Wednesday 16th to Thursday 17th April 2025
Posted: 18/04/2025 17:34
Wednesday 16h. A small low pressure tracking northwards up the west side of the UK brought a low overcast and a moderate to fresh and at times fresh SE'ly that veered into the SSW to site. In anticipation of this weather, Wednesday's flying was scrubbed on Tuesday.
Thursday 17th. The departure of the low pressure left the site in a moderate WSW'ly flow that slowly veered into the west, the air mass providing very good thermal conditions and wave soaring for some. 26 ATs and 2 self launches off runway 24 led to 23 flights of over 30 minutes and 17 of over an hour, with 5 of these over 5 hours, and while 7 flights contacted wave, 3 of these pilots flew the majority of their flights in thermal. The latter were Dean Crosby in his Ls10t who flew a 346 km task around Mansfield NE, Helmsley and Burn after climbing to 7,600' asl over site, Chris Teagle in his LS8t-18 who flew a 265 km task with TPs at Burn, York, Sutton, Rufforth and Northallerton after climbing to 7,400' asl also over site and Fred Brown in his Ventus 2ct who also climbed over site to 6,900' asl before embarking on a 240 km task to or near Rufforth, Snainton and Harrogate N. Bob Calvert in his Discus 2ct used wave for all his flight after contacting near Topcliffe and covered 271 km around or near Ripon, Aysgarth, Ingleton, Hawes, Masham, Ripon, Garforth, Wetherby and Knaresborough, with Rob Bailey in his ASG29e also flying a wave based 205 km, contacting near Thirsk and then flying a Northallerton, Sutton on Forest, Northallerton leg three times before returning to Sutton. Bob climbed to 9,900' asl and Rob to 8,100' asl. The other wave soaring pilots remained local with John Forrester getting to 9,500' in the Discus, Andrew Wilmott to 9,300' in his ASW19 and Steve Scothern to 6,200' in his Discus t, all asl. Steve Thompson in his Ventus 2bt used 100% thermal in his 316 km task around, Worksop, Helmsley and Burn, finding conditions tricky at first and also whenever getting below 2,500' asl. Pilots taking off later in the day were 100% thermal based, with a number of cross countries flown. Les Rayment covered 140 km in his DG808 visiting or near Sutton on Forest, Malton, Pocklington and Fridaythorpe, Pete Goodchild flew his PIK 20e 148 km around Burn and Malton, Adam Darby in his ASH26e flew 121 km with TPs at Tontine and York and Bruce Grain flew 115 km in the Discus to or near, Ripon, Masham, Thirsk, and Rufforth. Bruce struggled on approaching Rufforth to find a significant climb, completing the final Rufforth to Sutton leg of his flight while operating between 1,200' and 1,900' asl. Chris O'Boyle/Stuart Marsden had the longest flight in a 2 seater, 1:14 locally and climbed to 4,700' asl, while Neil Amos had 1:18 locally in thermal, climbing to 5,100' asl.
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.