Farrer and Liam Vile (on his 16th birthday). Congratulations also to Dylan Davies, who completed his Bronze within a year of his first solo, and to Matt Wright, who has the full set of Diamonds. More than 50 members took the opportunity to visit Exeter airport ATC, which gave us a good insight into their operations. Rowan Smith arranged for Guy Westlake to offer aerobatic training and start Bonfire Night with glider aerobatics and pyrotechnics. Our greatly improved website is live with superb photos and videos.

Cheryl Smith

 

April 2012 - May 2012

After a carvery dinner in the clubhouse, decorated for Christmas by Cheryl, the AGM and presentation of trophies took place in early December. Just one first solo recently - David Thorpe in early January. The same day Steve Stevenson re-soloed after 17 years. Flying has continued, weather permitting, with fettling and lectures when it wasn't. Ian Mitchell decided he did not want to join us on the field in the cold January weather so went to Gariep Dam for fantastic soaring and South African sunshine. A number of our juniors have joined a K-6 syndicate and are enjoying a glider considerably older than they are!

 Graham Barden

 

June 2012 - July 2012

Congratulations to Rowan Smith, James Hood and Matt Wright, who have completed Bl training. The weather has seen some early cross-country flights and Ron John's task week is eagerly awaited. Matt Wright was awarded the Philip Wills National Enterprise Trophy during this year's BGA conference. This magnificent trophy was in recognition of a flight soaring the cliffs of the South Coast (featured in a previous S&G) and included a presentation and film footage. We were saddened to hear of the passing of Joe Acreman recently. A good number of club members, both past and present, attended a memorial service for a very popular man, who will be much missed.

Cheryl Smith

 

August 2012 - September 2012

Congratulations to Max Bond (solo a few months after his 16th Birthday). We have now been granted BGA Junior accreditation. A good number attended Ron John's cross­country task week with some excellent achievements, including Nick Harrison (Silver distance), Wyn Davies (Silver distance and five hours) with an out-and-return to The Park, and Tim Johns (Silver distance). Our recent open weekend was a great success with nearly 90 people flown, including a lady given a surprise for her 60th birthday.

Cheryl Smith

 

 Obituary Joe Acreman (1931-2012)

  "A legend." "Always readyto help." "One of the nicest blokes ever." These are some of the comments posted when the news of Joe's death  reached us and they really  do sum up the tremendous warmth of feeling that we all had for Joe.

He was born in October 1931 and named Ronald Henry Charles Acreman. Nan Acreman had her own views, however, and called him Joseph, so Joe he has been ever since to everyone who knew him.

Known as a quiet man, Joe didn't like being the centre of attention or throwing his weight around. But behind those bright blue eyes was a spirit of fun and adventure, which he never lost. He remained a motorcyclist and fan of motorbike and car racing throughout his life.

For over 40 years, Joe's greatest hobby was flying. In particular, he loved gliding. He joined both the Devon & Somerset and Mendip Gliding Clubs, taking his first solo flight in 1969. Later he helped the clubs by passing on his experience as an instructor and becoming chairman and tugmaster at Devon & Somerset for several years.

Clearly, he loved nearly every minute he spent with those clubs and they were lucky to have his dedication. Needless to say, between being tugmaster and instructor and his own solo flying, he ran up an enormous number of flying hours.

Joe had always been a little accident prone. During his National Service in the Air Force, he tripped when leaping out of the back of a moving truck and broke both his arms and one of his legs, but he bounced back more determined than ever. Interestingly, he spent more than 12 months of his two-year National Service in hospital and recuperation, which must be record of some sort.

Perhaps it is not surprising then that his flying days also came with a few bumps and bruises. When on a gliding trip to Lancashire, a tractor ran over him breaking various bones including both his pelvic bones and sockets. These were injuries that would have floored a man in his 20s, let alone one of 68. To suffer and recover from this once was remarkable, but to do it all again a few years later after a flying accident was just unbelievable. All his bones so carefully put back together were once more shattered. Joe astonished

medical science and all of us by applying all that determination a second time to bounce back yet again.

Later in life Joe suffered various ailments, but these couldn't keep him down. Nothing could make him sit still, unless a Grand Prix was on the television, but eventually even Joe could not put off the final launch to the flying club in the sky. Yes, Joe now has wings of his own and is no doubt making full use of them.

Chris Heide (DSGC) and Richard Acreman (Son)

 

October 2012 - November 2012

We have battled on with our summer courses; Inter-club Leagues and air experience evenings and have a number of happy new pilots, keen to continue training. Many members have been made very welcome visiting other clubs during the summer, including Talgarth, Portmoak and Camp Hill. Some even gave up on the UK weather and headed to La Motte du Caire in various stages, feeding back excellent reports and stunning photos, causing Mark Courtney to threaten to jump in the River Tamar if the flying here did not improve.

