December – January 2008

If you’ve only just discovered gliding as cold weather sets in for the UK, don’t despair – it’s a great time to give yourself a headstart for the fun days of next summer.

When the weather really is too bad for flying, it’s also a great time of year to daydream about what you’ll do next summer – and then to plan to turn those hopes into reality. One way of improving your skills, says BGA National Coach Mike Fox, is to take part in a competition. You don’t have to be out for a place in the Worlds to benefit from the fun and facilities comps offer. There are of course the BGA-rated contests – see the provisional ratings list and the comps calendar in the December issue if that’s where your interests lie – and then there are all the other options, too. Enterprise, the Inter-Club League, the Mountain Soaring Competition, the Wolds Two-Seater Competition, aerobatics – whatever flavour of flying you like, there’s a comp to accompany it. All you have to do is enter and turn up.

Also in this issue, Jochen Ewald reports from the summer Idaflieg research meeting, Devin Giddings explains how an Air League Scholarship helped him towards his goals, Charlie Jordan looks back at a rainy Junior Nationals and Nick Gaunt describes some Enterprising flying.

Finally, we linger longingly on the glory days of 2007 with the second in our series on the subject. Kay Draper, Bernie Morris, Andy Wright, Bruce Cooper, Phil King and Martyn Davies explain how they did their 750s. Ed Downham updates us on what the London GC’s EB28 syndicate has been up to (flying one-and-a-half times round the world, if you must know). And John Williams, winner of the On Line Contest’s flight of the year, creates a new turning point – in the North Sea, where else? – to widen Scotland enough foran east-west 1,000km in wave. In this issue, his non-gliding partner Wendy MacPhedran reveals the personal slogan behind his success…

Season’s Greetings, enjoy your flying – and don’t get your feet wet.