Regionals Task Saturday18th August

1200:- Task has been set – waiting for the cloud base to lift.

1230 :- First Lanch not before 1300

Weather forecast

If you want to see what Sid Smith is forecasting, look here: http://www.bggc.co.uk/index.php/weather

For David Masson’s forecast for Lasham, look here: http://www.lashamweather.co.uk/forecasts.php

Dunstable’s forecast (updated around 0700) can be found here: http://www.instructor.andrewroch.co.uk/weather.htm

Congratulations Bill!

Shenington update

Looks like Saturday is looking promising- good luck chaps !

Congratulations team Bidford

Well done Bill on your day one win and Frank for his respectable 5th place , keep up the good work.

5k out and return.....

At least someone's flying!

Shenington Regionals

Take a look at the link below to see how our pilots are getting on.

http://shenington.onglide.com/current-day.xml

Instructor/Duty Pilot Rota

Day	Month	Date	Instructor	Basic Instructor	Duty Pilot AM	Duty Pilot PM
Saturday	June	23	Keith Edmunds		Colin Hussel	Colin Hussell
Sunday	June	24	David Findon	Graham Barlow	Paul Wheeler	Stephen Lee
Wednesday	June	27	Keith Brackstone
Saturday	June	30	David Sandells	Alan Broadbridge	Steven Lee
Sunday	July	1	Keith Edmunds	Alan Wallace	Jon Wand
Wednesday	July	4	Frank Jeynes
Saturday	July	7	David Findon	Alan Broadbridge
Sunday	July	8	Keith Brackstone	Graham Barlow
Wednesday	July	11	Keith Brackstone
Saturday	July	14	David Sandells	Alan Broadbridge	Anna Wells	Anna Wells
Sunday	July	15	Keith Edmunds	Bill Inglis
Wednesday	July	18	David Findon
Saturday	July	21	Frank Jeynes	Alan Wallace
Sunday	July	22	Phil Marks	Graham Barlow	Gill Stewart
Wednesday	July	25	Phil Marks
Saturday	July	28	Frank Jeynes	Alan Broadbridge	Simon Waterfall
Sunday	July	29	Keith Brackstone	Bill Inglis	Frank Townsend

Dave Sandells

Congratulations to Dave on his Assistant Instructor Rating!

unusual prop effect

The Red Bull Blanik chaps are at it again!

http://www.redbull.at/cs/Satellite/de_AT/Video/akte-blanix-3-video-luftfahrtstunt-021243208654911

Caption competition !

Mays Rota

Day	Month	Date	Instructor	Basic Instructor	Duty Pilot AM	Duty Pilot PM	Tug Pilot
Saturday	May	5	Phil Marks	Bill Inglis	Chris Morris	Colin Hussell
Sunday	May	6	Frank Jeynes	Alan Wallace	Martyn Wells	Gill Stewart
Monday	May	7	Self-authorised only
Tuesday	May	8	Self-authorised only
Wednesday	May	9	David Findon
Thursday	May	10	Self-authorised only
Friday	May	11	Self-authorised only
Saturday	May	12	Keith Brackstone	Alan Broadbridge	Rob Gisby
Sunday	May	13	Keith Edmunds	Graham Barlow	Mark Winters	Mark Winters
Monday	May	14	Self-authorised only
Tuesday	May	15	Self-authorised only
Wednesday	May	16	Phil Marks
Thursday	May	17	Self-authorised only
Friday	May	18	Self-authorised only
Saturday	May	19	David Findon	Alan Broadbridge	Rob Stafford	Rob Stafford
Sunday	May	20	Keith Edmunds	Alan Wallace	Pete Jackson
Monday	May	21	Self-authorised only
Tuesday	May	22	Self-authorised only
Wednesday	May	23	Frank Jeynes
Thursday	May	24	Self-authorised only
Friday	May	25	Self-authorised only
Saturday	May	26	Keith Brackstone	Alan Broadbridge	Martyn Wells	Martyn Wells
Sunday	May	27	Phil Marks	Andrew Turk	Mark Winters	Mark Winters
Monday	May	28	Self-authorised only
Tuesday	May	29	Self-authorised only
Wednesday	May	30	David Findon
Thursday	May	31	Self-authorised only
Friday	June	1	Self-authorised only
Saturday	June	2	Keith Edmunds	Bill Inglis		Mike Pope
Sunday	June	3	Frank Jeynes	Graham Barlow	Pete Jackson

New NOTAM incentive!

