Thursday 15th to Friday 16th July 2021

Posted: 17/07/2021 12:05

Thursday 15th.  The Azores anticyclone slowly ended to cover the UK providing a day of light to moderate mainly N'ly winds, some initial cloud slowly disappearing to leave blue skies.  Launching of the first of 12 visitors sponsored by the Air League off runway 02 was at around 1030 hrs, with the last at 1115 hrs after which, flying of members and the day's two First Flight pupils continued until around 1700 hrs, giving a launch total of 31.  The day did not provide any significant lift, so it was essentially a circuit day, with only 4 flights lasting longer than 20 minutes. with the flight by Bruce Grain and Rodger Taylor in K21 KLW topping the list at 28 minutes.   Bruce then almost repeated this flight time with 27 minutes in the company of Mike O'Neil in the DG1000.  None of the club single seaters were flown and only one Private owner, Paul Bulmer,  flew, but there were 2 solo flights in club two seaters, Colin Troise having both of these and managing 22 minutes of the second of the two.   The only flight to leave the local area was the Falke which in a 56 minute flight visited Eddsfield airfield and Sutton on Forest.

Friday 16th.  The Azores anticyclone had strengthened its grip on the UK and while Cumulus were visible to the east and west from mid morning, the area over and around the site remained stubbornly blue until around midday.  The 14 private owners who had rigged were then dispatched to various parts of the country with the majority going south to the Humber and beyond.  Andy Wright, flying his Nimbus, completed a 262 km task around Burton on Stather, Thirsk and Burn, describing the conditions as hot, low and unpleasant, while John Ellis in his DG800, flying the same task had to resort to his engine around Thirsk and then joined Steve Hunt in his ASW29 as he did an O/R to Pocklington having launched mid afternoon.   Derek Taylor, also launching late in his ASW22, almost made it to Kirton in Lindsey before returning to Sutton and then visiting Strensall on the northern outskirts of York.  Andrew Cluskey in his Shark was another pilot to fly the same task as Andy Wright, while Chris Handzlik in his DG300 also visited Kirton in Lindsey but via a more circuitous route of Boroughbridge, Harrogate North, Goole and Scunthorpe.  As ever, the independence of glider pilots led to John Swann attemping a Barnard Castle, Goole task, but conditions beyond Richmond led to abandonment of that task and a bimble around Pocklington and Carlton Bank, while an O/R to Scunthorpe was the completed objective for both Fred Brown in his Ventus and Albert and Martin Newbery in their DG1000.   David Latimer in a borrowed DG800 visited Malton and Market Weighton, while Rob Bailey took his ASW29 to Burn, Pocklington, Wetherby and Helmsley.  Those flying club gliders also took advantage of the afternoon's soaring conditions with Martin Watt having 2:33 in the Astir, Dave Murgatroyd having 1:40 in the same glider and late in the day, Ron Beezer and John Dore having 1:12 in K21 KLW.  Cloud base eventually rose to around 5,000' asl on what turned out to be a busy day at Sutton with a launch total of 34, the light to moderate NNW'ly wind provided some lively take offs from runway 02.

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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