Tuesday 29th May to Friday 1st June 2018

Posted: 01/06/2018 21:33

Tuesday 29th.  A blanket of low cloud was the case for most of the day, the cloud brought in on a light to moderate NNWly flow. Some signs of breakup could be seen around the middle of the afternoon, allowing Roger Burghall to take a tow to 2,200' QFE but by the  time he landed some 22 minutes after take off, the blanket had returned and no more flying was possible, except on the simulator where Stan and Ethan Hall had a couple of flights.

Wednesday 30th.   The moderate WNW'ly flow was again accompanied by extensive low cloud, this thick enough to give a little light rain and drizzle at times the cloud being low enough to cover the site.  Consequently, there was no flying.

Thursday 31st.  The wind had become a light to moderate ESE'ly, this backing into the E as the day progressed.  Although visibility was only moderate, and got worse later in the day, 22 ATs were flown off runway 20, but the conditions did not favour soaring, with no flight of over an  hour and only 4 greater than 30 minutes, with one of these a 40 minute Mile High flight for Patricia Nassau in K21 KLW, Will Blackburn being P1. Colin Troise, flying KLW solo, had the longest flight of the day, 50 minutes and followed this up with42 minutes later in the day, this time with John Carter in the DG500, with John making up  the > 30 minute flight time list with 34 minutes in the same glider, Nick de Gelder being P2.

Friday 1st June.  The light to moderate ESE'ly flow continued, but the conditions were much more amenable, with warm, if hazy sunshine and some convection,  albeit, initially with a low base around 1600' QFE, under a high, thin top layer,.  32 ATs were flown off runway 20, the light wind allowing the tug and the occasional glider to land on 02.  The moderate soaring conditions was not, however, a problem, as the majority of the flights were for a group of joung doctors at the end of their 5 year course enjoying a corporate day out  arranged by YGC member and A&E  consultant Resh Khodabocus.  Soaring conditions improved over the day with 10 flights of over 30 minutes, all post lunch time, although none exceeded an hour.  The better conditions in the afternoon allowed Tash Dodds to log her first solo soaring flight in K21 KLW, 39 minutes, with Colin Troise and George Rowden later having 42 minutes in the DG1000 while making use of a convergence along the Vale of Pickering.   George also took one of the young doctors, Amir Ameen, for a 41 minute flight in the same glider and Brian Wise took young doctor Eleanor Campbell for 38 minutes, again in the DG1000. The three available club 2 seaters were joined in flying the visitors by T21 BFY, with Les Rayment taking Stan for an early trip and Brian Wise and Paul Whitehead reliving their early gliding days while giving some of the visitors a taste for open air gliding. , Les and Brian then kitted up to have a late mutual.  Some of the visiting doctors flew the simulator in the company of Peter Goodchild before experiencing the real thing, while Andy Parish flew George Goodenough's Standard Cirrus in order to check out the variometer.   Physical sustenance was provided by Liz and helpers via a tasty, 2 course lunch with the visitors departing around 1630 hrs after enjoying their day's gliding, while for some, Liz's pudding was the highlight of 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.

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