Cheryl Smith

 

December 2012 - January 2013

A truly amazing summer of achievements! Congratulations for first solos to Ruth Comer, Mark Eatough, Mike Horwood, Ray Dodd, Andreas Kraemer and George Vojtisek. Rowan Smith has achieved his Gold distance and Diamond goal. Dylan Davies gained Silver duration and Liam Vile achieved Silver distance on his first cross-country flight from North Hill to the Park (with his first field landing very close by). It is good to see Mike Robinson and Ian King back in the cockpit and re-soloed after a lay off, and re-soloes from Ian Gawn, Chris Colville and Adrian Phillips, who have all joined the club this year.

Cheryl Smith

 

April 2013 - May 2013

The weather has played havoc, but we have had some good days in between the snow, wind and rain. Also some time for members to concentrate on their aerotowing skills when parts of the field were too boggy for the winch (under water). We have been enjoying an enthralling series of Saturday night talks from club members with incredibly varied pasts, including life in the diplomatic service and the BBC (Jonathan Stoneman), a career in the RAF - including flying Spitfires and Lightnings from Sir Christopher Colville, and flying Jets and Gannets in the Royal Navy with John Sillett. More talks are already organised for the next few months.

Cheryl Smith

 

June 2013 - July 2013

Congratulations to Mark Layton and Adrian Phillips on Silver heights, to Malcolm Vest for completing his Bronze exam, and to 'Texas Tom' (Sides) for getting Silver distance. Some great soaring days have been had, with Matt Wright and John Burrow soaring the North Devon cliffs (see p34) and CFI Pete Harmer and instructor Lisa Humphries soaring the South Devon cliffs the next day. Our series of winter talks has ended with a wonderful evening talk and presentation by Chris Colville on his involvement with the Red Arrows. Preparations are now well under way for our open weekend on 25/26 May.

Cheryl Smith

 

August 2013 - September 2013

Congratulations to Liam Vile (Silver) and Stuart Proctor, who completed his first 300km with an out-and-return from NH to Candover Church. Well done to Rowan Smith, who has completed his Ass Cat course, and Paul Summers and Clive Williams, who have completed their Bl training and acceptance checks. Preparations are under way for Competition Enterprise - returning for its 40th Anniversary - see website for details. We are very saddened to hear of the passing of Dick Wolff. A very much respected club member and instructor. He will be greatly missed.

Cheryl Smith

 

December 2013 - January 2014

What a fantastic summer of achievements. Congratulations to all, including our youngest solo, Peter Bennett (14). Also to Liam Vile who became the youngest (17) to gain a Gold distance and Diamond goal, and to Ollie Ogden Barker, Rick Andrews and Michael Fawcett (solo), Mark Eatough, Ruth Comer and Rick Andrews (Silver heights) and Ruth has her Bronze. And final Congrats to Mark Layton and Tom Sides (5-hours). Our winter talks have re­started with a fabulous insight into the Battle of Britain from Sir Chris Colville. 

 Cheryl Smith

 

 April 2014 - May 2014

The weather forced us into many an "aerotow only" day, keeping the treasurer happy and hardier members current. Our December AGM saw no changes to the committee, but a chance to look back, dream of next summer and hand out trophies. New silverware included one commemorating the late Dick Wolff, going to winchmaster Les Hill; most landouts and shortest ladder trace to Liam Vile and Adrian Phillips. For the first time in years there was an award for an O/R to Lasham - to John Pursey. And we congratulated our members who'd amassed precious metals during the Portmoak expedition - two Silver, four Gold and a Diamond height.

Jonathan Stoneman

 

June 2014 - July 2014

During the wet winter, more DSGC members stayed in the air more often, and for longer than they might have expected, thanks to our reduced price aerotowing policy for days when use of the winch would cut up the muddy field. People were therefore at the launch point and ready to fly on several days that delivered more than the forecast promised - including spectacular wave and reassuring ridge lift. Congratulations to junior members Luke Knight (first solo at NHL), Matt Smolinski and Peter Bennett (conversion to K-6), to Tim Peters (first solo), chairman Lisa Humphries (election to BGA Exec Committee) and vice-chairman Andrew "Muggles" Mugleston on Gold height (at Omarama).

Jonathan Stoneman

 

August 2014 - September 2014

Spring sprang only sporadically; early May saw some club pundits commuting around the Club 100, practising for more epic flights. Club task week became task day (a satisfying one - with 2,500km covered, Mark Layton completing his Silver, and Wyn Davies his Diamond Goal). Despite a wet open weekend, we flew 70 launches, introducing dozens to the joys of our sport. DSGC courses remain popular, and the May one saw three of its six pilots solo/re-solo during the week. We've also worked with nearby Wellington School to introduce a group of students to gliding over a series of Saturdays in May - with six students getting a launch every week.

