Gliding

Flying was always my dream, I thought it could only remain as a dream. Unexpectedly that studying aboard is opening the door of opportunities for me to get in touch with plane/jet/glider, whatsoever type of flying vehicle. This is all owing to my signed up to the gliding club.

It was very early last Saturday morning, about 7.45am I rushed myself to the gathering point in from of Portland building. It was very cold, temperature as low as 12 degree Celsius that morning. My breaths turned clouds of mist when I panting from quick run to there. As I reached I saw a few club members sitting on the stair case in front of Portland Building, some were international students and some were British students, they were Steven, John, Ken and many more. Attendance was taken while waiting for others to come. At about 8am we departed in three cars moving towards the South West for 1 hour and 5 minutes of ride. At first I was still very energetic for sightseeing and for route recognition however until half of the journey I finally failed to defeat the loads of my eye lids, I unconsciously napped in the back seat of the car. When I gained my vision it was just two more turns ahead to the destination—Cranwell.




Glider




 



There we were, a highly security restricted military training college in Cranwell, RAF. Only during Banks holidays and weekends there are opened to outsiders or gliding club members because during the normal days the airfield will be occupied for formal training purpose. We queued to collect our day pass and then we walked under the lead of an instructor to the garage where all the gliders are kept.


The garage



Front of garage

NU2 is owned by the gliding club of University of Nottingham. It was destructed like the plane model that we used to see in the toy shop when I first seen it. It was kept after the previous use with its wings, tails taken out and kept in a big container together with the glider body. It was towed by a car to the airfield and there we helped to build it up. Impressively, the instructor was a young lady, her name was Conny. She was really professional; she jumped into the glider, opened the canopy and unfixed the seater head rest to reach for the lock for both wings. Three to Four persons went to side of one wing, lifting and shifting for it to fit the wing nicely to the hole in the body and then locked it to the body properly. The same repeated for the other wing. This followed by the Tail.

N
Great Britain registered Glider of Nottingham University Gliding Club







Low visibility in the morning stopped us from flying=(
 
 
Happy smiling face..





Romeo 59

The glider above, R59 was made in 1969. We were able to fly on it as it belonged to University of Nottingham as well. Its age could easily told from its shape. Looking at it and make comparison with Romeo 2, you could see a revolutional change in the glider shape of construction whereby Romeo 2 is more aerodynamic enhanced than the R59 and other glider, therefore it is one of the best performance glider in the club. It can fly higher and longer. Materials of architecture had also improved from just steel and wood to steel, plastic, wood, fabric and carbon fiber.


Because of it was still foggy, we were unable to fly thus we went up the double Decker bus to have our tea, coffee, snacks and sandwiches. The bus was so cool that it was actually a mobile mini kitchen and resting stop for all of the gliding members. Steams puffing up the cold air from the chimney of the bus. Interestingly the lady of food and drinks seller was actually an experience glider driver, she had been flying for 25 years. She flew solo. That’s what really incredible!




The double Decker bus, our mobile resting stop




Sleek



After a short rest we were called for a pre-flight briefing in the bar. Life safety measure like how to wear and use the parachute was taught by the president of gliding club, this was the first time I wore parachute. Sunshine appeared and we push the glider one by one from the garage to the airfield then they were towed by jeep or four wheels drive to our launching point. Here you see how we moved the glider.

Some used BMW to tow the glider..

But we used the Jeep



My feet were soaked wet all the day. I should have worn Puah Chu Kang's boots..


Excited

Brian was my instructor of the day and he introduced me a lot about gliding. We helped other glider to set off by clinging the cable underneath the glider as well as holding one wing to help it balance then run with the glider during the launching.

A
Already in the air..冲上云霄

do you see? Im on the bird view



Yoo..hoo..

