Tuesday 11th to Thursday 13th October 2022
Posted: 14/10/2022 15:59
Tuesday 11th. A sunny start was followed by increasing cloud from around midday as a light to moderate SSW'ly later strengthened to moderate. Operations were off runway 24 with most landings on 20, 21 ATs being flown. Visitor Neil Oakley used the first thermal of the day to extend his flight over 20 minutes but it was not until after lunch with the strengthening of the wind that the hill provided lift. Steve Thompson in his Ventus 2t was the first to soar, taking a high tow to search for wave as far west as Dishforth without finding any and then returning to site to soar the main bowl at around 900' QFE for 30 minutes, thermalling up to 2,800' asl before heading north to the Thimbleby ridge before retuning to the main bowl for another spell of hill soaring in his flight of 1:52. Rob Bailey in his ASG29t used thermal to do a short 68.5 km task with TP's at Control Point S, a point some 3 km S of Start S, Tontine and Control point N, climbing to 3,100' asl with a peak climb rate of 1.6 kts. Andrew Wilmott in his ASW19 was the third of the pilots to have more than an hour's soaring, Andrew mainly soaring the main and second bowls at 9-1100' QFE, with a best thermal climb to 2,400' asl, while the list of those flying over an hour was completed by Duncan Pask in his LS10t, helped by his engine. The best of the rest saw visitors Paul Rice/F Fang in Essex and Kent's Perkoz have 43 minutes using mainly thermal to visit the northernmost end of the main ridge and the forward ridge, climbing en route to 3,100' asl, while Nigel Burke took one of the day's 4 First Flight pupils for 33 minutes in K21 FYF.
Wednesday 12th. A day of cloudy skies and bits and pieces of rain as a weak cold front made slow progress south-eastwards meant there was no flying.
Thursday 13th. The overnight departure of the front left the site in glorious sunny skies with Cumulus briefly developing over the North Yorkshire Moors before disappearing, as a light to moderate SSE/S'ly blew. The day's 35 launches included 14 for the visitors from the Essex and Kent GC, 4 for First Flight pupils and 3 for a Day Course pupil, with 2 YGC private owners launching. Bob Calvert in his Discus 2ct was aloft for 2:32, spending over an hour in an small area some 3 km SE of Helmsley maintaining 2,500'- 3,000' asl in a series of weak thermals before then visiting Thirsk and then returning to site, the flight including 3 engine burns. Albert and Martin Newbery also used the engine of their DG1000t to climb to 3,400' asl 3 times in their flight of 1:09 while visiting Helmsley and points some 11-14 km to the NNE and ESE of the site. As indicated from the above, glider sustainable lift was hard to find, but a number of flights post lunch used a regular area of weak lift around high Key to runway 20 to extend their flights. The longest of these was by visitor Graham Bailey in his Astir CS with 40 minutes and visitors Paul Rice/ Lez White with 32 minutes in their club Perkoz, both flights being able to maintain 2,200' - 2,400' asl (1,300-1,500' QFE) for a while.
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.