Monday 1st August 2022

Posted: 02/08/2022 14:30

Monday 1st August.  A light to moderate WSW'ly blew, slowly backing into the SSW as fronts advanced from the west, bringing in a high overcast by late afternoon.  Cumulus blossomed early, leading to a busy trailer park and eventually 12 private owner launches out of 37 on the day off runway 24.  A number of cross countries were flown, with variable results, while Sarah Stubbs took Astir DSU down to Burn for her Silver C Distance, so well done Sarah.  The successful cross countries included Paul Whitehead's 360 km task at a handicapped speed of 92.1 kph in his Ventus 2cxt with TP's at Scunthorpe and Oakham.  On completing the task Paul then flew up to the Tontine but an returning had to deploy his engine as he descended to ridge top height over Thirsk. A more modest task saw George Rowden fly his LS8-18 186 km at 78.6 kph with TP's at Garforth, Beverley and Pickering, enjoying reliable clouds with a base up to 5,000' asl and some strong thermals, best average climbs for most people being 4-4.5 kts.  Steve Thompson, setting of early on a 500 km O/R to Royston, arrived there but then had to deploy his engine, also doing so on the way back, having completed 270 OLC kms.  Steve climbed up to 6,000' asl during his flight the highest of the day, the best locally being the 5,200' asl by Nigel Burke in his DG800.  Nigel intention to fly a 300 km task came to naught as a technical problem with his engine meant he had to land off his first self launch, the climb coming on  his second when he visited Beverley and Pickering but struggled a little to get back to site being around 1600' QFE south of Helmsley on his final glide. Bob Calvert in his Discus 2t and Rob Bailey in his ASG29t both went west into the Pennines, with Rob getting low and abandoning his attempt to get to Selset Reservoir shortly after turning Grassington.  Rob then flew to Danby, Ripon and just NW of Pateley Bridge before returning to site. Bob's forage west stopped some 13 km north of Pateley Bridge followed by a visit to Wetherby South and some 8 km NNE of Northallerton before returning to site.  Ron Beezer, flying the DG1000 solo, flew around Northallerton, Sutton 2, Ripon and Boroughbridge, finding overcast conditions around Northallerton, while Dave McKinney in his ASW28 visited the Tontine, Carlton Bank and Sutton on Forest before returning to site and Jim McLean visited Dishforth in his ASW24. Steve Ogden in Astir FSH did an O/R to the Tontine while Clive Swain/John Forrester visited Melmbery.  Steve's was one of the 14 flights to exceed an hour while Clive and John's flight was one of 10 lasting between 30 and 60 minutes.  Among all this activity, Bob Beck and Clive Swain looked after the day's  7 First Flight pupils while Laurie Clarke looked after the day's 2 Day Course members.   

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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