Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd May 2021
Posted: 24/05/2021 16:52
Friday 21st. A thoroughly wet day as an active depression crossed the UK meant there was no flying.
Saturday 22nd. The depression had moved off into the North Sea leaving cloudy skies and light showers at first, before brighter skies and drier conditions fed in from the northwest, the initially moderate NW'ly wind becoming light and veering into the ENE. The improvement in the weather allowed flying to get underway off runway 06, the day's 8 ATs all landing on runway 02. A lack of lift meant it was a circuit day with flight times of 10-17 minutes, the latter achieved by Fred Brown and Tony Wiseman in K21 KLW off the penultimate flight of the day. Two flights in the Falke had opened the day's flying, with the second one being an O/R to Pocklington.
Sunday 23rd. A period of flyable weather before an active cold front crossed the UK, allowed 11 ATs off runway 20 as a moderate to moderate to fresh S'ly blew. Some thermal activity plus lift off the southern ridge meant some soaring was possible, with 4 flights of >30 minutes of which 2 > 1 hour and peak altitudes of around 3,500' asl were acheived. The 2 flights of >30 minutes saw Bruce Grain and Tony Wiseman have 48 minutes in K21 KLW and Dave Thompson have 46 minutes in the Astir. The 2 flights of over an hour were both flown by visitors from the Stratford GC who were on one of their regular weekly visits to Sutton Bank. Barry and Sharon Kerby in their Duo Discus had 2:32 as they explored the southern ridge as far as Stonegrave and visited Wombleton airfield. Andy Balkwill in his LS8-18 also went east as far as Rosedale Abbey during his 1:18, after earlier having a couple of local familiarization flights with David Watson in K21 JVZ. Andy's landing just after 1500 hrs was the last of the day as lowering cloud associated with the approaching cold front made its presence felt.
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.