Achievements 2008

Thomas Curtress

Date: 13/06/2008 (Friday!)

Aircraft Type: AS-K13 (H)

Task: First Solo

Duration: 6 mins

Story:
After a few visits with cadets to Lasham i had decided that joining Lasham as a cadet and learning to glide was for me. I had always wanted to fly, but a large problem was finding a (relatively) inexpensive way of doing it. It would be impossible for me to maintain a PPL on a student budget.

Anyhow, i opted for a 5 days course after my AS examinations were finished. I had already soloed with the RAF Cadets in a Grob 109 at RAF Odiham, and i hoped that this would help me with some of the exercises. Although in part this was true, i did have to break a few of the RAF habits that i had been taught!

With a super weather forcast, the week began. It was just me and another student on the course with instructor Peter Baldwin. This gave a nicely concentrated period of flying with 6-7 flights being completed each day.

As i was staying in the bunk rooms, i went out to each evening group. This was really good fun and enabled me to meet many new faces. The aerobatics shown to me by Dave Bowtell were really good fun, (Thanks Dave!), and once i have some more experience i will be looking at that course for sure!

During the course i especially enjoyed the spining, although i had to force the initial apprehension of stalling out of my mind. It was a case of getting used the the reduced G once more.

Anyhow, on the friday afternoon (the 13th!), after 3 successful circuits and landings, Peter cleared me to fly solo. It was a super feeling, and despite being told to go up fly the circuit and come down, a small 2 up on the vario over ATC was too hard to miss! This meant that i did maintain the height longer than i had hoped it was super. With views to the Isle of Wight and Southampton it really was a super feeling - I can fly before i can drive!

At 900ft i joined the circuit flying downwind, to base to finals and landed. All in all it was a really good course and i would like to thank Peter for having the patience whilst i broke the RAF habits!

What next? Well i'd really like to gain the bronze C as soon a possible and i will be working towards my White card, not to mention continuing my solo consolidation.

See you on the airfield!

Rodney Hobbis

Date: 25 April 2008

Aircraft Type: ASK 13

Registration:P

Story: This definitely goes in the category of a flight that put a big grin on my face!

After twenty-six years I have finally returned to gliding; I was cleared to go solo again in a K13 by Gary Pullen on Friday 25 April. Gary gave me a demanding series of exercises after a 3,500' aerotow; boxing the tug, a variety of slow and high stalls and spins - and he tells me he likes the latter!

Last time I flew as P1 was as an Instructor in the back seat of a K13 at Booker where I was helping Doug Walker on a British Airways evening course.

In 1977 I left the Devon and Somerset Gliding Club, where I Instructed and was a Tug Pilot flying Husky G-ATMH, although I was checked out at Lasham in July 1977 I flew with the Tiger Club, tugging with the Tiger G-AOAA and various Super Cubs at Competition Enterprise when it was at North Hill.

Finally after the family had finished school and University and flown the nest and with encouragement from my wife who, in addition to flying with me, has spent many cold and windy weekends and holidays on airfields over the years, I returned to Gliding. Allan Arthurs introduced me to the Fridays R4 Us Group, thank you Arthur, and then Gary sent me solo again - its good to have my feet off the ground again!

PS The check flight I had at Lasham in 1977 was on 24 June of that year with Derek Piggott. From the welcome I was  given, then and since returning to Lasham, I should have made it my permanent gliding home at the time!