Saturday 28th June 2026
Posted: 28/06/2026 11:25
Saturday 28th. A moderate to fresh SSW'ly blew all day, providing thermal lift for all and wave for some, with 18 AT's and a self launch of runway 20 The launch total ,including 6 for First Flight pupils and 6 by Private Owners, leading to 12 fights of over 30 minutes including 6 over an hour. The majority of the soaring pilots remained local, with only 2 flying XC, but most climbed to just between 5,000' and 6,500' asl via a combination of thermal and wave, the exception being Clive Swain in his Kestrel 19 who, in his 5:09 local flight climbed to 11,100' asl over Bagby after having contacted the wave over Topcliffe. Peak average climb rates were around 4 kts but Dean Crosby, flying a thermal cross country in his LS10t, recorded a 8.7 kt climb. Dean's XC of 308 km took in Blyth, Pickering and Burn, with the 25 kt SSW'ly at flying height being balanced out by some good thermals and energy lines. The other XC was by Pete Crawley in his ASH 31M, his 5:11, 215 OLC km flight around North/West Yorkshire included a climb to 6,500' asl over the Forward Ridge followed by a visit to the Ripon/Masham/Leyburn area, back to Sutton and then a sortie S to the Rufforth and Wetherby S areas before returning N to Leeming where recourse to his engine was required to return to site. Darren Lodge in his LS8-18 and first John Marsh and then Tony Drury in their DG303 were the other private owners to soar for > an hour, they being joined by Andreas Rieder/Ted Rathmell in the DG1000, and almost by Jamie Quartermaine/Matthew Hill in K21 KLW with a flight time of 59 minutes.
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.