Saturday 14th September

Despite a rather slow start, today gave another great day's flying. Following the briefing the sky went from blue to overdeveloped in a very short time, but then settled down and improved as the day went on. With 32 launches, George, Ken and Bill were kept busy in the tugs and with several Air Experience flights, as well as training flights, the instructors were also hard at work. Ground crews did sterling service too. Mike Smith's Skylark was rigged, the Alliance, after suffering what appeared to be a rather hard landing during a training flight, was de-rigged and inspected. Thankfully there had been no damage so it was re-rigged and flown again ! Meanwhile Malcolm Parkes's PIK was rigged after being in the workshop. 

Pawnee G-ATFR - Waiting to move on to the line watching G-CTUG taking off with the two seater

Pawnee G-ATFR - The view ahead -  lining up for a tow

Pawnee G-ATFR - The view behind - Mike Smith's Skylark ready to have the rope attached

The good conditions allowed Geoff Forster to go to Duns and back twice so he thought he would complete a 100km task by going to Rothbury. Just short of Rothbury he turned around to see the cloud street which had taken him South had vanished ! Setting off back home he realised he wasn't going to make it and so landed out just near Ewart. Whilst the glider could be clearly seen from the back road it took a major cross-country expedition to reach it. Another hardy ground crew of 5 plus Geoff had the glider de-rigged and in its trailer in much less time than it took to get back out of the field ! Who said the single seater hangar would save us rigging ?

Take a deep breath lads, those are BIG wings !

Sunday 8th September

We all know that, at this time of year, visiting birds head South. At Milfield today a rather special, and very large, bird took to the air to head off. Returning from an expedition to Scotland, Mike Bird and Ed Downham had driven down from Aboyne with their glider an EB28, call sign 13. Derived from an ASH25 it's a self launcher of 28m span ! Their intention was to set off, on what promised to be a good day, and head for the London Gliding Club at Dunstable ! Judging by conditions over the day we supect they made it - or at least got a long way South.

Steve Marriott wonders what the wife would think if he bought one !

Droopy wings but, once airborne (quickly) very impressive !

Perhaps gives a better impression of how big and droopy those wings are.

So, excitement but, as we watched them climb away towards the first cumulus to the South, the realisation that the conditions looked good sank in. As we only had one tug pilot available the launch rate was frustratingly slow but, with cloudbase between 4 & 5000', there were many good soaring flights. Ken Sangster managed over 4 hours while Bill Stephen went to Jedburgh, returned then went to Kelso and back. Meanwhile John Brown, in the club's Astir, got a lovely view of the BBMF Lancaster as it cruised passed the site. Your correspondent added to his castle portfolio when he realised that the Etal turnpoint on the local triangle also boasted a castle. He and Steve Marriott, following multiple 'Olympic' triangles at Buckminster, carried on at home by going around the local triangle twice and 3 times respectively. All in all a great day !

Etal turnpoint centre (T junction) and castle, upper right