Hahaha! Finally my turn to fly, Brian sat on the behind seat while I took the front. After putting the parachute jacket on, I jumped onto the glider. Brian explained all the operational control to me. Closed the canopy and we were ready to fly. A powerful winch pull the cable connected to us and we launched like a kite. It was amazing that we reached 1500 feet high in 4 seconds. Fantastic experience! Yooo..HOo…. I was like driving a roller coaster on my own and then ‘TUCK!’ the cable was released and we were set free high up in the air. A sudden down speed when the cable was released. I felt my heart was just about to pop out. Yoo Hoo..we flew with the wind with having control of the direction. Peddles control the wings direction while the stick controlled over the glider tip. The coordination required some skills and experience. Over the time, Brian will shout ‘You are in control’ and I replied ‘I am in control’ to confirm and making sure that no two persons were doing the same job.
The tricky part of gliding is that It needs us to be always having a clear mind about our direction and route planning but at the same time watching out the sky for other gliders. Multitasker or risk taker is definitely suitable for this activity.
Temperature inversion is something that dealing with the length of time on the circuit, the thermal convection due to the flows of cold and hot air provide surges to the glider and make it able to glide like a bird for some time without using any energy. I was lucky that during our flight we encountered with a buzzard which was looking for thermal enabling it to spread its wing and glide like us. It was amazingly beautiful, we were on the top while the buzzard was below us gliding round in a circle. Unfortunately the thermal disappeared after a few minutes then lose our height slightly to about 700 feet, we did not get lower but we also did not get any higher. We maintained at the same height until we planed to land. Making a 90 degree turning to the right around the field directed the tip to the landing point then a pull at the blue break decelerating the glider. Smooth landing. Beautiful!





Isnt it fascinating?



Google Map look-alike..

The shadow of our plane


Inside view of the glider. Instruments telling the height, speed, compass and thermal avaibility.

How instructor helping the glider to launch, helping a wing for balancing

Will you wonder how does a glider launch? I know you will ask, I had recorded a video clip, click on the PLAY then you will know.

Setting off..




The flying members..




'No Smoking Near Aircraft'




The instructor who had been travelled to almost all around the world

Ken, from Sabah


This aircraft was so modern and handsome, G-CJLN






lethargic..





Is this look like a scene in War book?


Seeing people fly in a different angle of view


Stone and day dream..

Sunset




Lines of cloud across the yellowish sky



The best thing about gliding is being able to fly so as land quietly and gracefully as it did not require an engine to fly or land. I love this activity very much. One advise is that do not fly with full stomach. Haha!
The whole club was like a big family possessing the same interest, we had our drinks at the bar at very low price after we clean and kept the gliders one by one into the garage.



Game'd over..Keep the toy


Now come the happy hours at really low price. But but...I only drank Lemonade (carbonated drinks)..No worry..


Aware..

Road to Beeston

 
That was a Saturday morning, we walked to Beeston from home. After 15minutes, we came to this roundabout of the Broadgate park. Pressed on the traffic light button,  when the pedestrian light turned from red to green we walked to the opposite. Walked down the road we eventually came to the Beeston town.


Along the street is a role of houses with chopped head trunks in front. Going further down you will come to two NCT bus stops opposite each another.


Never let even a second lapse, fulfill it by reading. This is what the local will do while waiting or while on a public transport.


This is the head of the street in Beeston, there you can find Asian shops, post office, furniture shops, electrical shops, stationery shops, souvenir shops, fabric shops etc. It could be said as a small town sufficient for supply of daily necessity.

 
I dropped my cards to be sent home into it.


Friends are looking for cheap deals or second hand purchase on the notice board in front of post office.


Here are some examples of notice, where reduced price of brand new or used stuffs are listed. Of course that this is a conventional way of sell and buy, more variety could actually be found online. Try out the www.gumtree.com for more.

You are unforgettable

I miss you. You were so close to me and now I did not know where are you. I am regret that I did not spent maximum time with you and I did not really treasure you. However I am happy throughout the moments that we interacted and communicated and you indeed had served me well, giving me good impression of your type. Thank you!
I miss you and I wish you happy with the new owner, although he or she does not legally own you, or he or she is an opportunist that grabbed you away from me without my permission, I do not want to regard he or she as a thief, even though people may officially call he or she a thief, i decline to place the noun upon her or him because I respect you. Please be happy in the new environment and do your best to show off the power within you.
Bye! I will remember you, you are just irreplaceable...My phone, P990i. Bon au revoir..

