Wednesday 23rd April 2025.
Posted: 23/04/2025 21:08
Wednesday 23rd. A high pressure ridge extending from the north brought sunny intervals and large Cumulus, as a light to moderate NNW'ly blew all day. After an initial launch from runway 20, followed by a landing on 02, all the subsequent 25 ATs and a self launch were off 02, 20 of these flights lasting over 30 minutes with 16 over an hour. A number of flights in the late morning/midday flew between 15 to 30 km off to the ENE where good lift was to be found, this being exemplified by Clive Swain/Iain Weatherton's 1:07 flight in K21 JVZ. After releasing some 4-5 km the NNE of Sutton the climbed to 3,500' asl in a thermal and maintained an altitude of above 2,500' while flying wings level for 17 minutes getting to Hutton Le Hole and back to halfway between Helmsley and Kirby Moorside where a thermal took then back to 3,900' asl. Another 10 minutes of wings level flight at around 4,000' asl took them back to the Hutton Le Hole area where a cloud climb took them to the day's best altitude of 7,600' asl, returning to Sutton without further recourse to lift for a landing after 1:07. Others to sample the soaring to the NE of site included visitors Rob John in his Ka6e, Mike Biggs in his ASH26e and YGC pilot James Prosser in his Ventus 2ct who after progressing 30 km in that direction returned to the Sutton area before spending the rest of his 2:48 flight soaring a triangular area bounded by Sutton, Linton on Ouse and a point just to the NW of Boroughbridge. This part of the flight included a cloud climb to 6,200' asl, the whole flight covering 141 km. Bob Calvert in his Discus 2ct flew 149 km with an O/R to Goole N, climbing to 5,400' asl enroute, while Rob Bailey in his ASG29e flew 110 km via Sutton Control point N, a point 9 km SE of York and back to site. On the way back Rob gained from 3,100' to 4,300' asl over a period of 10 minutes while flying wings level from a point to the S of Thirsk back to site. Visitors Andrew Samson in his AS 33 flew Sutton/Rufforth/Pocklington/York East/ Sutton covering 131 km, while Adam Darby in his ASH 26e flew to 4 km of Boroughbridge and then near to York East, but on the last leg back to site struggled from Easingwold to get a climb and finally had to resort to his engine while down at 860' asl 6 km SW of site. The remaining > an hour flights by visiting pilots were all local with with Jeremy Gilby in his HPH Shark managing to recover from a 720' asl low point near Easingwold.
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.