Jonathan Stoneman

 

October 2014- November 2014

We lost long-time instructor Ernie Perrin in a tragic accident in June. The club got together for a farewell a month later. All summer we had people soaring in skies that looked rubbish, while others failed in skies that looked booming. Aston Key completed his Silver duration; Matts Smolinski and Williamson achieved Silver distance; and Chris Mew and Bran Searle have both soloed. Bran's first solo came towards the end of a DSGC course, showing the value of youth and consistent training. Liam Vile went to Nympsfield for Comp Enterprise 2014 and chose fields across Southern England for his crew to find.

Jonathan Stoneman

 

Obituary - Tim Gardner (1918-2014)

Tim Gardner was born in Kuala Lumpa in 1918 and educated at Tonbridge. He pursued a profession in accountancy until the outbreak of war, during which period he served as a young naval officer. Tim spoke little of his wartime service, but it is understood that his ship,was torpedoed in the Mediterranean; he also survived similar experiences in other theatres, including the North Atlantic.

When peace came, Tim could not readily adjust to the idea of returning to life in the City and moved to Wales. Here he learnt the techniques and skills that enabled him to combine his love of outdoor life with his zest for hard work, to become a successful farmer.

Tim moved to Devon with his wife and, by then, large family, to farm on Exmoor and his interest in gliding and flair for soaring soon became apparent when he joined the Devon & Somerset GC.

Tim was a keen and active member of the club for many years, gaining his C badge at Dunkeswell in 1962; Diamond goal flying a club Skylark to Felwell in Norfolk in 1965; completing Gold C in 1975 and Diamond height in 1983. He was a keen cross-country pilot and the recipient of no less than 18 club trophies.

This enthusiasm was extended to encourage others by many running task weeks over the years. Those of us who were privileged to have known Tim will remember him as a committed, enthusiastic and intuitive instructor, adept in all aspects of the sport, but mostly as a modest, polite and charming man - a gentleman of the old school.

We are saddened by his passing. 

Barbara Fairclough, Devon & Somerset GC

 

Obituary - Ernest Perrin (1943-2014)

I first met Ernie about 20 years ago when he joined the Devon & Somerset Gliding Club. He was a helicopter pilot who had retired from professional flying to take up food retailing - unlike me, who had given up food retailing so I could spend more time gliding. I was involved in Ernie's early gliding training and was always impressed by his professionalism and eagerness to learn. I was humbled by the fact that I was an amateur pilot teaching a professional aviator to fly gliders. Ernie was always respectful of my knowledge of gliding and would never use his superior aviation knowledge to make it difficult to train him.

Ernie soon went solo and worked his way through all the training, becoming a basic instructor and later an Ass Cat instructor. He served on the committee as hon secretary for many years and was also the club safety officer, a position he executed with extreme professionalism. Ernie was a true gentleman, much admired and respected by all who knew him and flew with him.

Club members enjoyed many of Ernie's stories of his exploits with Bristows. The following recollection is one of our favourite ones.

Ernie was tasked to fly a director to London in a dinky little commuter helicopter, probably a Robinson, one of those little ones you get with a Kinder Egg!

On arriving at Heathrow, he was left to refuel the helicopter for the return journey. He was directed to a quiet corner of the airfield and told to await a fuel bowser.

Eventually a giant fuel tanker arrives and, towering over the helicopter, comes to halt. The equally large operator climbs down from his cabin, glances at Ernie, puts on a pair of heavy gloves and lifts the delivery pistol from its holder. Ernie has removed the cap from the fuel tank and steps back while the tanker driver places the pistol in the fuel tank. He glances at Ernie again and gives the pistol grip a very short squeeze. Ptttt.

   This is the same tanker that would fuel a 747 for a transatlantic flight. The fuel flow is appropriately fast and this is sufficient to fill the tanks.

The pistol is withdrawn, Ernie steps forward to replace the filler cap, turns to the operator and enquires as to how much he should pay. "Push off you silly person," (or words to that effect) "I usually spill more than that!"

Ernie died as a result of a tragic accident. Our sympathies extend to his wife, son Dominic and family.

John Street, Devon & Somerset GC

 

February 2015 - March 2015

The mood at our AGM was good, despite some below average weather causing task week to become task day. Membership has grown slightly. There were many achievements, including Gold height for Andrew "Muggles" Mugleston and Wyn Davies (who also got Gold Distance to complete his Gold). Matthew Williamson went from solo to Silver, and there's an increase in logging flights on the national ladder, as well as clocking up respectable distances. Add to that a healthy Junior membership, with Oscar Leeson the latest 14-year old to sojo, and you will understand why the mood was jolly as we said goodbye to 2014.

