Thursday 16th July 2026
Posted: 17/07/2026 11:51
Thursday 16th. The wind had become Light & Variable, and early morning cloud dissipated to leave blue skies with scattered cloud over the N Yorks Moors and blue elsewhere. 29 ATs and 3 Falke flights left runway 20, including 10 by private owners and 3 for First Flight pupils, a mixture of convective and weak wave providing the means for 12 flights to exceed 30 minutes of which 8 were over an hour. Peak altitudes were typically 5,500' to 5,900' asl with peak average climb rates 4-5 kts, and 4 pilots flew >100 OLC XC's. The longest was by Neil Paveley in his Nimbus 2, his 166 OLC km coming from visits to Pocklington and Burn, with Neil being stuck over York for a while on the return leg. Rob Bailey in his ASG29t flew 164 OLC km, going NE to just short of Guisborough W, and then visiting Thirsk, Pickering, Tontine and Sutton Start S, while Dean Crosby in his LS10t flew 151 OLC km, operating mainly in a triangle bounded by Thirsk, Churchhouses and Malton. Clive Swain in his Kestrel 19 was the last member of this group, covering 116 OLC km while flying within a triangle bounded by Thirsk, Churchhouses and Castle Howard. Those staying local included Eileen Scothern in her Discus t who took a little while to find a solid climb in her 1:08 flight, Bea Basson in his ASW20, with 1:59 spent within a triangle bounded by Thirsk, Churchhouses and Kirbymoorside, flying around 90 OL.C km, Ian Luddington in Astir DSU with 2:05, and finally James Prosser and guest who had 56 minutes late in the day, this being the longest flight in a club 2 seater. The day's flying was concluded by James Shaw/Steve Ogden who took the day's only winch launch in K21 JVZ.
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.