Monday 8th to Tuesday 9th September 2025
Posted: 10/09/2025 15:51
Monday 8th. A day when cloud base rose to between 5 & 6,000' asl with average peak climbs of 4-5 kts as a light to moderate WSW'ly blew, led to 29 ATs, initially off runway 20, but changing later to 24. 11 XC'xs were flown out of the day's 29 soaring flights, with 16 flights exceeding an hour and a further 6 between 30 and 60 minutes. 2 flights were posted on the BGA Ladder, a 341 km task by Dean Crosby in his LS10t, surviving an early low point before turning Newark, Burn and Blyth, and 168 km by visitor Phil Challons in his LS4 with TPs at Beverley, Kirbymoorside and Tontine Inn. The remaining XC flights ranged from 269 OLC km by Barry Kerby/Sharon Kerby in their Duo Discus t who visited Knaresborough, Wetherby and Rufforth before going south and then turning for home east of Retford, to the 54 OLC kms flown by James Shaw/Dave Yorbury in the DG1000 with an O/R to near Boroughbridge. Those flying over 150 OLC kms included Andy Balkwill/Katherine Balkwill in their Janus, their 180 km taking them close to Boroughbridge, Snainton, Sutton and Danby, and Bob Calvert in his Discus 2ct who took a cloud climb to 9,100 ' straight of tow before proceeding westwards to Harrogate N and Ripon. Bob then returned to site for a spot of hill soaring before flying back west to Masham where a wave climb took him to 7,700' asl. A return to site via Boroughbridge then followed with the flight covering 174 km. 4 other pilots flew between 100 and 129 OLC km, the latter by Chris Handzlik in his DG300, Chris adding on a visit to Boroughbridge to the 100 km Pocklington/Rufforth triangle. Visitor Ed Syston in his LS6 flew 103 km via Harrogate N and Sutton before landing out south of Sutton on Forest, Clive Swain in his Kestrel 19, flew 100 km while operating between York and Tontine Inn, and Steve Ogden in his Discus flew 101 km while soaring between Boroughbridge and Tontine Inn. Among those flying club gliders Austin Hartland had 2 > an hour flights 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.