Apparently there taking this Olympic event seriously!

Motion Induced Blindness

This is why you should always scan the horizon, pausing from time to time etc.....

http://www.msf-usa.org/motion.html

Oudie Position Recorder

Due to small GPS positioning fix errors generated by the Oudie internal GPS engine, making it fall outside the required specification for approval as an IGC Position recorder, the recent BGA approval for use as a position recorder (January 2012) has unfortunately been cancelled with immediate effect.

You can view the update by going clicking the following link;

http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/competitions/news.htm

BGA Website >> BGA Info >> Cross-country and Competitions

To edit your subscriptions, please go to https://www.gliding.co.uk/subscriptions/login.php.

If you have received this email in error, please email webmaster@gliding.co.uk

Self launchers

http://www.swissluijten.com/id14.html

Help save Bagby.

Please help save Bagby Airfield

http://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=76533

1000km goal flight

http://www.scribd.com/doc/90226458/16042012-Keiheuvel-Viersen-SpanishBorder

fun stuff, top 10 fly-bys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dr2ZB36p9Y&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Summers just around the corner

Cafe 2012'

We would like to welcome back Hannah who will be running the cafe this season.
This year Hannah will be working for BGFC, so she really is part of the new team.
Her hours of work will be 9am-2pm sat/sun, she will be offering a very similar service to last year, but this time without the orange!

We would also like to thank Pete for all his hard work over the winter.

wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

watch from 3minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbB59Pu2mJU&sns=em

What a Great Kick off!!

Now we've reached agreement with |BAL the season appears to have started. Last Saturday saw  several trial lessons and we had 30 poeple at the bring and burn night.

Sunday saw 6 x 300km and 1 x 430km a new gliding member and plenty of power flying activity.
We even had a Luscombe flying in!!!

Well done everyone.
Lets keep it up.

Roger Bentley
Chairman

Great news!

Dear All, I'm very pleased to be able to tell you all that we have reached a long term agreement with Bidford Airfield Ltd to take over all flying operations at Bidford airfield.

I will explain more details at the AGM planned for later this month but in essence this will bring together both gliding and powered flying activities and allow the club to prosper and develop and become one of the premier 'flying clubs' in the midlands if not the country.

We have some exciting plans for the future but we are a 'members' club and it will take the help and support of all if we are to fulfil the dream.

To this end we are planning a bring and burn bbq at the club this Saturday to celebrate the occasion of us securing the long term future of the club. Just turn up around 6.30pm with something to throw on the BBQ and we will provide the rest.

Let me know if you'll be there.

Regards

Roger Bentley

Safeguarding Awarness Course

Safeguarding Awareness Course                 Saturday 14^th April 17.30

·        We need to be aware to protect young people and the club from litigation.

·        Designed for all those who are likely to meet under 18’s in training, introductory flights or competitions

·        Focus is on possible difficult situations and how to deal with them

·  

·        Pete is cooking - Coq au vin, mushrooms, carrots, new potatoes, mashed parsnips

     Cinnamon apple strudel, ice cream or cream for £9.50

Please email Gill to book a place     gillstwrt@hotmail.com

Talk on the Saturday 31st March

Unfortunately the talk has been cancelled this saturday, I'll post the new date ASAP

Alert

Rumour has it, the chairman is going to learn to glide. We are are currently seeking EASA approval for wheels to be fitted to all the top surfaces of the club fleet .

Sat 31st March talk

There will be a talk in the club house on the 31st March by a former Vulcan/Canbera Pilot, please see the poster in the club house for further details or contact me to reserve your chair!!

Simon

simon.waterfall@aerobility.com

Posh Frock Night.

Saturday Feb 25^th saw BGFC’s first dinner event take place at the Golden Cross - and it was a real success. Attended by over 40 members and their better halves, the black tie event demonstrated once again the great camaraderie that exists within our new club.

The Golden Cross staff did a really good job, serving Pimm’s on arrival and a quality dinner in a room ideally suited to the occasion.

