Flying from Brentor Airfield

Saturday, March 19th, 2022 at Brent Tor Airfield (Dartmoor Gliding Society).

Have you flown in a powered glider? Join me on this short flight from Brent Tor Airfield, the home of the Dartmoor Gliding Society. It was late afternoon. I was taking a break from the Six Nations Rugby. Italy had just won their first match in 37 games! Enough of the rugby. Back to the flying. We shall power our way up and glide back down.

Ride with me and see if we make it.

The Dartmoor Gliding Society and Airfield

The Dartmoor Gliding Society was founded in 1983 by a small group of enthusiasts. Initially, the group acquired a twin-seat open cockpit glider and a wooden hut. Through a lot of hard work, they created a runway on the top of Burnford Common.
 
Today the Society is a thriving gliding community with a clubhouse and a purpose-built hangar to house a fleet of 3 twin-seat training gliders and 3 single-seat gliders.
 
Launching is via a winch, which tows gliders up to a height of 1000 feet or more. When the wind blows across the moor from the East, it generates a type of lift called a wave, enabling flights to reach 16,000 feet or more.

The airfield is inside the Dartmoor National Park boundary and powered flights can only be accommodated by prior arrangement, except in the sim of course.

Get your copy of the AMB scenery in the video, here.

Local Landmarks

Brentor Church perches on a tor to the Northwest of the airfield. On Dartmoor, Roos Tor is about 5 Km to the East of the airfield. Brat Tor, Hare Tor, and Fur Tor are a little further to the Northeast. 

There are many stone circles and other arrangements on the moor. Some of them can be seen in the sim, particularly if you can fly with Terrain Level of Detail set to a high number and Texture Resolution set to Ultra.

Two roads bisect the moor. The B3212 and the B3357. They intersect at the Two Bridges where they cross the West Dart river, just to the Northeast of the Dartmoor prison.

The Diamond HK36TC Super Demona

An Austrian low-wing, T-tailed, two-seat motor glider designed by Wolf Hoffmann and currently produced by Diamond Aircraft Industries.

The HK36TC has a 60 kW (80 hp) Rotax 912 A3 engine. Received US FAA type approval on 25 September 1997 in the utility category at a gross weight of 770 kg (1,698 lb). Marketed as the Katana Xtreme in Canada and the USA.

General characteristics

Crew: one
Capacity: one passenger
Wingspan: 16.0 m (52 ft 6 in)
Aspect ratio: 16.8:1
Gross weight: 770 kg (1,698 lb)
Fuel capacity: 80 litres (18 imp gal; 21 U.S. gal)
Propellers: 2-bladed Hoffmann, three-position, fully feathering

Performance

Cruise speed: 182 km/h (113 mph, 98 kn)
Never exceed speed: 275 km/h (171 mph, 148 kn)
Range: 1,090 km (680 mi, 590 nmi)
Maximum glide ratio: 27:1 at 105 km/h (65 mph)
Rate of sink: 0.91 m/s (179 ft/min) at 79 km/h (49 mph)
Wing loading: 48.56 kg/m2 (9.95 lb/sq ft)

Download this freeware Super Dimona for MSFS here.

Do you have narrated YouTube videos of simulator flights from Cornwall airfields? Send me a link or post it in the comments. I'll add those I like to this site.