Sunday 27th to Tuesday 29th September 2020

Posted: 30/09/2020 13:02

Sunday 27th.   A light to moderate N'ly blew all day, bringing in a low overcast that prevented any flying.

Monday 28th.  A light NW'ly that slowly backed into the SSW was accompanied by  medium level broken cloud, so after 5 days of inactivity, flying was able to resume off runway 24 with landings on 20, albeit without many soaring opportunities.  John Carter and Sue Aherne did manage 38 minutes off a 3,000' tow in the DG1000, and Les Rayment took Mile High pupil S Trimmings for 37 minutes in the DG500, but these were the only flights to exceed 30 minutes.  Otherwise flight times were in the 15 - 25 minute range, with Alan Beaumont, Andy Tyas, Dave Thompson (2 flights), Nora van Genugten and Steve Thompson having solo flights in either K21 KLW, the DG500 or the Astir.   The Falke also had a flight on a day that saw 4 members of the public sample the gliding, if not the soaring, experience.

Tuesday 29th.  A ridge of high pressure brought a day of sunny skies, light to moderate NW'ly winds, these slowly backing into the SW and cumulus, although it was not until early afternoon that convection got going near enough to the site to be reachable.  The prospects for a soaring day encouraged 7 private owners to rig and launch off runway 24 with a number of cross countries flown.  Pilots reported cloud base eventually rising to around 5,000' asl, but also some good looking clouds that didn't deliver and large blue holes.  Nevertheless, Steve Thompson in his Ventus flew 147 km with TPs at Ripon, Staindrop, Ripon and Kirby Moorside. and Rob Bailey took his ASG29 to Penyghent as well as Northallerton, Ripon and Pateley Bridge to cover 132 km.  Steve and John Ellis, who visited Masham, Ripon, Boroughbridge and Foston in his DG800, both were frustrated by not being able to use a good looking cloud street that went straight through the active danger area at Feldom, while Masham, Ripon and Boroughbridge were also Tps visited by John May in his Ventus and visitor Graham Morris in his ASW27, Graham adding on Northallerton and Helmsley.  Others to make use of the soaring opportunities the day, or at least the afternoon provided, were Colin Troise with 1:36 solo in the DG1000, John Carter and Robert Wood with 51 minutes in K21 KLW, Fred Brown and Chris Handzlik with 51 minutes in K21 JVZ and John Carter and Ian Johnstone with 47 minutes of the last flight of the day in KLW.   Les Rayment with Mile High pupil Jill Boyer had 47 minutes in the DG500,  one of the seven First Flight pupils to be flown on what was probably the last vestige of 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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