Wednesday 18th to Thursday 19th June 2025
Posted: 20/06/2025 11:56
Wednesday 18th. A light to moderate W'ly blew all day, the 28 ATs and 1 self launch off runway 24 including 4 for First Flight Pupils and the departure of visitor Henry Ellingham from Pocklington, who had landed earlier in his Pegase from there. A cloud base of around 5,000' asl, average peak thermal strengths of 4.5 kts and wave that was a help and a hindrance for some, resulted in 18 flights of over 30 minutes and 13 over an hour. There was 1 XC over 400 km, 3 over 300 km and 2 over 200 km with Dean Crosby in his LS10t flying 408 km with TPs at Horncastle, Scunthorpe and Billinghay. On his return from Billinghay, Dean contacted wave SE of York and climbed to 7,200' asl making the return to Sutton very relaxing. Fred Brown in his Ventus 2ct and Chris Teagle in his LS8-18 also made contact with wave in the same area, although with different results. Fred abandoned his declared 300 km O/R to Grantham near Doncaster but on returning N contacted the wave and then flew an undeclared 307 km with TPs at Pateley Bridge and Barnard Castle with a peak climb to 11,000' asl. Chris, flying a declared 378 km task via Horncastle, Burton upon Stather, and Bardney, found the wave making thermals difficult to work near York and resorted to his engine, only to contact the wave, climb to 6.500' asl and return home, having flown 328 km of his task. Neil Paveley in his Nimbus 2 had a relatively straightforward thermal based 304 km O/R to Belvoir with Les Rayment in his DG808 having a similar 210 km XC with TPs at Kirton in Lindsey and Pocklingon. Martin Newbery in his Ventus 2ct contacted wave shortly after launching and flew to or near Aysgarth, Pateley Bridge, Knaressborough, Garforth and Tontine to cover an estimated 217 km, the flight including a climb to 11,600' asl near Harrogate N. Jim McLean in his ASW 24 and Tim Stanley in his ASW 20 both had around 2 hours of local flying, as did Charles Frenchville in Astir DPO, while Bruce Grain/Amelia Forrester shared the longest 2 seater flight, 1:12 in K21 JVZ and the Falke had 2 sorties.
Thursday 19th. The wind had become a light to moderate SSE'ly, bringing in a warm air mass, the maximum temperature in Thirsk reaching 25C. Thermal conditions were not easy with average peak thermal strengths around 2.5 kts, although cloud base rose to just under 5,000' asl. Only one of the day's 15 ATs off runway 20 exceeded an hour, this being Clive Swain's second flight of the day in his Kestrel, the first lasting 5 minutes following an 800' QFE early release into what I presume was a transient thermal. Clive's second flight lasted somewhat longer, its 4:28 duration being flown within the boundaries of a rectangle with corners at Thirsk, Helmsley, Sutton on Forest and Castle Howard. Two flights just failed to reach 30 minutes duration, Andreas Rieder/Steven Carol and Dave Campbell with one of the day's 6 First Flight pupils each having 29 minutes in K21 KLW. The day's flying also included 3 flights in the Falke.
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