Jonathan Stoneman

 

June 2015 - July 2015

Congratulations to James Hood for gaining his NPPL in Rotax Falke, with help from the Philip Wills Memorial Fund Scholarship. Wellington School have continued their association with DSGC this year with a group of 14-year-olds flying on Saturday mornings. There have been early season mini-club expeditions to Parham, Talgarth, Mendip and Nympsfield - great hospitality from all. Our Pawnee is back on¬line after the AD work for the tailplane by Ian Mitchell, and is being used in earnest. A large number of members said goodbye to Les Hill (winch) after his long illness. Les was a much-loved hardworking member of the club. The club fleet is now FLARM-equipped following the successful National Lottery Sport England grant; work is now ongoing to build the simulator.

Jill Harmer

 

August 2015 - September 2015

Normal cross-country weather has been lacking so far, but we had a good open weekend (reduced to one day by fog and low cloud). Our spring task week had two good days, but with tricky conditions. Our five-day courses are now full, and the first two have been enjoyed by new and existing members. There was a brilliant expedition to Denbigh, with superb conditions enabling turnpoint SWD to be captured, with great views over Wales. An expedition to Long Mynd also had good flights and a stop-over at Talgarth giving Matthew Williamson Gold height. We have been helping out Southwest region Volunteer Gliding Squadron (VGS) by providing aerotow, spinning and aerobatics experience for some of their instructors.

Jill Harmer

 

October 2015 - November 2015

Congratulations to first solos: Paul Kane, Josh Funnell, Rob Rand, Chris Woodward; and to Pete Startup, who finally managed his Diamond Distance. Well done also to Pete Bennett, Paul Little and Andrew Logan, who completed their 5-hours. Pete Bennett has also completed his Silver. We've had a record number of group evenings with the weather gods turning it on just in time, but our cross-country days have been few and far between. We have been running a course week for six members and two of our Junior members soloed, joined the next day by a third - all girls.

Jill Harmer

 

December 2015 - January 2016

Congratulations to Pete Bennett, 16, for becoming the youngest Bl in the country and to all the recent first solos: Lizzie Westcott (15), Jess Summers (16), Mia Saunders (16), and from the 'less young' contingent, Richard Davies. The DSGC Eagle team made headline news at the Pocklington two-seater comp, winning the wooden class. At the North Hill leg of the ICL south west region, there was a good effort to win by the North Hill team, who ended up just two points short of The Park. Our August task week, led by Justin Wills, succumbed to poor weather, but Pete Bennett was treated to a 'local flight' demonstration by the Master. We had some great publicity with four members chatting live on BBC Radio Devon. 

Jill Harmer

 

February 2016 - March 2016

Expeditions have enjoyed mixed weather and some great flying. At Denbigh there were five beats of the Prestatyn-Denbigh ridge flown by Matt Wright and Pete Startup. The group moved up to Portmoak and had a reasonable day on Benarty with added thermals. Finally, members gathered at Parham for some smoking of the Southdown hills. Thanks for all the great hospitality. The presentation of trophies took place after our AGM, with (amongst others) Pete Bennett receiving Les' Tankard for the best contribution by a Junior member, and Pete Harmer being voted Instructor of the Year.

Jill Harmer

 

April 2016 - May 2016

A few weather windows have been eagerly used by the winter flyers, but were rather few and far between in December and January. Winching has been almost out of the question to avoid damaging the field, but reduced price aerotows with various wave/ridge days has kept all (apart from the treasurer) happy. A new Junior has joined the club fleet and was successfully initiated on the first retrieve of the year (from the nearby rifle range). Congratulations to Rowan Smith for completing his Standard Aerobatics badge, and to James Flory for finding a day to pass the test for his Basic Instructor rating.

Jill Harmer

 

June 2016 - July 2016

It has been a slow start to the thermal soaring season, with the first 300km flight on 31 March by Matt Wright. A good southerly blow on 2 April saw the 'Beach Boys' sampling the soaring on the cliffs, with more awesome footage. Congratulations to John Borland for his first solo, and Lizzie Westcott has converted to the Junior. Congratulations also on reaching significant milestones to long-standing instructors John Street (20,000 launches) and Pete Harmer (10,000 launches) within the same week. We welcome Matthew Williamson to the instructor team at North Hill, having completed his Bl rating.

Jill Harmer

 

August 2016 - September 2016

We  welcome new members Fran Knowles from Aboyne and George Sanderson from Gransden, who have both moved to Devon. Congratulations to James Flory (5-hours) and to Chris Mew and Joe Scaife (Silver heights). The start of the spring weather saw seven gliders turning Candover church for 307km, and Pete Bennett achieving 226km in the K-6. We held a successful Aim Higher course with a great Devon flying day in May. There have been a number of expeditions to Parham, Talgarth, Denbigh, Portmoak and Long Mynd with varying success, but thanks as always for the great hospitality.

