COMBAT AND COMPETITION.pdf - Lakes Gliding Club

CHAPTER TEN CHARIOTS OF FIRE
sight, into dead ground beyond the threshold of the runway, and a
cloud of dust shot upwards as it hit the stubble. There were several
brick piers, part of the wartime lighting system, on the extended line
of the runway. Perhaps they would wipe off the undercarriage and it
would arrive sliding out of control on its belly.
With the thought it came bounding into sight - intact and rolling
fast, across the boundary - over the peritrack - and then, blessed
relief! onto the grass parallel to the far side of the runway. We
reached the pram as the Hunter came to a stop far out in the middle
of the airfield and there was Virginia, still out to the world, peacefully
asleep, as if nothing had happened. It was a shattering experience and
I had no wish to fly again that day.
A pity really because Derek Piggott climbed to over 24,000 feet
later in the afternoon - and I had to wait a further 23 years to get my
third and last diamond4 for height.
Three days later and the opening task of the Nationals was free
distance. My first flight was an outlanding 8 miles away near Dummer.
A fortunate quick retrieve and the second failed to connect. I began to
wonder about those lead sled stories. The third launch was long after
five o'clock but it gave me a fast climb, straight off tow, high into
cloud. After that several widely spaced thermals, and a 15 knot
tailwind, took care of the first 50 miles, well beyond Salisbury.
Past Blandford Forum the remaining cumulus vanished, but to
seaward of track there was a pronounced thickening in the haze. It
looked like a different air mass. A sea breeze front? I steered gingerly
towards it and was rewarded with bits of intermittent lift which
carried me on to Lyme Regis. Fourth for the day. By the skin of my
teeth the Olympia IV was still in play.
After that things went much better although Anne didn't always
think so. When the task was an out and return race to Greenham
Common she greeted my cheerful arrival back at Lasham with the
words.
"That wasn't fast enough. Go and do it again!" She was right too!
I soon came to terms with my new steed. Its high rate of roll and
lack of adverse yaw, thanks to the Frise ailerons, helped to offset the
higher circling speed, and suited my own approach to thermal flying.
By nature I have always been a frenetic winder, umpteen degrees of
bank, pulling hard into the core - and the Olympia IV was just what
I wanted. On the climb it seemed to be at no disadvantage, even
against Tony D2's Skylark III prototype, unless the lift was extremely
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