MIDLAND GLIDING CLUB

Hello everyone
Looking at the webcams just now I can see that the cloud still hasn’t cleared the hill top and it looks like it may stay that way all day.  However the weekend forecasts seem to suggest a steadily improving situation with the wind southerly today and then getting gradually more westerly as the weekend progresses.  So assuming the cloud lifts sufficiently, and it should, it could be a good weekend for our Junior visitors.  There will be a lot of them around so any help on the ground and in organising the airfield will be especially welcome.  Lets show them what a great club we have.

Winter Lecture Series Saturday 8th February 2020
The next lecture in our Winter Series is by one of our own members Richard Head, about his life in the RAF.
Richard Head is a relatively new member at the Mynd and has a long and distinguished flying career, starting with the ATC gliding and ending with gliding at the Mynd  In between he has enjoyed 10 years on Vulcan bombers, helicopters and instructing.  Richard has done more than most of us combined and we are extremely privileged to be able to enjoy his experiences and also, hopefully, learn some valuable lessons.  Lets make it another full house, stay for dinner after and maybe fly the following day.

Llanbedr Expedition 21-29 March 2020
Anybody looking for accommodation for the Llanbedr expedition?  Nigel Lassitter and myself have booked a very comfortable Lodge in the village and have a spare bedroom available from Saturday to Saturday at a cost of £140 for the week.  Email me at chairman@midlandgliding.club.

Insurance
As you’ll be aware, aviation insurance markets are hardening and the effects are being felt by many aircraft owners when renewing their premiums. As you’d expect, insurers are particularly focussed on losses. It would be unfortunate to have an insurance claim turned down because of a technicality.
It goes without saying that pilots should operate their aircraft legally and within the limits described in the relevant insurance policy. As ever, it is important to read and understand an insurance policy, and if in doubt to discuss the detail with a qualified insurance broker.
It is even more important that the pilot in command (PIC) of a glider or other aircraft is aware of the limitations described in the aircraft flight manual (AFM). For example, some two-seat aircraft AFMs describe limitations re which seat should be occupied by the pilot in command under specific circumstances. Clear examples include the various Duo Discus derivative AFMs.

VGC National Rally 23-30 May 2020
We are hosting the VGC National Rally at the Mynd this year and this is a great opportunity for our members intending to fly in the Olympian competition to get in some practice in their wooden gliders beforehand.  Those of us that fly both wood and plastic (I don’t any longer but started on Skylarks) will know that the lower performance of the wooden glider requires a very different approach to flight planning and completing a task.  During the VGC Rally we will be setting tasks on all suitable days and there will be plenty of willing people around to help with retrieves if needed.  So why not register to attend the rally and blow the cobwebs out of your pride and joy.

BGA Conference and AGM
The BGA AGM will be held on the afternoon of Saturday 29th February 2020 at the Nottingham Belfry Hotel.  If you haven’t been to a BGA Conference or AGM before I highly recommend it as a place to meet lots of other glider pilots, talk with people from other clubs, learn what the BGA does and is doing right now to protect our flying interests and to see all the latest stuff in the trade show as well as new glider types on display.  It costs nothing to attend and there is usually a goody bag on registration.  I will be attending in order to vote on behalf of our members at the AGM.  I have available copies of the Agenda, the Minutes of the 2019 AGM, the BGA Annual Report, the BGA Final Accounts, the budget for 2020-21 and a proposed change to the Operational Regulations concerning Passenger Flying.  If you would like to see any of them you can obtain them from the BGA or drop me an email at chairman@midlandgliding.club and I will forward copies on to you.

Pilot medicals 
I received the following from the BGA a few days ago and think it worth reproducing here:

