Thursday 23rd to Saturday 24th May 2024
Posted: 25/05/2024 20:38
Thursday 23rd. The aftermath of Wednesday's low pressure was a low overcast and occasional showers, the low overcast being primarily the reason for a non-flying day.
Friday 24th. It was again a predominately a cloudy day as a light to moderate SSW'ly blew. However, the cloud base was high enough for flying and some weak lift meant 4 flights exceeded 30 minutes with 3 over an hour. all by private owners, some helped by engine use. Visitors Andy Balkwill in his LS8-18t had 1:13 locally, with a best climb to 4,300' asl, but had to use his engine to stay aloft a couple of times, while Dean Crosby in his LS10t had 1:20 making use of weak hill lift on the White Horse ridge and the Gormire/A170 section of the main bowl boosted by weak thermal to maintain between 1,100/1,400' QFE. Bob Calvert in his Discus2t had two flights, the first lasting 55 minutes with Bob coming off tow and then climbing to 5,200' asl using his engine before flying off to the Ripon area and then returning to indulge in some hill soaring on the Gormire/A170 portion of the main bowl at around 700' QFE. Bob's later flight of 1:08 used weak local thermal that had him operate between 2,700' to 2,800' asl. All the day's other flights were in K21 JVZ, with Guy Hartland/Trish Cunnison having the longest at 26 minutes from a high tow and a single thermal over the site.
Saturday 25th. A sunny start to the day with early Cumulus didn't last, as an increasingly thick overcast soon spread in from the SSE, the light to moderate SSE gradually backing into the ESE. Take offs were from runway 20 but landing, while mainly on 20 was increasingly on runway 02. 24 ATs were flown, including 6 for First Flight pupils, but only 2 flights exceeded an hour, with the next best being the 29 minutes flown by John Marsh in his DG303, John slowly losing out in the weak thermal conditions as he descended from 3,100' to 2,500' asl. The best of the flights in a club glider was by Nigel Burke with one of the day's First Flight pupils, their 26 minutes in the DG500 being due to a slow descent. Bob Calvert in his Discus 2t and Dean Crosby in his LS10t both flew off to the better weather to the SW, returning after 2:44 and 2:48 respectively. Bob visited areas NW of Ripon and E of Pateley Bridge before overflying Harrogate and Knaresborough and going back to the SW of Ripon before returning to site with an enroute engine start to ensure getting back to site, with a best climb to 3,800' asl. Dean went to Grassington with a best altitude of 4,800' asl and like Bob, when returning to the poorer weather enroute to site had an engine start get back to site.
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.