Monday 10th October 2021

Posted: 12/10/2021 15:53

Monday 10th.  A light NNW'ly slowly backed into the W over the course of a day that provided both thermal and wave lift, the latter for a select few. 21 ATs were flown off runway 24, this including 8 for private owners who accounted for all 5 of the flights to achieve over an hours soaring. while the  3 flights of between 30 and 60 minutes were all flown in club gliders.  YGC member Steve Thompson in his Ventus bT had the longest flight of the day, both in terms of distance and duration, using wave to fly 173 km around Aysgarth, Burnhope Reservoir and Harrogate North in a flight lasting 4:46.  Steve also claimed the best climb of the day, getting to 11,700' asl over Swaledale but found the wave disorganised north of Burnhope, ruling out a visit to Hexham with progress up wind slow due to a 50 kt NW'ly at 10,000' asl.  Steve got established in the wave at around 2,800' asl west of Masham, having used his engine twice en-route from SUT.  The only other flight to make a  wave climb and a modest 600' one at that off a high tow, was visitor A Noble and his P2 Enrico Gutman in their K21 , the third flight of the day for Mr Noble in this glider.  Most pilots failed to contact the wave and utilised thermal lift, with visitor Graham  Morris in his ASW 27 having a flight of 3:28 during which Thirsk and Northallerton were visited.  Apart from the above mentioned, the other pilots to have more than an hour aloft were Chris Handzlik in his DG300, 1:28, and visitor Nigel Clark in his PIK 20D, 1:12. Those having a least 30 minutes flying time were Dave McKinney with a First Flight pupil, 40 minutes in the DG500, while Nigel Clark gave 2 more First Flight pupils 37 and 33 minutes in either the DG500 or K21 KLW.  Towards the end of the day the club welcomed back the re-engined Eurofox, HETY, after a flight from Lukesfield airfield east of Royal Tunbridge Wells.    

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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