‘As you will be aware, all qualified glider pilots flying EASA sailplanes including powered sailplanes (which include TMGs) will be required by law to hold an EASA pilots licence and medical certificate from 8 April 2021. We currently expect this to remain the case regardless of the terms under which the UK leaves the EU. We are planning accordingly.  While the new sailplane licensing rules are reasonably straightforward, the LAPL or class 2 medical certificate requirement is a key issue. Whilst many pilots may choose to hold a medical certificate, the BGA and the CAA recognise that the requirement is proven to be disproportionate for air sport and therefore promote and support the use of medical self-declaration where possible.
Supported by other potentially impacted air sport organisations, the BGA has written to the Department for Transport laying out why the UK CAA self-declaration medical standard to driving licence standards and associated exemption from EASA medical requirements should be extended to the thousands of pilots of all recreational EASA aircraft including sailplanes operating in the UK through 2021 and beyond. There is dialogue underway and currently no certainty regarding the outcome.
Meanwhile, to support further justification of continued medical self-declaration, our STRONG recommendation is that all glider pilots including those with a class 2 or LAPL medical consider and if they are able to, sign up to the CAA’s pilot medical online self declaration process. This is a straightforward process and is free. Although the declaration doesn’t specify aircraft category (eg glider, aeroplane, etc) and it can be confusing which box to tick, the key point is to make the declaration if able to. If in doubt tick NPPL. This doesn’t impact on the current BGA medical requirements which until 2021 should remain as they are. By making the one-off declaration, pilots may potentially future-proof themselves against change.
The CAA self-dclaration medical portal is here
We would be grateful if you would pass this information to all your club pilots and encourage participation.’

In addition I would recommend that every one of us writes to out MP telling them how such a decision will impact on our individual flying prospects and lobbying hard that they support the CAA’s Self Declaration policy.  Lobbying does make a difference if enough people take up the cause.  If you think, as I do, that this change may prevent you from flying after April 2021, or create sufficient hurdles that you may consider giving up the sport, tell your MP.

Wenlock Olympian Games – Gliding 13-17 July 2020
We have 13 entries so far for the Olympian competition later this year and thanks to all of our members who heeded my recent encouragement to get registered.  But there are still a few of you out there that haven’t.  What are you waiting for?  If you have registered you should have received an email inviting you to pay the entry fee via SagePay.  If you haven’t please let the office, and me, know.  If you have please pay.  It’s very hard to plan without having a firm idea of the firm entry numbers.

Your duty teams this weekend are:
Saturday:  Chris Alldis (No 1),  Matthew Cook (No 2), Ed Jones (winch), Charles Page (LD)
Sunday:  William Brewis (No 1), Matthew Cook (No 2), Ed Jones (winch),  Dave Cole (LD)

Happy landings
Jon Hall
Chairman

Further to Jon’s post, I’ve volunteered to coordinate club entries for the Wenlock Olympian Games 13-17 July.

To learn more about the event, click here

So if you’re interested in taking part, flying the K8 or K13 (whether as P1 or P2), either for the full week or maybe just part of it, let me know, either directly or via the office.

Let’s fill the sky with ply! (… and a quantity of steel tubing)

Mark S

Hello all
I received the following today from the BGA and I think it worth repeating here:

‘As you will be aware, all qualified glider pilots flying EASA sailplanes including powered sailplanes (which include TMGs) will be required by law to hold an EASA pilots licence and medical certificate from 8 April 2021. We currently expect this to remain the case regardless of the terms under which the UK leaves the EU. We are planning accordingly.
While the new sailplane licensing rules are reasonably straightforward, the LAPL or class 2 medical certificate requirement is a key issue. Whilst many pilots may choose to hold a medical certificate, the BGA and the CAA recognise that the requirement is proven to be disproportionate for air sport and therefore promote and support the use of medical self-declaration where possible.
Supported by other potentially impacted air sport organisations, the BGA has written to the Department for Transport laying out why the UK CAA self-declaration medical standard to driving licence standards and associated exemption from EASA medical requirements should be extended to the thousands of pilots of all recreational EASA aircraft including sailplanes operating in the UK through 2021 and beyond. There is dialogue underway and currently no certainty regarding the outcome.
Meanwhile, to support further justification of continued medical self-declaration, our STRONG recommendation is that all glider pilots including those with a class 2 or LAPL medical consider and if they are able to, sign up to the CAA’s pilot medical online self declaration process. This is a straightforward process and is free. Although the declaration doesn’t specify aircraft category (eg glider, aeroplane, etc) and it can be confusing which box to tick, the key point is to make the declaration if able to. If in doubt tick NPPL. This doesn’t impact on the current BGA medical requirements which until 2021 should remain as they are. By making the one-off declaration, pilots may potentially future-proof themselves against change.
The CAA self-dclaration medical portal is here
We would be grateful if you would pass this information to all your club pilots and encourage participation.’

