Borders Gliding Club

If the weather gods shine on me, I’ll try Sunday!

The DG505 is now back at the Club. Rigging and check flying is planned to take place on Friday 28th Jan.

Tim

Despite the best efforts of all from the Club, the recovery of this glider has been a bit of a nightmare. I seem to remember the Club being given an expectation of getting it back for the first wave week last year. I’m not sure that Macleans are doing well when it comes to forecasting and prioritising their work. I remember the saga of the repairs to Steve Marriott’s DG808 too. I am very disappointed yet again as the DG505 is the only Club glider that I fit in. Fortunately, I am not around this weekend so I don’t have to suffer not being able to fly yet again.

I've just received the call from Bob McClean that I was hoping would not happen!

The DG505 will not be ready for Russell Hardcastle to bring to the Club tomorrow (Friday 21st Jan). He apologised profusely. It's very close now; it has been reassembled and re-rigged to check operation and deflections of the ailerons (the mechanism had to be completely removed). There are still a couple of small jobs which should be completed today and then it can be weighed and test flown.

It will probably be ready early next week but he is now suggesting we slip Russell Hardcastle's trip until next Friday.

I don't think we have any choice but to accept this. I don't want it rushed and I want to see it test flown before it comes back.

Sorry to be the bringer of bad news.

Tim

Sadly, I can’t make it on Friday or this weekend as I should be in the Deep South looking at another glider

I have arranged for JZB to be towed back to Milfield on Friday 21st Jan. Russell Hardcastle from Rufforth has agreed to do this. I believe Russell is a well known visitor to the Club and he is looking forward to a flight on Friday if possible.

We will need a team of people to help rig the aircraft when it arrives. If you are available, please help. Anticipated arrival time is 11am.

Tim

Thanks Tim. I am really looking forward to flying again - it will have been 3 months!

Spoke to Bob McLean on Monday.

He sounded quite positive that the work would be completed this week so I am making arrangements to bring it back to the Club in the w/c 17th January.

I am due to call Bob again on Friday for a further update.

Tim

Thank you for the update.

I've had a long discussion with Bob McLean today. He says he is "almost there" with the repairs.

He was working on the aircraft between Christmas and New Year and had largely got the internal metal items (undercarriage, aileron linkage and brake master cylinder) bolted back in place by the beginning of this week. He then discovered two small areas around the wheelbox where he felt that the glassing was partially delaminated. He is not sure if this has always been there or if it was as a result of the field landing but either way he was not comfortable with leaving it. So some of the metal items had to come back out to allow for more glassing. This is now complete and the metalwork is now going back in.

He has invited me to call back at the end of Monday (10 Jan) when he hopes to give some good news. He will then need to weigh the aircraft and he still wants to carry out an air test to prove that all is working satisfactorily before releasing it back to us.

I will update again here after I speak to Bob on Monday.

Tim

I am in frequent touch with McLean Aviation who have advised me that the reassembly work is taking longer than they expected. We will not now get the DG back by Christmas as I had hoped. McLean's are working between Christmas and the New Year and are hoping to be finished then. They want to carry out and air test of the complete aircraft so there is a degree weather dependency involved.

Volunteer wanted! Would anyone be willing to tow the aircraft back from Rufforth in early January?

Tim

Light at the end of the tunnel at last!

McLean Aviation have advised me that the work on the DG should be complete by 17th December. I am making arrangements to collect it as soon as possible in the following week.

I'll post a note here when she is ready to fly again.

Tim

Any forecast delivery date?

Some good news at last on the DG505.

The new undercarriage parts that are long overdue from Germany have now arrived at McLean Aviation - the company carrying out the repairs following the field landing in July. Re-assembly of the aircraft can now proceed and once testing has taken place, she should be ready to return to us.

Hopefully a welcome Christmas present!

Tim