ME

This is my leisure




walking is the most exercise I do everyday






We used to sit outside of Sainsbury after shopping at groceries then we will have our pastry there. You could see how much I love MILK, dont u?

Bulwell

Holding a cup of brewed up hot Mars chocolate with Nestle chocolate topping spreading above, keeping my hands surrounding the cup to generate some warmth to my chilling hands, standing next to the window of pantry room. Looking through outside to the lower ground was a busy market selling all sort of fresh vegetables, colorful fruits, flowers as well as daily utilities. Many people walking while some were rushing their ways in different directions, they were crossing each other’s path and heading very directly to their known direction. The floor seemed to have numerous invisible route lines drawn as when they cut through each other they would never clash. Among the moving people there were older citizens moving on electrical four wheels. They sat on comfortable a cushion of the vehicle, the vehicle looked like our motorcycle but it has extra two wheels and it is lower and looked more stable. It is electrical powered and older citizens other than disable will utilize it to enable them moving in town and live independently. They will drive beside the road and put their goods in the basket in front. Flock of birds flew from one place to another place, seeking for the next resting stop, little boys chasing up their friends in front, one of them running with his pet dog and the poor dog ran very strenuously to reach the same footstep as the boy, daughter accompanying her old mother shopping in the market…. I put down my hot mug, one bite on my sandwich, and one sip on the hot choc. This is how I spent my 45 mins break in the Boots Bulwell Pharmacy, the place where I worked for my summer placement.


Bulwell town centre and market
 
Shop lots along commercial road, Bulwell

This is the only time where I could rest my sore legs and have a peaceful mind to myself.

After work, I put on a coat and scarf round my neck then left the busy store. I passed through the market place in front of the store then walked passed shop lots to reach the bus station. Two parallel roles of roads of opposing direction, each road with two to three bus stops for different buses and different destination. I waited for bus 79, a double Decker bus looping around City centre and Bulwell town. 10 mins parted and I got up the bus after showing my day trip ticket to the friendly bus driver. Sit down on my favourite seat, the third role on the left near the window.

Taking bus to work is something interesting because we could meet the same who are people going to the same place at the same time routinely, this is especially in the morning when everybody is going to work. I saw a black guy everyday wearing a purple outfit matched with formal trousers. I also saw a lady who likes wearing shorts or short skirt in the cold weather, it never changed even during rainy days. Because of a particular bus will go round fixed bus stop picking up passengers following fix route map therefore bus could be a good place to meet guys or gals. One day while going to work, I saw a lady came up and she sat on the same role but next column from me. Normally when we caught a seat we will sit to the inside and reserve the outer side for others. But she did not. After a few stops, I saw she was getting nervous slightly from her finger rubbing action. She then sat straight and tided her hair. I felt weird and guessed that she might be waiting for someone. There it went. A guy popped up at the next stop and the guy was looking straight to the lady with cheerful smiling face while the gals replied the same. I tasted a sense of sweetness in the air. The guy sat next to the gal and they began chit chatting. I guessed they both got to know each other in the bus sometimes ago and then they progressed.

Then I reached at the Victoria station. I walked down the street to come to the Old Market Square, passing lots of branded fashion shops like JD, Primark, Zara, Clark, Debenham, Schuh..etc. Every time I did not have time to walk in because the time I passed by were either before their openings or after their closings. In front of the old clock tower was the old market square. It was a public open air square that allows people to sit down and courting. Couples hugging on the stone benches. I walked across the tram lanes to the bus stations; there I can take bus 13 or 14 to Beeston, a town near to my house. This place is so nice, what a typical UK scenery. You can see grand and old brown British building, huge architecture of clock towers, old churches and grey pigeons flying then stopping on the ground, pecking for grains on the ground. I like this city. It is Nottingham city, a city of UK where I would probably be in for the years to come.


Old market Square


Front view


Victoria centre


Along old Market square








Rain had just stopped. Pigeon's caught stopping in the air.


Took this from the bus station's bench. Pigeons were everywhere like I told you earlier.