Thanks to the efforts of Simon Waterfall, we were privileged to have an after-dinner talk and presentation from Squadron Leader Jeff Hesketh of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, whose insight into the activities of the BBMF, their purpose and achievements, held the room spellbound. Tales of his time in one of only two Lancasters left flying in the world today - not to mention the fabulous photographs and sounds of Merlin and Griffon engines - evoked admiration (and more than a little envy I suspect) from the pilots in the room. Keith Brackstone collected the Anorak award for his knowledge of the differing rotation direction of these engines and John Scott’s offer to take over Jeff’s flying role fell on deaf ears

After his talk, Jeff was joined by CFI Frank Jeynes and Chairman Roger Bentley to present the club awards and trophies for 2011. The following Flying Awards were made:-

·         Cairngorm Shield for height gain; Keith Brackstone and David Findon for 13,300ft from a 900’ winch launch at LLeweni Park.

·         Club Ladder; 2010 Chris Morris, 2011 Joseph Westwood

·         The Pilot Most Likely To; Douglas Wilkie, 17 year old who went solo on his 21st flight, 20 being the legal minimum.

·         Bent Prop; Roger Bentley for his upside down landing in his Luscombe - and walking away from it of course.

Frank explained that additional Flying Awards would be made in 2012, to include;-

·         The Greatest Distance Flown from Bidford and

·         The CFI’s Award For the Most Meritorious Flight from Bidford

Roger nominated numerous club members for the Clubman of the Year Award, there having been so many great contributors to the club operation in 2011 but, to rapturous applause, the award and fabulous trophy went to Graham Wright, a truly popular choice for his unstinting work as secretary, weatherman and all-round ‘go to’ guy.

                                                                                   

Special thanks, and a bouquet, were given to Shelagh for all her work keeping the office operating last year. Paul Turner, who has been doing a great job on the club’s finances, received a framed Abacus after admitting that he ‘might have been mistaken’ on a debatable accounting issue and the new ‘Piston Head’ award for notable performance seated behind any aviation-related engine, light aircraft, turbo glider, self-launcher or airfield tractor, was

narrowly missed by Jon Wand after melting his prop in the ASH26 and went instead to John Scott for his outstanding aerobatic competition achievements.

In all then, a great night and the perfect ‘warm-up’ to what we all hope will be a superb, and safe, 2012 flying season at BGFC.

Finally, thanks must of course go to Simon Waterfall who organised this event so well.

Chris Morris
( photographs supplied by Sally Turner)

Caption competition!

Comments below .

Factoid of the week......

Molecularly speaking, water is actually much drier than sand.

Summer is just round the corner

GASCO safety evening

Stratford on Avon Gliding club are hosting a GASCO Safety Evening on Monday 27th February at 1930.

As the event is being held in their club house, which has limited space, anyone who would like to attend MUST let their chairman know beforehand. Please send an email to Richard Maksymowicz at chairman@stratfordgliding.co.uk

The event is being held at:

Stratford on Avon Gliding Club
Snitterfield Airfield
Bearley Road
Snitterfield
CV37 0EG

Annual awards dinner

Just a quick reminder

Venue - The Golden Cross
Time - 6.30pm for pre dinner drinks
Dress - black tie

See you Saturday

Morning glory !

Rounding out

Factoid of the week

No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times

Factoid of the week.........

You only breathe out of one nostril at a time .
Go on try it, put a finger to each one and breath.

Mmmmmmm

For those people who sometimes get it wrong, you are not alone...................

Neil Armstrong was involved in several incidents that went down in Edwards folklore and/or were chronicled in the memoirs of colleagues. The first was an X-15 flight on April 20, 1962, when Armstrong tested a self-adjusting control system. He flew to a height of 207,000 ft (63 km), (the highest he flew before Gemini 8), but he held the aircraft nose up too long during descent, and the X-15 bounced off the atmosphere back up to 140,000 ft (43 km). At that altitude, the atmosphere is so thin that aerodynamic surfaces have almost no effect. He flew past the landing field at Mach 3 (2,000 mph, or 3,200 km/h), over 100,000 ft (30.5 km) altitude, and ended up 40 miles (64 km) south of Edwards (legend has it that he flew as far as the Rose Bowl). After sufficient descent, he turned back toward the landing area, and barely managed to land without striking Joshua trees at the south end. It was the longest X-15 flight in both time and distance of the ground track.^[30]


Four days later, Armstrong was involved in a second incident, when he flew for the only time with Chuck Yeager. Their job, flying a T-33 Shooting Star, was to test out Smith Ranch Dry Lake for use as an emergency landing site for the X-15. In his autobiography, Yeager wrote that he knew the lake bed was unsuitable for landings after recent rains, but Armstrong insisted on flying out anyway. As they attempted a touch-and-go, the wheels became stuck and they had to wait for rescue. Armstrong tells a different version of events, where Yeager never tried to talk him out of it and they made a first successful landing on the east side of the lake. Then Yeager told him to try again, this time a bit slower. On the second landing they became stuck and according to Armstrong, Yeager was in fits of laughter.


