Friday 14th August 2025
Posted: 16/08/2025 14:26
Friday 14th. The wind had become a light to moderate NNW'ly so operations were off runway 02, and with good soaring conditions, 6,000' asl cloud base, average peak climbs over 5 kts, the day's 17 ATs, including 9 for First Flight pupils, yielded 9 flights of over 30 minutes including 8 over an hour. The 6 private owners who launched all flew XCs, with two 300+ km flights and and almost 300 km flight. A sea breeze front over the Wolds was used by Chris Teagle in his LS8t-18 and Les Rayment in his DG808, Chris flying an undeclared 309 km with TPs at Hemsley, Gainsborough, Thirsk and Burn after abandoning his declared task. Les's 308 km declared task via Grantham and Pontefract became a 296 km flight with an engine burn 12 km short of Sutton when down at 900' asl. Bob Calvert's 300 OLC km flight involved TPs at or near, Hatfield near Doncaster, Pocklington, Hemsley, Pocklington and Tontine, with Bob providing this view of smoke from a large moorland fire near Fylingdales and cloud associated with the sea breeze front.
The other XC pilots were Pete Goodchild in his PIK 20d who flew Ripon, Conisborough Castle and Ripon, where he had to resort to his engine having covered 200 OLC km, Clive Swain in his Kestrel 19 who flew generally locally with visits to Dishforth and Black Hambledon in his 100 OLC km flight, and Martyn Johnson in his DG600 who soared within an area bounded by Topcliffe, Helmsley, Carlton Bank and Northallerton covering 90 OLC km in the process. The other > an hour pilots were Andreas Rieder/David Sculfor who had 1:10 in K21 JVZ and Sam Dawson who had the same flight time in Astir DSU.
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.