Saturday 1st July
Posted: 04/07/2017 10:17
Saturday 1st. A temporary ridge between two cold fronts promised, and delivered, a nice soaring day.
Derek and Morag Jones, very experienced aviators from Norfolk, stayed on after their weeks course and were rewarded by a number of gliding opportunities. After a couple of short chk flights Morag had three solo flights in K21 KLW, the last one of 48 mins in hill lift, thermal and hints of wave. Derek had three flights in Asir DPO, each one being longer than the previous one. They saw Sutton Bank at its best on the first and final day of their visit - shame about the days inbetween!
12 private owners were lured out by the forecast and actual weather. All achieved lengthy soaring flights, about half of them contacting wave. This was never easy to contact from the hill and meant forays upwind in the direction of Thirsk. Most climbs were in the 4000 - 8000ft band but one or two skillful ( or lucky) pilots got higher, John Ellis in his DG800SL claiming best of the day topping out at 11000ft. Derek Taylor kept "low" at around 8000ft where the lift was strongest and shuttled between Pateley Bridge and Barnard Castle at high speed. Heard in the bar afterwards: "there I was with 120 kts on the clock and still going up at 3 kts" Hmmm.
After a very long absence for repairs and TLC the Ka8 returned home and was rigged by a working party - Mike Wood (foreman) Toby Wilson and Phil Lazenby (labourers). All three then flew it for an hour or so and declared it fit for purpose and good as ever. Nice to see it back in the fleet.
Brian Wise took Discus HVR for an hours flight and to round up proceedings Roger Burgall and Tor Taverner explored the wave late in the afternoon in the K21 peaking at about 4000ft. They landed quite late in heavy drizzle to the consternation of the ground crew who had had by then retired to the bar. A damp end to the day.
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.