Jill Harmer

 

Obituary Ian King (1941 - 2016)

IAN KING, longstanding member of the Devon & Somerset Gliding Club and Vintage Glider Club, died on 8 April 2016. He had been •suffering with a rare form of skin cancer. Ian was born in 1941 at HMS Royal Arthur, known as Butlins Skegness, where his father, a volunteer naval surgeon, was awaiting posting. Ian was introduced to gliding through the CCF at Blundells School in Devon, and soloed in 1958 at Exeter Airport.
Studying law at Cambridge, and qualifying as a solicitor in London and Bristol, kept Ian from gliding for many years, save occasional "joyrides" at Lasham and Keevil. Ian resumed gliding in 1975, joining the Dunkeswell Gliding Club and, subsequently, Devon & Somerset in 1976.
Ian joined a Pilatus B4 syndicate in 1978, quickly achieving Silver duration, but it was written off just nine months later. Seeking a new winged steed, Ian had two familiarisation flights in the DSGC K-6CR. On his third flight, having climbed to cloudbase above North Hill off a winch launch, he set off for Tarrant Rushton and, with a climb of 3,650ft along the way, completed his Silver and cemented his enduring relationship with the K-6.
Ian became a regular at task weeks, Competition Enterprise and VGC rallies, but his flying appeared as much an opportunity to visit interesting places as competitive. Falling short of Gold distance, several times by only a few kilometres, did not diminish his enthusiasm for visiting remote corners of England by K-6. He often landed suspiciously close to fine pubs, where others might have pressed on.
Ian had a prodigious memory for people, places and events. He wrote DSGC Club Notes throughout most of the 1980s and amassed a vast collection of books and archive material. He had recently completed a compilation of Competition Enterprise articles and was embarking on a similar project for DSGC.
Ian acquired an interest in K-6CR DRE in 1998 and, eventually, became her sole custodian. Recently equipped with a new trailer, lan's family have decided that DRE will remain at North Hill as a legacy to provide junior pilots with an entree to soaring and competitions. A fund is being established to help cover costs and donations may be made to the Devon & Somerset Gliding Club, marked "Ian King Memorial Fund"

Doug King

 

October 2016 - November 2016

With very few cross-country days from Devon this year, our efforts have gone into first solos. Congratulations to Dave Herbert, Lukasz Kieruczenko, Hans Jenssen, Dave Wojnar, Ben Summers and 14-year-old Charlie Stuckey, who have benefitted from the consistency of instruction on our five-day courses. Many thanks to Justin Wills for providing cross¬country coaching to some of our members on some variable Devon weather days. 

Jill Harmer

 

December 2016 - January 2017

Congratulations to three more first solos this year - Tim Petty, Will Stainer and Dave Cowley. Also well done to the Eagle Team, again winning the Best Wood at the Pocklington two-seater competition. There have been two successful trips to the seaside in September, providing an impromptu low-level flying display for the residents of Sidmouth. With from a nationwide grant scheme provided by RAFA, instructors from 624 Volunteer Gliding Squadron (VGS) Chivenor enjoyed learning how to aerotow, aerobatic manoeuvres, and also had some soaring. We had five group evenings flying Air Cadets from the Southwest region culminating in a visit from the torch relay celebrating their 75th Anniversary.

Jill Harmer

 

February 2017 - March 2017

Congratulations to Ellie Carter (solo on her 14th birthday). Well done also to Karen King (resolo). The annual trophies were awarded by CFI Martin Woolner, who is standing down. Congratulations to all the trophy winners and we welcome Stuart Procter as our new CFI. The Juniors enjoyed an expedition to Long Mynd, whilst other members visited Parham to play on the spectacular South Downs. There was also a planned and an impromptu trip to Denbigh. We said farewell to Chris Heide, long-time member, past instructor and chairman, after a long illness.

Jill Harmer

 

April 2017 - May 2017

The club has been stunned by the tragic gliding accident involving Matt Wright. Matt has been the soaring inspiration of many of our members (see obit on p68). We welcome Glenn Turpin from Bannerdown - the latest of the Devon incomers. We have taken delivery of a smart-looking Discovery airfield vehicle. Planning is well under way for Competition Enterprise, returning to North Hill this year 1-8 July 2017.

Jill Harmer

 

Obituary - Matt Wright (1969 - 2016)

