Thursday 13th to Sunday 16th May 2021.
Posted: 17/05/2021 11:51
Thursday 13th. A light to moderate, mainly N/NE'ly wind saw flying start off runway 06 around 1130 hrs. However, after a bright start, cloud rapidly developed into showers, so flying terminated just after 1300 hrs with 3 ATs flown. The early conditions provided some soaring opportunities, with Sue Aherne, first off solo in K21 JVZ, having 1:16 of local soaring followed by Roger Burghall in his ASW20 who had 2:27. Sue climbed to around 3,700' asl in her flight and Tony Drury, off the last flight of the day, also solo in JVZ, climbed to 3,600' asl, but was back on the ground after 20 minutes as the showers threatened.
Friday 14th. Friday was a cloudy, overcast day with a light mainly N'ly wind, the low base of the cloud restricting flying to 2 Falke sorties. One of these saw CFI John Carter overfly Hemsley in a tribute to long time member and past YGC CFI Mike Wood whose funeral was being held there.
Saturday 15th. A bright but hazy start under a high overcast soon disappeared, as a flabby depression approached, the lowering cloud base and thundery showers leading to flying coming to a halt around 1230 hrs. The day's 5 ATs in K21 JVZ were off either runway 06 0r 02 as a light to moderate E'ly blew, but all the landings were on 06. The conditions were not conducive to soaring, with circuits and flight times of 13-20 minutes being the order of the day. Bruce Grain was P1 for all the day's flights, taking First Flight pupil E Dowler for the longest flight of the day, 20 minutes, off a 2,500' QFE tow to complete the day's flying.
Sunday 16th. Although the wind had now become light to moderate from the NE quadrant, the unstable nature of the air mass, with low pressure centered over the UK, led to a repeat of Saturday's weather, a sunny start but the rapid development of showers, some of them thundery. Consequently, it was another day with an early finish around 1330 hrs after 5 ATs were flown off either runways 06 or 02. K21 JVZ was again the glider of choice, with Tomer Altman having 3 of the flights, all circuits, and visitor Steve Codd and Tony Drury having slightly more extended flights, although no one climbed above tow height. Steve had the longest flight of the day, 35 minutes with Tony having 23 minutes, landing off the last flight of the day as the thundery showers again approached.
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.