Monday 3rd July 2023
Posted: 06/07/2023 21:56
Monday 3rd. Overcast skies and frequent showers until 1300 hrs kept the hangar doors closed but brighter conditions allowed flying to commence around 1500 hrs with 6 ATs off runway 24 as a moderate and at times moderate to fresh W'ly blew. The wait turned out to be worth it, as initially demonstrated by Guy Harland who, taking the first of 2 First Flight pupils on the day in K21 JVZ, had a 41 minute flight soaring the main ridge at 5-800' QFE and climbing to 1,700' QFE over Kepwick. 4 pilots had over an hours soaring with Bob Calvert's encompassing a climb to 12,100' NE of Pateley Bridge having contacted the wave over Kepwick before journeying to near Catterick and Leeming and climbing at each point before reaching his maximum near Pateley Bridge, From this point Bob flew a final glide of 126 km to Sutton via Pontefract and also provided this photo of a nice Cunim over the Pennines.
No one else managed a high wave climb but both Martyn Johnson in his DG600 and visitor Geoff Palmer in his DG100 climbed to 5,800' and 5,700' asl respectively, Martyn finding the wave over Kepwick and then visiting Northallerton, Leeming and the Ripon area before returning to Sutton. Geoff also visited Northallerton and after returning to Sutton went back north to the Tontine area where his wave climb materialised. Martyn had 2:16 and Geoff 1:50 with Ron Beezer in Astir DPO having 2:05, also climbing to 5,800' asl and visiting Northallerton, the Ripon area and Kepwick. The day came to a end with Guy taking the 2nd First Flgiht pupil of the day for a 28 minute flght in JVZ.
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.