S&G cartoonist and contributor, also known to many as Balleka

All clubs have those people who come along and, within short order, seem like they have been there forever and are at the heart of the action. No one at the Devon & Somerset Gliding Club in the mid-noughties would realise that the arrival of a 'South African' jumbo jet jockey was to herald a mini renaissance in cross-country flying and reboot flying for fun, with expeditions to exciting places and the recognition of the amazing potential of the natural assets on the club's doorstep. Few also realised that this big man would also be so capable at sharing the excitement of this epic flying with both flyers and non-flyers alike. Under his YouTube moniker of Balleka, Matt would go on to publish countless videos capturing gliding at its most epic and breathtaking, revealing the full secret beauty that flyers are privileged to see.
Matthew Wright was actually born in Salisbury in what was then Rhodesia, later to be Zimbabwe or "Zim" as Matt would say when admonishing those who accused him of being South African. His father had a factory making simple pharmaceuticals for the African market and Matt, with his brother Andrew and his sister Catherine, grew up in an exciting world rich in natural beauty and wildlife. For all his later love of adrenaline sports and excitement, his mother reports that young Matt was a quiet, shy and well-behaved boy, who was never any trouble. Competitive at an early age, he attended Highlands Junior School, where he played first team cricket, rugby and hockey and was also part of their athletic and swimming teams. He was made Head Boy in his final year at Highlands Junior School. At St George's College Senior School Matt studied the sciences for his A levels. He also studied art to A level and his talents would later lead him to be a regular contributor to S&G, with cartoons capturing the humour of often serious or dry topics.
From school Matt went to university in Natal and studied Environmental and Cellular Biology. It was here that one of Matt's defining characteristics was born as he realised alcohol was a mug's game and became a life-long nominated driver. He also started down another path as a committed vegetarian and, for all his later public exposure, he privately committed to a quiet relationship with his spiritual side.
Meanwhile, it didn't take long for work experience in a UK laboratory to convince this young man that it was not the career for him. Luckily Wright senior was able to support the lessons needed to unleash Matt on the skies of Africa. With a job at Bush Pilots, Matt would find himself in an adventurous flying world ferrying tourists round the beloved African bush. Dropping in and out of remote strips and even parachuting through cloud by GPS to collect aircraft, Matt lived a Boy's Own dream. This dream nearly had a premature end when as P2 in an aerobatic biplane it was wrapped round power wires, saved from disaster by soft soil and Lady Luck.
From small planes Matt was to graduate to jets and a new era that was to see him ending up on the flight deck of cargo 747. He had married Kate and, with the situation in Zim increasingly less certain, moved to live in England and started a family. The 747 and days at MK Airlines allowed a return to African skies and it was whilst doing this that Matt's trademark film-making started. With perhaps more relaxed standards in Africa, the defining 'Belly of the Beast' film was made recording the underside of a 747 as it surfed the African clouds. With ingenuity Matt found a way of getting the nose gear down on its own and a backward-facing camera did the rest. Fortunately for the viewing public, the demise of MK Airlines allowed the reposting of this film on YouTube after initial knuckle rapping and video removal! The combination of the best seat in the house, a great eye for a stunning picture and hotel time for video editing meant that the Balleka ("run away" in native Zim) running man logo was soon a popular hit for YouTube surfers wanting insight into the world of the freight dog.
Matt's arrival on the gliding scene mid-2005s saw him quickly progress from tyro to pundit, as his unquestionable skill and appetite for adventure found him eager to be leaving the circuit and heading out cross-country. His enthusiasm fired up those around him and so the renaissance in North Hill cross-country soaring began. It also brought a new era to Balleka film production, with the ubiquitous GoPro(s) always along for the ride. Cutting tail shots with cockpit footage and wingtip views, Matt became the master of condensing the essence of a flight into a few minutes of visual delight, all topped off with an epic (usually...) sound track. At the last count, his YouTube channel has 14,989 followers and he has enabled many a glider pilot to proudly show the unbelievers what they are missing.
A regular on expeditions to Denbigh, Nympsfield and Parham, Matt was always the first to get his name down for the long trek to La Motte du Caire. At every club he visited he made friends, with his infectious chuckle and a genuine willingness to help. Always the first to offer to retrieve, it was amusing that on the day he did call into the club for a retrieve for himself he was able to selflessly say "Can you come and get me from Porlock, but don't bother with the trailer". The ASW 20 was eventually pulled from the Bristol Channel... (see Swimming with a shark, pP44-45, June/July 13.) With its shark mouth, the replacement ASW 24 'M5' was to star in countless films and be the glider
to chase for the burgeoning North Hill soaring section. As Ladder steward, Matt was quick to follow up on postings and encourage all levels to participate - from the 300km'ers to the 30km'ers, all were praised. Oh yes, and he also flew the tug.
A recent move to video filming with a drone, to obtain extra otherwise unobtainable aerial footage, led to the creation of the superb "C'mon you know you want to!" video that is perhaps the best video advert a gliding club could ever hope for. The drone and the photographs he shot from it proved that he was the master of still as well as moving images and talk of a move from commercial flying into commercial photography and a book can only make us wonder at what we have all missed out on.
For those lucky enough to have been on expedition with M5, memories of his trade mark call of "Dude" as he bounced in behind, cameras rolling and a mega cheesy grin visible from space will not easily be forgotten. Whilst his family take comfort that he was lost doing something he had a passion for, his untimely departure leaves two great children, Maddie and Ben, an amazing library of videos, but a big void in gliding clubhouses up and down the land. All we flyers can do now is to continue the quest for "epicness" and keep up the spirit of not holding back, but hitching up and heading off to explore new soaring opportunities whenever these appear.