On May 21, 1962, Armstrong was involved in what Edwards' folklore called the "Nellis Affair". He was sent in an F-104 Starfighter to inspect Delamar Lake, again for emergency landings. He misjudged his altitude, and also did not realize that the landing gear had not fully extended. As he touched down, the landing gear began to retract. Armstrong applied full power to abort the landing, but the ventral fin and landing gear door struck the ground, which damaged the radio and released hydraulic fluid. Without radio communication, Armstrong flew to Nellis Air Force Base, past the control tower, and waggled his wings, the signal for a no-radio approach. The loss of hydraulic fluid caused the tail-hook to release, and upon landing he caught the arresting wire attached to an anchor chain, and careened along the runway dragging the chain. It took thirty minutes to clear the runway and rig an arresting cable. Armstrong telephoned Edwards and asked for someone to collect him; Milt Thompson was sent in an F-104B, the only two-seater available, but a plane Thompson had never flown. With great difficulty, Thompson made it to Nellis, but a strong crosswind caused a hard landing and the left main tire suffered a blowout. The runway was again closed to clear it, and Bill Dana was sent to Nellis in a T-33 Shooting Star, but he almost landed long — and the Nellis base operations office decided that it would be best to find the three NASA pilots ground transport back to Edwards, to avoid any further problems

Trip to Halfpenny green

A big thanks to Malcolm Lasson who this weekend, Jan 28/29, gave BGFC members advanced Instrument Training in the simulator at Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport.
Chris Morris, John Scott, Gill Stewart and Paul and Sally Turner were booked in over the two days.

The simulator used for the session is an extremely sophisticated piece of kit, apparently costing originally around 1/2million euros.

The photo shows Chris, ‘calmly’ flying the Coventry 23 ILS approach, while being closely monitored and mentored by Malcolm.

Chris commented ‘It was a superb session. Malcolm’s calm, relaxed but very precise instructional style made it not only very valuable but also a lot of fun. I’d seriously recommend this to any Bidford pilots wishing to brush up on their instrument flying’.

It might be possible to arrange further sessions in future if enough BGFC pilots express an interest.

Night flying at Lee on Solent in a glider!!

Yes you did read the title correctly!

I was invited down to lee by my friend, Andy Durston the CFI . Apparently the club was running an evening of night flying " in the dark" , once I realised he was telling the truth I quickly accepted the invitation.
I've never heard of this before ( except from Dave Findon but he can tell you that story ) so off I went.

personally I think they are all barking mad . See photos below .

Well done Mr Scott

The first is the photo is called the "Golden Frog" for the pilot who has done the best, across all groups, in a French aircraft. The second is the Swinstead Trophy for the pilot who has achieved the most points during the year for both known and unknown sequences at Intermediate level

Bidford Regionals

Hi

Please register your entry into the comp by following the link on our website.
www.bidfordglidingandflyingclub.co.uk

BGA conference 2012

http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/notices/conference.htm

Factoid of the week...........

You have more than the average number of legs (probably...)


Most people have two legs,
some have one, some have zero.
The average number is therefore slightly less than two.
So...........
If you have two legs, you have more than the average number.

Wave flying sim

 Soaring in Mountain Wave is an experience that few people get to
experience and even fewer get to experience on a regular basis.  We
can however relatively easily simulate much of the sensation of
flying the wave, and we don't have to travel far nor spend much
money to do so.

   Here are a few ways that one can capture the sensations and thrills
of flying the wave while remaining within just a few miles of home.

   First, dress warmly.  *Extremely* warmly -- it's real cold at
altitudes above 30 thousand feet.  Use Charlie Brown's winter outfit
as a model.  If you can move without assistance, you're not wearing
enough bulk.

   Recline in a moderately uncomfortable chair with no lumbar
support for at least 30 minutes.  This simulates the long wait
you'll have for a tow as everybody else in the world is trying
to get up into the wave at the same time.  It's perfect if you
start to sweat profusely.  Drink plenty of water -- it'll come
in handy later.

   Next, let's try a poor man's simulation of rotor -- one often
must tow through rotor to get to the wave, so this is an important
part of capturing the true experience.  You may want to use a
friend's car or a rental for this part.

