Saturday 22nd August 2026
Posted: 22/08/2026 22:00
Saturday 22nd. A light to moderate NNW'ly blew on a good thermal soaring day, cloud base reaching around 5,000' asl, with average peak climb rates around 4-5 kts. The day's 26 ATs and 3 self launches off runway 24 realised 16 flights of over 30 minutes, with 13 of these over an hour, the latter mainly from the 13 private owner launches, 6 of whom flew >100 km XC's. 2 pilots flew over 300 km, with Derek Taylor/Fred Brown in Derek's Arcus M turning at or near Burn, Kirton in Lindsey, Sutton Bank, Kirkbymoorside, Fidaythorpe and Pocklington to cover 307 OLC km, while visitor Charlie Tagg in his Ventus 3E flew 328 OLC km, with TPs at Pontefract, Barnard Castle and Burn. Peter Crawley in his ASH 31M flew 287 OLC km, turning at or near Beverley, Market Rasen and Connisbury Castle. Dean Crosby in his LS10t, turned at or near Carlton Bank, Tontine, Thorngumbald, Ripon and Pateley Bridge, flew some very long straight glides, but had to resort of his engine twice, one near Tontine and again near Thorngumbald on what would otherwise have been a 303 OLC km flight. The other XC pilots were Beau Basson in his ASW20, whose 177 OLC km were flow within a triangle bounded by Thimbleby, Ripon and Castle Howard, Nigel Burke in his DG808 whose 165 OLC km with TPs at Pocklington and Pateley Bridge included a period near Harrogate trying to get a good climb, Darren Lodge in his LS8-18 who flew the 100 km Pocklington, Rufforth triangle followed by some local soaring, and Chris Teagle's 139 OLC km in his LS8t-18, with TPs at Beverley and Ripon. All the other > an hour pilots stayed local, including Charles Frenchville's 1:12 in Astir DSU, with the longest flight in a club 2 seater being by Jamie Quartermaine, 37 minutes in K21 KLW,with one of the day's 6 First Flight pupils.
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.