Wenlock Olympian Games Gliding
As of today we have six entries for the Olympian competition, most of them from abroad but it is noticable that there are no entries on the list from our own club.  I can’t believe that no one from the Mynd is interested so I am asking that if you are considering an entry you do it now via the online entry form.  Having lots of entries encourages more.  Click here to go to the website and follow the link from there.  No payment is required at the time of entry.  You wil receive a digital invoice sometime after where you can pay online via Sage Pay, our secure online payment portal.  It would be a great shame to have to cancel the event for lack of entries as it is entirely unique in the gliding calendar worldwide and brings a lot of attention and revenue to the club, which we all know we need.  Even if you are not sure you can cancel before the middle of May and get a full refund.  If we have to cancel again this year it is highly unlikely that this event will ever happen again.

Airspace Classification Review
Back to the BGA.  Following on from the APPG-GA instigated Kirkhope Inquiry into Lower Airspace, which highlighted many of the challenges associated with unecessarily restricted airspace, the Govt has directed the CAA to regularly review airspace classifications including consultation with airspace users, and where appropriate amend the classification using (new) procedures developed by the CAA.
The CAA has launched an airspace classification review consultation that closes on 3 Mar 2020.
The BGA believes this is an opportunity. The airspace committee has met to discuss the potential BGA response. Its representatives have also attended a CAA stakeholder engagement meeting that described the consultation and the likely steps following the consultation. They have highlighted to CAA the very limited scope of data supplied in the consultation and the potential impact that will have on the consultation. It was clear from the stakeholder meeting that CAA will only be looking in any detail at those volumes of controlled airspace that are the focus of multiple responses.
The BGA believes that it will need to seek club pilots support in responding to this consultation. As such, around mid-February, it anticipates sharing some information that pilots will be encouraged to use to form their own responses in time for the 3rd March.
The consultation can be viewed here 

Winter Lecture Series
Don’t forget the next lecture is this Saturday 18th January by Afandi Darlington.  Afandi is a senior inspector at the AAIB.  He holds a PPL(A) and is a keen and experienced glider pilot.  He holds a first class degree in Aeronautical Engineering and will be covering why the AAIB investigate accidents and serious incidents, the legal framework they operate within and some examples from GA and the commercial world.  We are immensely privileged in having such a distinguished speaker and I urge you to come along, support your club, learn more about aviation and have a flight and meal as well.  The talk will start at 1800 and there will be the usual request for contributions to the Social Fund to cover costs.  The next one is on the 8th February by Richard Head – ‘My Life in the RAF’ and trhe final one of the series this year on 7th March from Simoan Adlard and Mike Fox on the latest news from the BGA, especially winching.

The Juniors are coming
I’m delighted to see the response to the Juniors Winter Series weekend at the Mynd (30th January to 2nd February) has been remarkable with more registered entries than have ever supported one of their Winter Series weekends at any site in the UK ever.  This is a testament to the burgeoning interest in Junior Gliding and especially their interest in our club.  These are the people who will go away and tell their friends and club members what a great time they had with us and that will encourage more visitors and maybe even more members.  In the correspondence I have had with the organisers they have mentioned several times how much the Juniors like our club, the people and how welcoming we are.  I hope this year will be no different.

Your duty teams this weekend are:
Saturday:  Neal Clements (No 1), Mark Jerman (No 2), Charles Carter (TLs), Peter Orchard (winch), Dave Cole (LD)
Sunday:  Steve Male (No 1), Mark Jerman (No 2), Charles Carter (TLs), Peter Orchard (winch), Laurent Couval (LD)

The next few days
I am unashamed at repeating DC’s recent blog post here about flying over the next few days.
Friday – Probably the best, 20knt WSW (or just north of west depending on which site you look at). The warmest day with a reasonable amount of sun
Saturday – 15knt NW.  A little less warm but a nice day a good amount of sun and some cummulus
Sunday – 5-10knt NNE backing NW and reducing in strength. The coldest with much less sun in the afternoon with possible orographic and canopy misting to finish the day
So, yet again three flyable days, if there are any instructors willing to help on Friday I am sure there will be people to fly.

