Monday 17th to Wednesday 19th February 2025
Posted: 19/02/2025 21:24
Monday 17th. The front had fizzled out allowing the base of the overcast to rise sufficiently to allow flying, as a moderate SE'ly blew. However, all but 3 of the day's ATs released at around 1100' QFE, as Steve Morgan, Mark James and Sarah Nolan, practiced circuits. The other P2 of the day, Harris Hobson, took tows to 2,000' and 2,500' QFE, the latter resulting in the longest flight of the day, 19 minutes. All the day's ATs were in K21 JVZ with Ian McFarlane as P1.
Tuesday 18th. The SE/SSE'ly continued to blow but declined in strength from moderate to light to moderate over the day. A brighter day with a medium level overcast allowed 9 ATs to be flown off runway 20, with Neil Amos and Sarah Nolan circuit bashing off 1100' QFE tows on 7 of these in the company of Bob Beck in K21 JVZ. Tim Stanley took one of the other launches solo in JVZ, while Clive Swain in Astir DPO took a 3,000' tow and utilised lift off the White Horse ridge to maintain a height of 700-1300' QFE in his flight of 55 minutes. Clive's flight time ratio of 5:1 compared with the day's other flights is not dissimilar to the same ratio he usually achieves compared to other pilots on thermal soaring days when flying his Kestrel 19.
Wednesday 19th. It was back to a non flying day as a slow moving cold front brought lowering cloud, murky conditions and bits and pieces of rain, the SE'ly slowly decreasing from moderate, to light to moderate.
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.