Saturday 8th to Sunnday 9th July 2023
Posted: 11/07/2023 11:30
Saturday 8th. An approaching and thundery cold front meant there was only time for 3 ATs off runway 20 for three of the day's First Flight pupils before it started to rain, this continuing for the rest of the day and overnight. Nigel Burke and Kelly Teagle shared the P1 duties, with Nigel finding a weak thermal to extend the 2nd of his flights to 31 minutes.
Sunday 9th. Saturday's cold front deposited 26 mm of rain but left the site in a light to moderate SW'ly that slowly backed into the S as a day of sunny intervals ensured. 29 ATs were flown off runway 20, 22 in club gliders, including 5 for First Flight pupils, these flights providing 7 of the 13 flights to exceed an hour and 2 of the 3 to be between 30 to 60 minutes. The conditions tempted 7 private owners to fly, with 4 going XC. Nigel Burke was the 1st of these, visiting Stamford Bridge and Rufforth in his DG800, but having to use his engine twice to get home. He was followed by Bob Calvert in his Discus 2ct who flew an O/R to the Eden valley, even finding some weak wave over the Dales that took him to the day's best altitude of 6,900' asl from where the attached photo was taken.
Rob Bailey in his ASG29t, Bill Payton solo in his DG1000t and Derek Taylor in his ASW22 were the other XC pilots. Rob survived a low point as he visited Helmsley, Hawes and Sutton Start S having abandoned his attempt to visit Haltwhistle to cover 157 km, while Bill also visited Hawes before going east to Richmond, Northallerton and Guisborough. Derek, taking a launch at 1500 hrs, had TPs at or near Boroughbridge, Harrogate North, Carlton Bank, Thirsk and Burn before returning to site at 1800 hrs. Sarah Stubbs, flying the Discus had TPs at or near Sutton on Forest, Knaresborough, Masham, Catterick, Northallerton and Tontine in her 3:02 flight. All the other pilots to soar for > an hour stayed local, although Paul Bulmer in his Libelle had a trip to 7 km WSW of Sutton on Forrest, the other > an hour pilots being Astir pilots Andy Tyas, Adam Sayer and Sam Dawson and two seater pilots Steve Thompson, first with Tm Stanley and then Chris Ogden and Toby Wilson with James Horton. Climbs to between 3-4,000' asl typified the start of soaring, this increasing to 5-6,000' asl in the afternoon, with peak average climb rates being typically 3-4 kts.
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.