Thursday 3rd August 2017
Posted: 03/08/2017 10:53
10:57 Waiting for the rain to stop before the wind veers from southerly to westerly and we all go winching!
12:22 Patience rewarded. Flying started!
All twelve launches of club aircraft were by winch, as the wind had veered into a WSW and was gusting over thirty knots with an underlying strength at 15-20 knots. A few pilots reported some very local primary wave, which got them to 2000' QFE; very frustrating as some rather good, long, wave clouds were visible for most of our flying day over towards the Pennines and way downwind over the North York Moors. So no-one troubled our "Greater Yorkshire" NSGA (mentioned it again!).
Of the ten two-seater flights, there were four trial lessons. The longest club two-seater flight was by John Carter and Peter Robinson with 1:28; Andy Parish also had two flights of more than an hour, first with Nora, and then with Mike O'Neill.
The Discus and the Astir both had a single flight each, with Colin Troise claiming the longest flight of these at 1:53 (but no wave!).
The "SAT24" website for 20:30 was showing distinctly long wave bars over much of England south of Newcastle (excluding East Anglia) and over Wales. Should have flown later!
I also noticed that only one flight (so far) had been posted on the BGA Ladder for today, and that was in Lleweni Parc's new DG1001M, by ex-local-lad Chris Gill, who reached 12500' amsl.
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.