Friday 10th July 2026
Posted: 10/07/2026 18:54
Friday 10th, Another hot and sunny day, with the local temperature edging up to 32.3C as an initially light and variable wind strengthened to become moderate as it settled into the E. The day's 9ATs, 1 self launch and 3 Falke flights were mainly off runway 20 but late returners and take offs used runway 02 or 06. It was again a day of high climbs in the predominately blue thermals, with 6 flights exceeding 5,000' asl as 7 flights exceeded 30 minutes, of which 5 exceeded an hour. 4 pilots flew XC's, with Dean Crosby in his LS10t flying 275 OLC km on a Sutton, Ripon. Ullswater, Knaresborough task during which he climbed to 6,300' asl. Rob Bailey flew 250 OLC km in his ASG29t, with TPs at Tebay and Wetherby S, starting and finishing the task at Sutton Control Point S, while Nigel Burke in his DG808 flew 204 OLC km with TPs at Helmsley, Burn, Knaresborough and Aysgarth. Rob's best altitude was 6.300' asl and Nigel's 6,900' asl. The other XC pilot was John Marsh who took his DG303 for a 124 OLC km trip around Helmsley, Northallerton, Ripon, Sutton on Forest and back to Helmsley, climbing to 6,800' asl en route. The > an hour pilot flying locally was Patrick Fowler in his Astir CS, whose 1:40 included a climb to 5,700' asl, with the unknown pilot of his Janus C climbing to 6,700' asl during his 55 minute local flight, on a day when average peak climb rates of around 5 kts were recorded. The longest flight in a club glider was the 25 minutes flown by Ian McFarlane in the DG1000 with one of the day's First Flight pupils.
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.