Saturday 4th to Monday 6th May 2019

Posted: 07/05/2019 12:51

Saturday 4th. A moderate to fresh NW'ly, with high 20 kt gusts, was accompanied by heavy showers, the combination of wind and showers meaning that there was no flying for anyone, including the competitors who has assembled for the first day of the local interclub league competition.

Sunday 5th. With the prospect of another non-flying day due to the forecast of a continuation of the moderate to fresh NW'ly, the interclub league competitors decamped to Rufforth. In the event, the wind blew lightly from between WSW and WNW, allowing 11 ATs to be flown off runway 24 with some landings on runway 20. Soaring opportunities were, however, hard to come by, with only 2 flights exceeding 30 minutes, both the result of high tows. Thus, Michael Collins had 38 minutes in the Ka8 off a 4,800' tow and Martin Johnson and Chris Thompson had 36 minutes off a 3,000' tow in K21 KLW. The interclub league competitors at Rufforth fared little better and with little in the way of soaring weather, another scrubbed day was declared.

Monday 6th. A weak front made slow progress south, its starting position to the north of the site meaning that flying was possible, with the first launch off runway 02 into a light N'ly wind taking off at around 1030 hrs. The cloudy skies ensured that there was no soaring opportunities, so none of the 7 ATs flown before the rain arrived around 1400 hrs exceeded 30 minutes. The two longest flights, of 22 and 20 minutes, were both for First Flight pupils, who were flown by Paul Whitehead in either K21 JVZ or in the DG500, the flight duration being a function of high tows. The cold conditions which had characterised the whole of the May Bank Holiday weekend were nicely illustrated by the last launch of the day which took off in light rain but, on climbing to a 2,000' QFE launch height, flew into snow. With no prospect of soaring, the last day of the interclub league competition was, like the firat and second, also scrubbed but with the competitors favouring a repeat attempt at a competition later in the summer.

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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