Monday 19th May 2025
Posted: 20/05/2025 15:15
Monday 19th. The wind had become an light to moderate ESE'ly but the day's 22 ATs were off runway 02 with an occasional landing on 20 or 06. 19 of the day's launches led to flights in excess of 30 minutes, the majority, 16, being over an hour with the longest 6:20. The thermal conditions were good, with cloud base rising to just over 5,000' asl and average peak thermal strength to over 5 knots. 10 of the >an hour pilots flew cross countries with the others remaining local. Dean Crosby in his LS10t set off on his 304 km task with TPs at Gainsborough, Rufforth S and Tickhill but abandoned at Goole NE due to 8/8's south of the M62. Returning to Sutton via Beverley and Pickering, Dean set off again and completed his declared task, having covered around 440 km in total. Bob Calvert in his Discus 2ct, flew around 274 km, with TPs at or near Burn, Rufforth, Pocklington, Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge before returning to Sutton and then flying the local 100 km triangle at 94 kph, while visitor Paul Kaye in his LS8st flew 264 km with an OR to near Malton, some local flying and than TPs at or near Pocklington, Rufforth and Northallerton. Martyn Johnson in his DG900 flew 186 km around Ripon, Pocklington, Harrogate N and Tontine, with visitor Ed Syson in his LS6 flying 154 km visiting Pocklington, Ripon, Sutton Control Point S and Castle Howard before returning to fly locally. The other XC pilots included James Shaw/Max Miller in the DG1000 who flew a 123 km with TPs at Rufforth and Masham, Andy and Katherine Bakewell who took their Janus C to Tontine and York to cover 115 km and Barry Kerby who flew 107 km solo in his Duo Discus, surviving a low point shortly after launch before getting near to York and Knaresborough. While not exceeding 100 km, Andreas Rieder/Pete Thelwall took K21 JVZ to near Helmsley and then Ripon to clock up 88 km on a good soaring day at Sutton which, as noted above, the visitors from the Stratford on Avon GC took full advantage of.
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.