John Pursey, Devon & Somerset GC

 

Matt,

You will always be an inspiration to so many glider pilots, young and old. Your videos were one of the sparking moments many people decided to take up gliding; seeing your experiences entertained us all and showed your real passion for the sport. Rest well up there, soaring an eternity above the clouds and looking down on all of us from M5, cloud surfing in wave with a laugh and a wing over. Great pilots never die, they simply disappear behind the horizon. You will always be remembered.

Dude

 

June 2017 - July 2017

The club welcomed family and friends of Matt Wright from across the country to a Dude Day party. A hangar was transformed with photos, videos and cartoons remembering Matt, and the Matt Wright memorial fund is growing. At last there have been cross-country flights from North Hill. Expedition season started with a bang, with Pete Startup gaining his Diamond height at Portmoak, and Stu Procter and Tom Sides both getting Gold height. Congratulations to James Smart for his first solo in a glider. Competition Enterprise, 1-8 July, is fully booked with 40 entries.

Jill Harmer

 

August 2017 - September 2017

Open Weekend this year had one good day and one rained off, but 40 members of the public enjoyed their flights at North Hill. We entertained BBC Spotlight's Justin Leigh and had some good glider footage on local TV. Congratulations to Ray Dodd on gaining his Silver height on one of the few days this spring with high cloudbase, and also to Peter March, who resoloed after a six-year break. North Hill ICL leg was another 'difficult weather weekend', with only a marginal task being set on the Sunday. We are looking forward to a busy Competition Enterprise.

Jill Harmer

 

October 2017 - November 2017

It's been four years since Competition Enterprise last visited North Hill and, with poor soaring weather for the early part of the season in the West Country, there was hope and expectation for a change in the weather for the first week of July.
With 37 competitors entered, North Hill was going to be a busy airfield. The ground vehicle hangar was transformed into a large briefing room complete with stage, the glider workshop became Control, and the adjoining field was rented from the neighbour for glider/ trailer parking and camping.
It was probably one of the best competitions in the country in 2017 with seven flying days out of eight, and over 20,000km flown. Congratulations to the winner, Trevor Stuart, for his consistent performance - on the podium every day. And a big thank you to all the competition sponsors.

Jill Harmer

 

December 2017 - January 2018

Congratulations to Team Eagle for winning the Best Wood at Pocklington for the third year running. Well done also to James Price for his first solo. Instructors and club members completed an evaluation between Allstar PZL Perkoz and DG-1001 Neo demonstrators to replace our trusty K-13. We had a very busy August with two course weeks and three trial lesson voucher days to catch up on the backlog of cancelled bookings due to the poor summer weather in the West Country. Glenn Turpin has revalidated his instructor rating and James Flory has progressed from Bl to Ass Cat.

Jill Harmer

 

February 2018 - March 2018

Congratulations to Ross Pratt, our latest junior member to fly solo. The new management committee were voted in at the AGM; our thanks to Lisa Humphries for leading DSGC as chairman for the past five years. Congratulations to all the DSGC Trophy winners, who were presented with their awards after the AGM. Our second K-21 has been delivered to Poland for refinishing and, whilst in Poland, we were fortunate to see our new Perkoz in the making at the Allstar factory. There have been expeditions to Portmoak, Denbigh, Long Mynd and Parham; Pete Startup (230) is claiming a record for a week of "Bishop bashing" 2,000km and 400 laps. Thanks as always to our hosts for making us so welcome.

Jill Harmer

 

April 2018 - May 2018

Some nicer days have allowed junior members to become familiar with the K-6. Ellie Carter achieved her 50th solo flight, just after turning 15. The future of aviation and engineering came to North Hill when a group of 10-year-olds from a local primary school came to learn about gliding. They are about to embark on a design technology project to build a model glider. DSGC Junior Development Coordinator Pete Harmer explained the rudiments of a glider and managed to answer all their questions. There have been expeditions to Denbigh and Nympsfield by the North Hill nomads. Thanks as always to our hosts.

Jill Harmer

 

 

June 2018 - July 2018

 have been a few flyable days with thermals, ridge or wave lift. We said goodbye to R37, our last K-13, as it was aerotowed to its new home at Mendip Gliding Club. One of our K-21s has returned from Poland in a shiny blue livery. We are looking forward to flying our new Perkoz very soon, which will complete our modern all-glass club fleet. Our monthly five-day courses are all fully booked, and we look forward to recruiting more trainees at our open day.

Jill Harmer

 

August 2018 - September 2018

We celebrated the news that Exeter Airport ACP had been rejected - a big thank you to all who contributed to this success story. Our new Perkoz is settling in to the fleet having arrived in time for our Open Day. Our April course was written off by weather, but rearranged for June. The May course saw members achieving soaring flights for Cross Country Endorsement and Andy Davey found a rare Devon day to claim a Silver height. Task week enjoyed sunny weather, but soaring was tricky with all task days scrubbed and just some short local soaring flights.

