May’s training camp saw the team return to Nympsfield and, for once, the weather largely cooperated. In fact, the flying had already started well before the official camp began. Laura, Elliot and Alex had all arrived earlier in the week, taking advantage of annual leave and a rare spell of good conditions to build valuable currency with several dozen practice flights between them before the main camp even started.
Friday began with Alex, Neil, Elliot and Laura all flying, while Graham Saw observed from the ground providing valuable coaching and critique. Spirits were high following the recent approval of Advanced-level flight evaluations, and with very little club flying activity early on, we effectively had the tug to ourselves for much of the morning.
Conditions were close to ideal, the only real limitation being a hazy layer that made the natural horizon less distinct than we would have liked. Taking full advantage of Nympsfield’s very reasonable aerotow rates, most launches were to around 6,000 ft, the club’s Eurofox tug making short work of the climb each time.
The focus for much of the day was refining individual figures that had been identified as needing work: Chinese loops, tailslides, and inverted-entry shark tooth combinations with rolling elements all featured heavily. Earlier training had also highlighted the need for some additional dual instruction on specific vertical manoeuvres, so plans were made for focused dual flights in the Fox with Guy Westgate over the weekend.
Flying continued through until the evening crew arrived around 18:00. Chris G then produced fish and chips for the team before everyone settled into the clubhouse for several hours of video and data review. Using footage from the cockpit cameras alongside data captured from the GyroFX loggers, the team worked collaboratively through the flights, identifying small but important improvements in positioning, energy management and figure execution.
Saturday started early again. With a strong cross-country forecast expected to generate heavy club activity later in the day, we knew there would likely be a pause around lunchtime while the grid launched. Dan Weston arrived mid-morning, joining the rest of the team as attention shifted toward flying complete versions of the 2026 British Aerobatics Advanced Known sequence.
The general pattern for the day became high tows, full sequence practice, then using any spare height at the end to revisit figures needing additional work. Flying paused around midday while the cross-country grid launched, giving everyone a chance to grab lunch and rig the Fox for Dan.
The afternoon brought more flying, albeit at a slower pace due to the volume of club activity. Towards the end of the day, with showers beginning to develop nearby, Neil and Chris G borrowed the club K21 to focus on Sports-level figures. Chris is hoping to enter the Saltby Open in a few weeks’ time and used the opportunity to fly a complete sequence dual with Neil in the back seat. Having demonstrated a safe and competent performance, Chris was then sent solo to repeat the sequence while Neil observed from the ground.
After a detailed debrief covering aircraft limitations, positioning, human performance and general competition expectations, Chris successfully completed both his Sports badge assessment and competition flight evaluation — a significant milestone and thoroughly deserved. Huge congratulations to Chris.
Guy Westgate arrived around 17:00 and immediately got to work in the Fox with the team. The focus was very specific: managing vertical downlines with rolling elements when entry speeds are higher than expected — exactly the sort of situation that can arise unexpectedly in an Unknown sequence.
By around 19:00, with tug pilots tiring and most of the planned dual flights completed, flying finally stopped. Neil’s own dual session with Guy would have to wait until Sunday, weather permitting.
The evening quickly turned into maintenance mode. After Elliot and Chris helped wash the tug, the SZD-59 was de-rigged ahead of worsening overnight weather. Work then began upgrading the GyroFX loggers in both gliders by wiring them directly into the aircraft electrical systems, eliminating the need for separate rechargeable batteries — and removing the possibility of pilots forgetting to switch them on. As with many “simple” jobs on gliders, it proved rather more involved than expected.
Meanwhile, Laura and Elliot carried out a detailed inventory of the trailer contents, identifying additional tools, spare parts and equipment needed ahead of the long journey to Fayence for WAGAC in September.
Chris G once again produced an excellent dinner, which was eaten in the hangar well after sunset. By around 23:00, common sense finally prevailed and the remaining work was left for the morning.
Sunday’s forecast proved accurate: low cloud, strong winds and little immediate prospect of flying. With the tug unavailable until late morning while receiving new brake pads, there was no urgency to rush.
The remaining maintenance tasks were completed, including finishing the logger power installations in both the Fox and the SZD. Guy also repaired some of the vinyl graphics on the SZD, restoring the glider’s increasingly professional appearance.
Conditions eventually improved enough for a single training flight late in the afternoon. Around 15:00, Neil and Guy launched in the Fox to complete the outstanding dual training objective from Saturday. Objective achieved, they landed long, rolled to a stop, and immediately de-rigged the aircraft.
After a short end-of-camp briefing — important both for reinforcing lessons learned and aligning plans for the coming weeks — the team finally departed around 17:00 for the long drives home.
