These days if I want to execute the takeoff and landing I am required to fly with an instructor. Easier to get in and out of the back seat of the K13, so the poor instructor is persuaded to sit in the front.
And lo and behold, a new experience awaited. Absolutely stunning day, this past Sunday, lots of pilots following cloud streets hither and yon. At last a K13 became available, so Mick and I jumped into it, and took a tow behind the Supermonk (or is it Supermunk?)
It was pretty bumpy climbing out over the ridge, I was hoping for the tug to find us a nice fat evening thermal over Tysoe, the vario was behaving strangely, so I asked Mick to switch on the audio vario. It began to warble a new song entirely. What peculiar air currents were causing these erratic tones? I thought I saw the tug rise up over Tysoe village, so pulled off at 1,500. And the varios carried on warbling and wambling, both of them. Obviously unreliable. Mick said it was probably due to water in the tubes. Had to rely on the altimeter to know if we were rising or sinking, the ASI seemed to be OK. We swanned around the village for 15 minutes or so, and then decided to do a gentle left hand circuit back to my favorite corner of the eight acre. I was assisted out of the back seat, and drove the buggy to pull the glider back to the launchpoint.
And it wasn't until walking back toward the glider to coil up the tow rope noticed the Brunswick tube was no longer in place. Whether or not it was in place before we departed we were unable to say....
We couldn't find it along our takeoff path; evidently the enthusiastic and not always necessary use of a rudder lock had caused it to wear and eventually detach altogether.
We got a rocket from the CFI who told us off for not walking round the aircraft before flying it. So I learned something new. Even if somebody else has just been flying the machine and it worked OK for them, it is still a good idea to have a walk round, the last guy might not have noticed bits dropping off...