Friday 5th to Saturday 6th September 2025
Posted: 08/09/2025 11:22
Friday 5th. A thermal day, as a light to moderate WSW'ly blew,omd to a busy launchpoint, with 40 launches off runway24 and landings on 24 and 20. Plenty of lift, with average peak climbs around 5 kts and cloud base rising to around 4,500' asl led to 27 flights of over 30 minutes with 18 over an hour, the majority of the latter by private owners, 15 of whom flew. Most of the soaring was done locally, but a number of pilots flew XC's with Derek Smith in his DG808 getting to or near York, Beverley, Driffield and Malton before an engine burn was required near Helmsley. Continuing on Derek visited Northallerton, Guisborough W and Leeming before returning to site for a spot of hill soaring. Bob Calvert in his Discus2 flew west to his favoured area over the Yorkshire Dales after taking a cloud climb to 7,700' asl locally and found some weak wave over Wharfedale returning to site having covered some 150 km, while Rob Bailey n his ASG29t did a quick O/R to Tontine before indulging in some local soaring. Adam Sayer in his ASW19, flew around 110 km, getting to the outskirts of York before returning north to site via Northallerton and at one point climbing 1,000' in straight and level flight under what I assume was a cloud street, while James Prosser in his Ventus 2ct spent his 4:51 in an rectangular area bounded by Sutton, Tontine, Masham and Ripon. The only other flight to go cross country was by Andreas Rieder/David Troise in the DG1000, this being a one way flight to Rufforth with an AT retrieve later in the day. Those flying locally for > an hour included Clive Swain in his Kestrel 19 with the day's longest flight of 6:07, visitors Andy Balkwill/Katerine Balkwill in their Janus, and Astir pilots Charles Frenchville, Chris Collingham and Andy Evans.
Saturday 6th. The wind had become a light to moderate SSE'ly with persistent high cover leading to a day of limited soaring from the days 28 ATs off runway 20, with occasional landing on 02 and 06. There were no flights of over an hour, the 8 soaring flights ranging from 30 to 50 minutes, with half of these for 4 of the day's 8 First Flight pupils. 2 of the remaining flights > 30 minutes were by visitors, all due to some weak thermal activity, with Andy Balkwill/Katerine Balkwill having 50 minutes in their Janus and Ed Syson having 32 minutes in his LS56. while James Prosser's 45 minutes in his Ventus 2ct was aided by an engine burn.
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.