It was a foggy start to the day at DSGC, with conditions taking a little while to improve. With a forecast of just 2 knots of wind, it was looking like a very benign day. The first launch eventually got underway at 11:13am after plenty of anticipation.
Reaching the top of the launch, pilots soon discovered the valley was covered in a thick blanket of cloud. This meant aerotows would have to wait, as a rope break in those conditions would be unsafe.
The morning saw plenty of simulated launch failures, with check flights, ACRs, assessments and training keeping everyone busy – and certainly adding a few extra steps for the retrieve crew!
After lunch, it turned into a particularly pleasant day, with negligible wind and temperatures warming nicely.
A big highlight was Joel Roulson successfully passing his SPL skills test – a fantastic achievement! Joel also completed the accompanying 10 pages of paperwork, which was perhaps the real test of the day!
Flying continued through the afternoon, with the day wrapping up around 3:30pm. Once the valley had cleared, James Flory managed a few aerotows before the showers briefly arrived just as everyone was packing up.
Finally, the K6 DRE was weighed in the ground hangar having completed its Annual inspection – thanks Ian Mitchell (Great job by Arthur Lean on polishing). Thanks to everyone who helped with the rigging and derigging, especially those who stayed on to finish in the dark! – Joel Roulson
