Sunday 5th to Monday 6th October 2025
Posted: 07/10/2025 16:59
Sunday 5th. Storm Amy was now over southern Norway, leaving the north of England with a initially fresh and gusty NW'ly that slowly moderated by the evening. This wind strength and direction creates very turbulent take off conditions at Sutton, so there was no flying.
Monday 6th. The wind had become a moderate WSW'ly, and with sunny skies and scattered cloud, including lenticulars, flying commenced around 1000 hrs as the first of 32 ATs and 1 Self Launch left runway 24. With hill lift and wave lift available, only 3 of the day's launches failed to lead to a flight of 30 minutes or more, with 19 flights exceeding an hour and 9 flights climbing to over 5,000' as,l with 5 of these over 9,000' asl. Some notable XC were flown, with Steve Thompson in his Ventus 2bt putting a 203 km flight on the BGA Ladder with TPs at Masham, Barnard Castle, Pateley Bridge and Barnard Castle and climbing to 9,200. while Samuel Batchelor posted an 165 km flight with TPs at Ripon, Barnard Castle and Wetherby, also taking the club Discus to 9,500' asl. Martyn Johnson in his DG600 added his climb to 10,500' asl on the ladder while visiting Masham and Pateley Bridge, recording an OLC distance of 122 km. The other wave soaring pilots, with maximum altitudes and OLC distances, were Bob Calvert in his Discus 2ct, 10,500' asl and 346 km as he visited Penrith and the Honister Pass, finding a 6kt climb in the lee of Helvellyn, visitor Adrian Noble in his DG300, 9,200' asl who visited areas around Northallerton and Masham, and Dean Crosby in his LS10t, 9,100' asl and 244 km while visiting Ripon, Masham. Aysgarth, Barnard Castle, Richmond, the Kirby Stephen area, Pateley Bridge and Knaresborough. More modest climbs were made by visitor Bob Wood in his Ventus t, 6,600' asl, visitor Paul Skelton in his Ventus 2, 5,500' asl, and James Shaw/Andy Cowey in the club DG1000 who climbed to 5,200' asl, all these flights staying local. All the above flights took off prior to midday, with flights launching after this time having more moderate wave or predominately hill soaring flights with the main W'ly ridge and Forward Ridge being flown.
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.