Benji the Black Lab does exactly what it says on the tin.
I had a few days holiday from work recently, luckily this coincided
with the delivery of a couple of E-Bay purchases I made the week before. Namely,
a PRESIDENT Hi-FLY, Slope Soarer (already built) and a ARTF CM-Pro Discus 2.6mtr
Glider.
I tidied up the Hi-Fly, "odd bits of solar film here and
there", and also put together the Discus.
On the Friday the wind looked good for the hill just behind my house, so I rang Dave
a fellow member and asked if he would like to try slope soaring. He promptly appeared
about lunch time and all five of us set off up the hill, "the two of us and
three dogs". After much puffing and blowing and inquiries, "how much
further" and " are you trying to kill me", we reached a part of
the slope which I considered would give us a chance of some decent flights. I
assembled the President while Dave caught up, I then invited him to the first
flight as I thought this would restore his faith in my comments about how good
and relaxing sloping can be, he might even forget all about the trials of the
climb up the hill.
Dave took the transmitter while I launched the glider into wind. Whoops! Me
thinks we needed the other half of the church roof, The wind was to strong for
the amount of ballast, The glider shot up and promptly disappeared behind us,
somewhere over the back of the hill, I promptly set off in pursuit not knowing
where or what I would find. I hadn't got far when Dave shouted
"the planes coming back", I said what! " the planes coming
back", then low and behold. I got a sighting of a bright yellow President
slope sourer bobbing it's way back over the rise with a Black Labrador attached
to it. For those who are familiar with the Loch Park stories from last year, you
will have realised that Benji had done it again. What a happy dog he was! Just
doing his duty! We naturally thought "that's the end of a very short
flight, and possibly the end of a yellow slope soarer".
"WRONG" There was hardly a mark on the plane, he
hadn't even punctured the solar film. So I promptly put in some extra ballast,
and we had an excellent afternoons soaring. I didn't fly the
2.6mtr Discus, as it had never even been test flown in calm conditions, and if
the balance were out, we couldn't risk another run-away glider as I doubt we
would be so lucky next time.
article by club chairman.
