Thursday 21st to Friday 22nd April 2022
Posted: 22/04/2022 21:12
Thursday 21st. A moderate NNE'ly with thermal activity provided some local soaring but no cross countries after flying commenced shortly after 1000 hrs off runway 06. The day's total of 27 launches included 6 for First Flight pupils and 5 for private owners, the latter accounting for the only flight of over an hour and 3 of the 9 of between 30 and 60 minutes. Clive Swain in his Kestrel was the >1 hr pilot, soaring locally for 3:20, while the best of the rest included 51 minutes by visitors Morgan and Bessent in their Janus, 47 minutes by visitor G Dale with guest in the club DG1000 and the 44 minutes by Bruce Grain/ Konrad Kawalez in K21 KLW. Clive also recorded the highest climb of the day, to 5,300' asl, with Janus pilots Morgan and Bessent climbing to 4,100' asl and others approaching but not exceeding 4,000' asl. A similar order existed for climb rates with Clive finding a 3.5 kt average thermal and the Janus pilots a 2.4 kt one with everyone else peaking at under 2 kts.
Friday 22nd. The NNE'ly continued to blow but increased to moderate to fresh over the middle part of the day resulting in a halt to flying due to turbulent conditions on take off and landing. Consequently, the launch total only reached 13, all the flights being in the club's two K21s, with the only solo flight being by George Rowden. In spite of sunny skies, thermal activity was poor with nobody being able to climb above release height, and the best anybody managed was the 30 minutes flown by Guy Harland with one of the day's First Flight pupils, Guy making use of 2 weak thermals to maintain an altitude of around 3,200' asl for some 18 minutes of the flight. A similar pattern allowed Guy and Nick Northeast in K21 KLW, to fly for 25 minutes, with a first thermal allowing 3,600' asl to be maintained for 6 minutes and a second thermal providing 5 minutes at 2,400' asl. While all the takeoffs were from runway 02, both 02 and 06 were used for landing.
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.