Monday 24th August 2026
Posted: 25/08/2026 20:49
Monday 24th. A light to light to moderate SSW'ly slowly backed into the SSE, bringing another thermal soaring day with cloud base rising to around 5,000' and average peak climb rates being 4-5 kts. These conditions generated 10 XC's over 100 km, although there was only 1 over 300 km. The day's 31 ATs and 4 self launches off runway 20 and later 06, with landings on 20, 06 and 02, led to 20 flights of over 30 minutes with 15 of these over an hour, 6 First Flight pupils being flown and the Falke having 2 flights. The 300 +km flight was by Derek Taylor/Dean Crosby in Derek's Arcus M, their 4:37 flight taking in Burn, Barnard Castle and Pontefract, while Fred Brown in his Ventus 2ct flew 221 OLC km on an O/R to Kirton in Lindsey and Paul Whitehead visited Woodhall Services on his 227 OLC km flight. Other XC pilots were visitor Craig Lowrie in his DG808 with 190 OLC km via TPs at or near Knaresborough, Pocklington, and Masham, Martyn Johnson in his DG600, 167 km, with TPs at Pateley Bridge, Barnard Castle and Ripon, visitors Martin Hollowell/Clive Thomas in their DG1000t with 163 OLC km turning at or near Harrogate N, Tockwith, Sutton on Forest, Foston, North Duffield and Wetherby S, David Tagg in his Ventus 3E, 143 OLC km with TPs at or near Harrogate N, and Richmond, 126 OLC km by Ian Bullous in his DG808 turning at or near North Duffield followed by some local soaring and 139 OLC km by Clive Swain in his Kestrel 19, whose 5:37 of local soaring which extended to 20 km to NE of site, 19 km to the E of site and 24 km to the SW of site meant a 139 OLC km total. Rob Bailey in his AS33E just made the >100 km list with 101 OLC km via an O/R to 9 km to the SSE of York, while Guy Harland in Discus FBY landed out between Harrogate and York near Kirk Hammerton. The 2 seater gliding competition at Pocklington resulted in 3 gliders landing out at Sutton, namely an ASK13, a Slingsby Eagle and a Slingsby Capstan, the latter with YGC's Chris Booker on board, all 3 gliders having AT retrieves, while home spun 2 seaters piloted by Bruce Grain/Amelia Forrester (DG1000) and Andreas Rieder/Chris Milnes ( K21 KLW) vied for the longest flight in a club glider, Andreas/Chris winning out with 1:08 to Bruce/Amelia's 1:04.
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.