Monday 11th to Wednesday 12th March 2024
Posted: 14/03/2024 13:08
Monday 11th. A day with a low overcast and moderate visibility, as a light N'ly slowly backed into the NNW, precluded any flying.
Tuesday 12th. Another overcast day with the SE'ly veering into the SW and increasing from light to moderate, the overcast being again too low to allow any flying.
Wednesday 13th. The cloud, although extensive, had lifted sufficiently to allow flying and, with a moderate SSW/SW'ly blowing, hill soaring the southern/south-westerly ridges was possible with 5 of the day's 8 ATs off runway 20 leading to flights of over an hour. AT release heights were generally 1200-1400' QFE, with soaring along the southern ridge and the SW'ly facing portion of the home bowl at 800-1200' QFE, peak heights being up to 1,700' QFE. The 3 private owners to fly, Chris Handzlik in his DG300, Steve Thompson in his Ventus bt and Fred Brown in his Ventus ct had between 1:41 and 2:44, mainly on the Southern ridge as far east as Ampleforth, but also on the SW'ly facing portion of the home bowl. Peak heights were generally obtained on the latter location. Bill Payton flying Astir DSU and Dave McKinney/Dean Crosby flying K21 JVZ were the other 2 flights to exceed an hour, Bill having 1:40 and Dave/Dean 1:05. Bill's operating height was generally 600-800' QFE with a peak of 1,100' QFE, but he did go some 2 km east of Ampleforth and north of Gormire on the main W'ly ridge, with Dave/Dean restricting their flying to the southerly ridge as far east as Wass as well as the SW'ly facing part of the home bow.
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.