Jill Harmer

 

 

October 2018 - November 2018

After a lack of Silver heights in Devon in the past couple of years, this summer made up for it with John Borland, Rob Rand, Dave Wojnar, Ellie Carter, Chris Warnes, James Flory, Geoff Lawrence and Lukasz Kieruczenko all enjoying high cloudbases. Congratulations to Pete Startup for winning Sid's task week at Nympsfield, and to the Eagle Team for winning the John Cadman Trophy and Blunt Nails Trophy at Competition Enterprise. Well done also to Pete Bennett, Nick Harrison and Tom Sides for completing their first 300km flights.

Jill Harmer

 

December 2018 - January 2019

Visitors to North Hill will notice a big change in the entrance to the airfield, with great work by the earth-moving team. Our final  course weeks in 2018 finished with a good mix of members, juniors and non-members, including several retired commercial pilots, all achieving their personal objectives. We were pleased to develop some good liaison on local airspace with FlyBe, including several members flying the Embraer simulator. Group flying evenings were again popular, with one group also completing a photoshoot with 15 Porsche 911 s. The late summer surge of badge achievements continued, congratulations all.

Jill Harmer

 

February 2019 - March 2019

James Flory has joined the tug team, with Roly Clarke concentrating on his own flying after several years as a Bl. We had a surprising cross¬country day in November. DSGC Members have enjoyed expeditions to Portmoak, Denbigh, Long Mynd, Parham, Mendip and Brentor. The Junior expedition to Long Mynd was particularly successful, with Ross Pratt, Josh Funnell, Charlie Stuckey and Reuben Buss all flying the 'Juniors K-6', donated by Ian King. Congratulations to Rowan Smith (Diamond height at Denbigh). Congratulations to all the DSGC Trophy winners, presented with their awards after the AGM.

Jill Harmer

 

April 2019 - May 2019

Winter weather: too wet, too windy, too much snow, cloudbase too low - but we have made the best of any days that have been flyable. Congratulations to Rob Rand, who has gained his Cross Country Endorsement. The simulator is being used mainly for cross¬country training, and also for some Bl training for our neighbours at Dartmoor GS. Winter talk season is in full swing, with Nev Almond giving a cross-country soar tutorial, and John Lowe on the Hampden Bomber found on Dartmoor.

Jill Harmer

 

June 2019 - July 2019

Spring started early with some blue sky and local soaring days in Devon. We held a special two-day coaching course for our friends at Dartmoor Gliding Society providing some of their experienced members with extra training towards becoming instructors. DSGC members enjoyed the additional good days for local soaring and training. A weekend had been organised with Will Jones, BGA aerobatic instructor and member of the British gliding team, teaching some of the DSCiC instructors a sample of the advanced aerobatics that are possible in the Club's  Perkoz, purchased last year. 13 year old Junior member Daniel Hender also started learning some aerobatics while he waits for his birthday to fly solo.

Jill Harmer

 

August 2019 - September 2019

Our Open Day was successful, with 66 people enjoying a taster of gliding. Some new members and course bookings have followed. We held a special day for 20 young people from the Hive in Exmouth and the Tiverton Youth Centre, both run by the charity Devon Youth Service (DYS) Space. The young people braved the heights raising funds for their youth centres, or as a reward for their volunteering. Congratulations to Mark Worsfold on his first solo flight; Mark is profoundly deaf and has shown great determination and commitment to learning the skills needed to fly solo. Several days in May have given us good cross-country weather enabling flights, including two-seater coaching, into Cornwall and Hampshire.

Jill Harmer

 

October 2019 - November 2019

We've had a good run of solos, with congratulations to Jack Raybould, Sam Flory, Emma Kendall and to Stirling Melhuish. Our hog roast to thank members and their families for their volunteering efforts was enjoyed and well supported. A large contingent competed in Competition Enterprise at Sutton Bank and, despite the tricky weather, congratulations to Team Eagle who excelled following a wing recovering. They were awarded the John Cadman Trophy for an outstanding flight to Scarborough for the seaside bonus and then landing in a field near Kirkbymoorside, the home of Slingsby Gliders where the Eagle was made 62 years ago.

Jill Harmer

 

December 2019 - January 2020

After  his first flight, aged nine at one of our Open Days, congratulations to Dan Hender, who has gone solo at 14. Dan has quickly followed up with conversion to Junior and 25 solo flights. Junior members Josh Funnell and Charlie Stuckey have both completed their Bronze endorsement, having had to concentrate on exams for a while. There have been many members cleared to fly the Perkoz, and Andy Davey has completed his Silver. Our new initiatives this year of club member Wednesday evenings and 1:1 day courses have been very successful, and it's been great to see family members helping with the ground operations. We held a well-attended FI(S) course at North Hill, and have just taken delivery of an electric golf buggy for glider retrieves. Further work has gone into field levelling trials.

Jill Harmer