Friday 26th to Saturday 27th July 2024
Posted: 28/07/2024 13:36
Friday 26th. A good thermal soaring day, but with some spreadout and blue holes to challenge those gong cross country, saw 31 of the day's 33 launches off runway 24 exceed 30 minutes with 25 of these exceeding an hour as a light WSW'ly blew. Dean Crosby flew 401km in his LS10t with an O/R to Husbands Bosworth, while Rob Bailey in his ASG29t and Andy Wright in his Nimbus 3t both flew 300s, Rob 353km with TPs at Tontine and Grantham and Andy 314 km on a YoYo with TPs at Doncaster, Thirsk and Doncaster NW. Nigel Burke almost joined them, but, flying a 304 km YoYo with TP's at Kirton in Lindsey, Thirsk and Burn had to resort to the engine of his DG800 just 18 km short of Sutton while trying for his first 300, so commiserations to Nigel. Paul Whitehead, flying his Ventus 2cxt was another pilot to have to resort to his engine near Rufforth having rounded Doncaster NW and Thirsk and covering 183 km. Pilots flying 200+ tasks included Toby Wilson in his Standard Cirrus with 203 km around Beverley, Garforth and Northallerton, although he almost came to grief visiting the latter, while Chris Handzlik in his DG300 flew 202 km with TPs at Tontine, Beverley and Chesterfield. Bob Calvert in his Discus 2ct also flew 200+, his 241 OLC kms being via a combination of thermal and wave, Bob contacting the latter near Masham and climbing to 6,000' asl before getting to his maximum altitude of 10,000' asl near Aysgarth and visiting areas around Grassington, Burnhope Reservoir and Alston at 8-10,000' asl before returning to site via Boroughbridge. Bob reported some unusual thermal and wave conditions and provided the following photos.
Jesper Mjels in his DG400 also went wave hunting but had to be satisfied with a climb to 6,400' asl near Leeming after exploring areas near Ripon and Pateley Bridge but also having to resort to his engine near Leeming later in the flight. The rest of the 11 pilots with flight times ranging from 1:00 to 6:03 all stayed relatively local with Clive Swain in his Kestrel 19 taking a cloud climb to 6,100' asl, but Bruce Grain/Amelia Forrester in the DG1000 landed out at Burn followed by an AT retrieve as did Steve Ogden in Astir DSU complete his Silver Distance, so congratulations to Steve. Among all the above activity 2 First Flight pupils chose a good day to be introduced to the joys of soaring.
Saturday 27th. An approaching occluded front was forecast to bring showers and thunderstorms and this may have been the reason that the demand for flying was limited, with only 10 ATs off runway 24 being flown into a light WSW'ly wind, 4 of which were for First Flight pupils. There were 2 flights of 30 minutes or more both involving Sarah Stubbs, the first being for one of the day's First Flight pupils in K21 KLW and lasting 30 minutes, while the second, in the Discus, lasted 1:28. The following photo of the sky to the north of the site in the early afternoon shows excellent soaring conditions
while the next photo, taken immediately after the one above but looking S, shows a distinctly unwelcoming sky.
The front did eventually produce some showery rain in the late afternoon/early evening but not enough to dampen the personages or spirits of the 50+ people who attended YGC's summer BBQ and were well provided with food and drink by the catering team.
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.