   Get into the car and drive to a railroad crossing.  Turn onto
the railroad tracks and drive across the ties.  Vary the speed until
your suspension hits resonance thus maximizing the vertical
disturbance.  If your seat belts aren't causing you pain and your
head isn't bouncing off the ceiling then you're not driving fast
enough.  Remember to get off the tracks if a train comes -- you
don't particularly want to simulate inflight breakup of the glider
while not wearing a chute.  (Note:  wearing a chute in the car won't
help.)  If you don't have railroad tracks handy, find a street with
really bad potholes and drive along as fast as possible.

   It's all the better if the steering gets loose -- the lack
of control and near panic is much like trying to stay behind the
towplane in rotor.  You might want to turn the heat up in the car --
this simulates how hot you'll get in your warm wave clothes at low
altitudes.

   At this point you should consider driving home and starting over
(a few times) -- it's not every tow through rotor that reaches the
wave.

   When you think you can't take the pounding anymore, drive 10 more
minutes, then return to the road and proceed to your local meat
packer's plant.  Drink 10 cups of coffee, tea, or other mild
diuretic and proceed to the coldest deep freeze.

   Set up a large floor fan so that it blows directly up the foot
end of some uncomfortable reclining chair.  A cheap beach lounge will
do, but be sure to put a few wooden boards on it so that it won't
be too comfortable.  You want the fan to suck as much heat out
of your feet as possible, but you also want to get a good breeze
in your face.  This simulates having to keep the vents open so
that the canopy doesn't freeze over due to the moisture in your
breath.

   Next, set up a UV-lamp to point right at your head.  This
simulates the roasting you'll get from all those great "Bennies"
(beneficial rays of the sun) without the protective effect of
the last 30,000 feet of atmosphere to filter out the UV.

   Put on an oxygen mask and insert the hose end into a hole in
a small cardboard box with another small hole in the other end of
the box.  This will allow you to rebreath most of your air but
still get a small amount of fresh air, thus simulating mild
hypoxia.  It's not quite the same as the real thing because of the
elevated concentration of CO2.  You can make a more realistic
simulation by leaking helium balloons into the bag, but this will
cause you to sound like Mickey Mouse if you should talk. Carbon
monoxide works well too, but you'll turn a funny cherry red color
instead of that really cool hypoxic blue.

   Sit perfectly still in the chair for an hour and a half,
thus simulating a climb in that totally smooth laminar lift
towards that illusive "Lennie."  By now the coffee should be
getting to you and you'll have an incredible urge to urinate.
This simulates the afferent nerve reaction that you get from
having extremely cold extremities. (The deep freeze probably
isn't cold enough to do it without the extra coffee.)  Don't
loosen your belt to relieve the pain -- remember, you're
supposed to be sitting in a glider with lots of straps on,
and you wouldn't be able to get at your belt while up there.

   Take an aerial photograph or map of your favorite soaring area
and prop it up on the floor about 10 feet away.  This will
simulate the perspective of high altitude.  Also, hang a navy
blue sheet over your head.  This shows you the darkness of the
sky with only that thin stratosphere above you to scatter light.
  
   Continue sitting in the chair until your feet are so cold
that you can't feel anything from your knees on down.  Then
wait an extra hour to simulate the descent from altitude.  By
now you should be in sheer agony from bladder pain, but that's
all part of the fun.  If you just can't hold it any longer,
just let go, but don't forget to recite that really great line
from _The Right Stuff_:  "I'm really a wet-back now!"

   Now have some friends carry you out to the car (so that you
don't get to stretch the muscles that are complaining about
not moving for so long) and drive home back across the railroad
ties (you've got to fly back through the rotor to get back to
the glider field.)

   Fall out of the car and stand up, then scream in agony as
your stiff legs and frozen feet haven't thawed out yet.  Ignore
the agony and hobble to the bushes to water them (if you still
have to).  Next, go back to the car, pull off your watch, put
it on the ground, and *stomp* on it.  Your barograph has failed,
all the money for the tow, glider rental, and trip to the glider
field is wasted, and now you'll have to do it all again!


   Finally, go clean yourself up, meet your friends, and lie to
them over numerous beers about how wonderful and joyous was the
entire experience, and invite them along for your next trip.
Remember, misery loves company.


     NONE OF THESE ACTIVITIES IS WAVE FLYING,
         BUT ALL OF THEM SURE FEEL LIKE IT !!