Happy landings
Jon Hall
Chairman

Hi everyone
Just a quick one today as much club stuff to do and not enough time!  As Dave C pointed out Friday should have a good amount of sunshine and a light westerly 10knts or so backing  southwesterly but Saturday doesn’t look great.  However there are always things need doing around the club so if you want to get out of the house for a while ….
Sunday, a bit of a mixed picture but blipspot likes it. Plenty of sun with 20 knts between W & WSW.  So the ridge should give you some fun.

Winter Lecture Series Saturday 18th January 2020
Don’t forget the next lecture is on Saturday 18th January by Afandi Darlington.  Afandi is a senior inspector at the AAIB.  He holds a PPL(A) and is a keen and experienced glider pilot.  He holds a first class degree in Aeronautical Engineering and will be covering why the AAIB investigate accidents and serious incidents, the legal framework they operate within and some examples from GA and the commercial world.  We are immensely privileged in having such a distinguished speaker and I urge you to come along, support your club, learn more about aviation and have a flight and meal as well.  As Sunday is likely to be flyable why not stay over.  The talk will start at 1800 and there will be the usual request for contributions to the Social Fund to cover costs.  The next one is on the 8th February by Richard Head – ‘My Life in the RAF’ and trhe final one of the series this year on 7th March from Simoan Adlard and Mike Fox on the latest news from the BGA, especially winching.

Your duty teams this weekend are:
Saturday:  Guy Hartlands (No 1), Matthew Cook (No 2), Mark Wakeham (TLs), Geoff Dailey (winch)
Sunday:  Matthew Cook (No 2), Mark Wakeham (TLs), Geoff Dailey (winch)

Junior Gliding Winter Series
The Juniors are with us again over the weekend from 30th January to 2nd February.  Its always good fun when they come to the club and whatever the weather I can guarantee if there is any chance of flying there will be lots of it.  We always need help on the ground when we have visitors so if you can spare a bit of time to drive a retrieve winch or help marshal the launch queue please do.

Instructor Meeting
The next instructor meeting is on Saturday 15th February at 1730 at the club.

Llanbedr Expedition
The glider list for the Llanbedr expedition is now full but there will be some opportunity to fly with our and other instructors and coaches in a range of gliders from K21, Twin Astir and Duo Discus.  If you fancy a day or two get in touch with Nigel Lassitter.Anyone who has been followign Chris Gill’s exploits from Denbigh on FaceBook will know that the wave in Snowdonia is excellent and apparently there all the time.  Don’t miss it.

CAA Airspace Classification Review
On 30 October 2019 the Secretary of State for Transport wrote to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to amend the 2017 Air Navigation Directions to give them a new requirement to review the classification of airspace.  The CAA is now beginning the first airspace classification review and they would like your help. Click here to see its consultation for more information and respond online before 3 March 2020.  However the BGA are considering this very carefully as it will inevitable affect the soaring community so it recomends not responding until it publishes to us its recomendations.

Happy landings
Jon Hall
Chairman

Decent day as promised – ridge working from zero to 700 ft, plus weak thermal and a bit of wave in the morning, which seemed to disappear in a sulk after a very brief shower around noon. I had my first go in the Junior – seems nice enough despite the total(!) lack of any total energy compensation on the vario – either I couldn’t locate the magic switch that enables it, or else it just plain doesn’t work … answers on a postcard …

No pre-solo students, but Rob kept himself busy with a trial lesson plus a few checks, with follow-up rides in the Junior or K23. Holly tried the K21 out from the back seat and acquitted herself well.

Altogether a fine start to the year, and here’s to another one tomorrow. My top tip – plenty of warm and wind-proof clothing – remember there’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate attire!

Happy New Year!

Mark

Friday and Saturday both look flyable, Rasp likes Friday, on the ridge all day. GSD sounding thinks there will be considerably more North in the wind but both agree on 15-20knts.

Saturday, both sites like this, bang on the ridge from GFS and a few degrees further round to the south from Rasp (the ridge will work well with either forecast) both have 15-20knts though Rasp has this dropping off as the afternoon progresses  GSD also has a good wave profile, Rasp can’t quite bring itself to promise much though the pattern is there.

So my money is on a GFS Saturday.

Sunday looks classic for orographic, lots of it.

Dave