Thursday 9th to Wednesday 15th October 2025
Posted: 16/10/2025 17:58
Thursday 9th. The high pressure situated to the SW of the UK continued to provide a moderate W'ly flow at site that generated another good soaring day with hill and wave lift predominant. 17 ATs and 6 winch launches off runway 24 led to 19 flights of over 30 minutes, with 16 over an hour, the majority wave flights with 11 climbs to over 5,000' asl and 4 over 10,000' asl. Private owners from YGC and visiting clubs generated most of the wave flights but Sarah Stubbs in the club Discus climbed to 6,300' asl while visiting the Northallerton and Masham areas and Andreas Rieder/Naomi Kennard climbed to 4,700' asl in K21 KLW during their 1.14 flight. Martyn Johnson in his DG600 set the ball rolling off the second flight of the day with a climb to 11,300' asl, an initial spell of hill soaring being followed by a series of climbs to around 5,000' asl as he made his way westwards via Leeming, Ripon, getting to 8,500' asl near Pateley Bridge and thence to the Aysgarth area where he achieved his best climb before returning to site after 142 OLC km. This sequence was the norm for the day as evidenced by those pilots who left the local area to progress westwards. thus Fred Brown in his Ventus 2ct reached 14,800' asl in his 179 km task with TPs at Kirkby Stephen Station and Harrogate N, Dean Crosby in his Ls10t, 13,100' asl as he flew 234 OLC km with TPs at Masham, Leyburn, Barnard Castle, Selset Reservoir and Alston and Bob Calvert in his Discus 2ct, 10.600' asl as he flew via Masham, Aysgarth, and Haweswater to just offshore Millom over the Irish Sea before retuning via Tontin Inn, covering 310 OLC km. Pilots staying relaatively local had to be content with lower climbs as noted above, but included visitors David Gill in his Discus t, 5,400', Adrian Noble in his DG300, 6,900', Richard Brown in his Ventus 2cxt, 6.000', Peter Brown in his Ventus 2ct 5,700', David Adams in his LS6-18, 6,200' and Paul Witters in his Std Cirrus climbed to 5,700', altitudes asl. YGC's Andrew Wiklmott in his ASW 19 joined this group with a climb to 5,900' asl with hill soaring the main W'ly ridge being the mainstay for other soaring flights.
Friday 10th A cloudy day, with a moderate WNW'ly blowing led to 28 ATs off runway 24 with soaring flights of over 30 minutes limited to 8, with 2 of these, one by Bob Calvert in his Discus 2ct and the other by Steve Scothern in his Discus t owing much to engine power, their exploration of both the local area and the Leeming/Masham areas failing to find any wave and having to make do with hill soaring the home bowl. Charles Frenchville's 1:20 in Astir DPO and Darren Lodge's 42 minutes in the Discus were also hill soaring based and limited to the home bowl, as were the rest of the day's other soaring flights.
Saturday 11th. The high pressure was now situated over the UK with the result a sunny day of light SSE'ly winds and little in the way of useable lift, with none of the day's 22 ATs off runway 20 exceeding 30 minutes and only 2 exceeding 25 minutes. Both of these were for 2 of the day's 7 First Flight pupils, the result of 3,000' tows. Virtually all the day's flying was in club 2 seaters, but Adam Sayer had 2 flights in his ASW 19 and Roger Burghall had a flight in Astir DPO.
Sunday 12th. Another, sunny light wind day at site with little in the way of lift so, correspondingly, it was another day of circuits, with none of the 23 ATs off runway 02 into a light SSE'ly giving rise to flights of over 30 minutes. The 6 longest flights of between 23 to 28 minutes all being for the day's First Flight pupils and the result of 3,000' tows.
Monday13th, Another change in the position of the high pressure led to overcast day of low cloud and some light rain/drizzle in the morning so there was no flying.
Tuesday 14th. The overcast remained, but with sufficient clearance under it for 6 winch launches off runway 02 into a light to moderate N/NNW'ly wind in K21 KLW. 3 of the launches were simulated launch failures for P2 pilots, Guy Hartland, Dave McKinney and John Forrester, mainly under the tutelage of John Carter.
Wednesday 15th. The thick layer of stratocumulus remained in place within the region of high pressure, and with a light NNW'ly flow and no prospect of soaring or reasonable tow heights, flying was confined to 5 flights in the Falke.
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.