Tuesday 23rd June 2026
Posted: 24/06/2026 12:15
Tuesday 23rd. A light to light to moderate SSE'ly blew for most of the day, veering into the W late afternoon and being accompanied by mainly sunny skies and scattered cloud, with the maximum temperature at nearby Topcliffe reaching 31.5C. 26 ATs, including 6 for First Flight pupils, and 6 winch launches were flown off runway 20, with the Falke adding 3 sorties on a day with little in the way of lift, as indicated by the fact that only 3 flights of over 30 minutes resulted, of which 2 were over an hour. The hour + pilots were both Private Owners, with Clive Swain in his Kestrel 19 having 1:11 and Pete Goodchild in a Discus t having exactly an hour, both making use of weak thermals over or near site with peak altitudes being around 3-3,300' asl. A similar peak altitude was reached by Polly Whitehead flying K21 KLW solo for 37 minutes as she made use of a couple of thermals, while Dave McKinney/Lee Makings took a 3,000' QFE tow in K21 JVZ and held their altitude for a few minutes before starting the descent to a landing after 29 minutes of flying. Flying eventually came to a halt just after 2100 hrs as the Tuesday evening group made use of a fine, warm evening.
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.