An Uplifting Experience        Seighford 27th May 2011

On flight duty were:

Mid week Tone, Jedro (Joan), Dasher, Sid, Mick Houson, Chris Guest, Bolt and Sling shot Bolt

Ground crew armed with machine guns were:

Yuppers, Jaycee, Pedro, Granpop Bill, Keithee’s not up for it, Mothy and Mr Tahoohigh (initially)

Turning up just for the landing party were:

Richee, Craigee, Spikelet, and Margy Mothy.

A five day forecast by the Met office was predicting that most of Britain would be covered by a plume of volcanic ash on the day of our trip, reviving memories of the previous year’s massive disruption to flights all over Britain.

However, speculation that this Icelandic ash cloud could jeopardise our flights were soon dispelled by Dasher.  'It’s a glider youth, not a Jumbo jet.'

As the day arrived, the gliding club confirmed that the flights could go ahead.  The weather was fine and sunny; a significant improvement on the previous day's thunder and lightening.  So, late afternoon we headed off for the club at Four Lanes End, approx 3 miles from Stafford.  www.staffordshiregliding.co.uk .

Mid week Tone was on a flier with his caravan early the next morning so he chose to drive to the gliding club so he could leave us immediately after his flight.  We carefully followed the instructions provided by the County Wollers to pick up Jaycee and Mothy in Stafford, and passed Asda no less than 3 times.  Nice ring road !  Just hope the pilot knows where he's going.....

Outside the clubhouse Joan began the first task of form filling surrounded by several little Fokkers who were becoming excited but apprehensive about the next couple of hours.

The instructor gave us a brief demonstration on how to strap up the harness.  Chris Guest was volunteered to assist.

The instructor confirmed he’d been CRB checked as he intimately straightened out the straps, with Chris retaining his smile throughout.

There were 3 main pointers given:

'The 'Tell Tail' string on the canopy is to confirm that you’re going in the right direction.'

'The hard thing sticking up between your legs is just the joystick.'

'To release the canopy just lob yourself out and float down to earth.'

So with those instructions firmly in mind it was tally ho and chocks away!

Pedro had been eyeing his life insurance payouts and encouraged Joan to also enlist on a parachute jump in a few months time, just in case.

The instructor confirmed he’d never yet had engine failure in all his years of experience.  Most reassuring !  Der.

'That's a wing Mick, and there's another on the other side,' confirmed his instructor.

Top Gun Tahoohigh, initially part of the ground crew, changed his mind after seeing the first ones had escaped undamaged, and volunteered to go up. 'I’m 88kg', he declared. ‘And that’s with his wallet’, shouted Keithee.

Chris Guest next, still smiling,

Keithee, sat firmly on the ground in his thermals collecting the dosh and enjoying the spectacle.

Sid arrived in a pick up truck and, with seconds remaining before the planes were returned to their hangers, he harnessed up and took to the air.

There were several on a flyer so they swiftly left the airfield to go home. The rest hitched lifts back to Stafford where the late arrivals had assembled on the rear patio of The Sun Inn in the sunshine.

The Malibar in Water St had been booked for 8.15pm for 13 people to discuss their day's exploits and to enjoy an excellent meal and company.

It was generally agreed that the evening had been an uplifting experience and that it would probably be the only rise we'd get in the foreseeable future.

Many thanks go out to Von Dasher who set this one up, so well done Dash, a great experience and a venture that really took off.

Yuppers

(enjoy yer flights)

Click the Fokker to the right for Mid-Week Tone's video.