GROUND control at Dartmoor Gliding Club perhaps did not mishear a 'Roger and out' message over the radio receiver after its chief flying instructor announced his retirement.

Roger Matthews has been instructing at the Brentor-based Dartmoor Gliding Club for 22 years and has been their 'CFI' for 14 years. His post will be taken over by Don Puttock, an experienced instructor.

Roger achieved his first solo on his 16th birthday after starting flying with the Air Training Corps, and was CFI of the gliding school at RAF Chivenor in North Devon for a number of years. He was chairman of Dartmoor Gliding Club for three years when it was formally established.

Roger, who lives in Plymouth, said although he is retiring as CFI he would continue to instruct at Dartmoor on a regular basis and was very much looking forward to spending more time with his own self-launching two seat sailplane and powered aircraft, which he keeps at an airfield in East Devon.

He said: 'I am handing over to Don, who will develop the flying operations and service provided to members.

'Don has been a professional instructor at The Bristol and Glos Gliding Club, Black Mountains and Edensoaring and will bring great enthusiasm and skill to the club.'

Dartmoor Gliding Society is a not for profit organisation run by volunteers. The airfield, close to Brentor Church, has been operating for more than two decades. The club, affiliated to the British Gliding Association, operates a fleet of sailplanes that are often seen soaring over Tavistock.

The newly appointed chief flying instructor, Don Puttock, took up his post in the new year.

Don, 59, has been flying gliders since he joined the ATC when he was a schoolboy. He also flies powered aeroplanes and has been a professional gliding instructor for ten years.

Although he lives in Somerset, Don spends many hours at DGC and comes down regularly with his wife Pauline.

He told the Times: 'Roger has done a fantastic job at the club for many years. It would be fair to say that without him, the place might not have continued to exist.'

Don said he was keen to encourage local people to join the club and learn to fly. He said if you can drive a car you should be able to fly an aeroplane!  

Pupils range from 13 or 14 years old to more than 70, and women regularly learn to fly as well as men.

The club intends to train up members to take up some of the instructor duties.

Don is also keen to spread the word about the society. This month, for example, he will be meeting Bere Alston Scouts giving a talk on meteorology.

The club uses sailplanes, which says Donald, are a very pure form of flying, relying on the skill of the pilot to keep the aircraft aloft.

The engineless aircrafts have an  enclosed cockpit with a standard set of aircraft instruments and  controls.

The volunteer management committee led by chairman Steve Lewis will be organising an open day in the spring, but they say local people are welcome to pop in and say hello at anytime.

The club is now open every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

For more details on DGS please call Don on 01278 452468 or email [email protected]">[email protected]