Tuesday 6th to Wednesday 7th June 23
Posted: 08/06/2023 14:52
Tuesday 6th. The overcast, initially low and limiting launch heights to around 1,000' QFE, later rose, allowing release heights to briefly to increase to around 2,000' QFE before lowering again, with subsequent release heights at 1,500' QFE or below. The light to moderate NE'ly blew all day, with operations from the first AT at 1050 hrs to the last landing at 2100 hrs off runway 02. The day's 29 launches included 8 for the day's 5 First Flight pupils, the first 3 of which were given 2 flights each due to the low launch heights and correspondingly short flights. Short flights were the order of the day with only one flight in excess of 30 minutes, this being a 47 minute flight by Bruce Grain/visitor P Holliday in K21 JVZ, some weak thermal enabling them to maintain 2-2,900' asl for the majority of their flight. Only 2 other flights exceeded 20 minutes, Guy Hartland having 23 minutes and then 21 minutes with the last 2 of the day's First Flight pupils in K21 KLW, both the result of using some weak thermal to maintain height for a while. The Tuesday evening group's 18 launch contribution to the day's total was split 10:8 in favour of single seater flying, Adam Sayer,Ben Dawson, Dominic Hammond, Ivan Maczca, Charles Chalmers-Brown and Julian Gerretson flying in Astirs DPO or DSU, the latter 4 pilots having 2 flights each.
Wednesday 7th. Another day of overcast skies, as the light to moderate NNE'ly blowing round the high pressure situated to the north of the UK, continued to bring in cloud off the North Sea. The base of the cloud again led to height limited ATs at times, with one of the day's three First Flight pupils given 2 flights due to short flight times. Total non-engined glider flights numbered 6, with the Falke adding 3, and while non of the glider flights exceeded 30 minutes, a period a more broken cloud in the late afternoon allowed 3 flights in K21 JVZ to have 25 minutes or more, all with Guy Hartland as P1. Guy's flight with the last of the day's First Flight pupils lasted 25 minutes, a weak thermal allowing a climb of 200' to a peak altitude of 3,000' asl. Guy, this time with Neil Amos, then had 26 minutes, with 2 climbs of 600' and 400' and a maximum altitude of 2,500' asl and off the last flight of the day, Ian Weatherston had 25 minutes with Guy, initially maintaining around 2,100' asl before climbing to 2,800' asl..
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.