Tuesday 20th December
Posted: 20/12/2022 20:45
Tuesday 20th. A moderate to fresh SW'ly blew all day, with scattered clouds providing a good day's soaring in wave augmented hill lift. The start of flying was delayed by misting canopies but got under way just before 1100 hrs when Clive Swain and instructor Graeme Cooksey, visiting from Pocklington, had a 16 minute familiarisation flight in the DG500 off runway 24. They were then followed by 13 more flights, 11 of which soared for 30 minutes or more with 6 being over an hour. All 3 club Astirs were flown, accounting for 5 of the flights of over an hour, the pilots/times being Clive Swain/2:17, George Rowden/1:15, Steve Thompson/1:12. Roger Burghall/1:09 and Jesper Mjels/1:05. The other >60 minute flight saw Steve Thompson/Duncan Pask have 1:47 in the DG1000 while Graeme Cooksey/Roger Taylor had 55 minutes in the DG500 and Guy Hartland/Konrad Kawalec had 58 minutes in the same glider. Initial flights were mainly hill soaring ones at around 9-1100' QFE using the main bowl, but later ones ventured further to Boltby and the forward ridge with climbs to a maximum of around 2,500' QFE (3,400' asl) as the wind strengthened. Initial landings were on runway 20 but progressively livelier approaches and a low sun led to a change to runway 24. Post flight traces were not available for any of the DG500 flights or the last flight of Astir DSU with pilot Jesper Mjels, so they may have gone higher and/or further.
This blog describes a snippet of life at the Yorkshire Gliding Club. Why not take a flight and try it yourself, or we can teach you to fly as a full club member.