Saturday 11th to Wednesday 15th January 2020.
Posted: 15/01/2020 20:20
Saturday 11th. A fresh SSE'ly gradually veered into the SSW, gusting into the high 30 kts and accompanied by overcast skies that produced 6 mm of rain during the evening. The only flying was in the bar/cafe area where Toby Wilson was to be found demonsrating his Virual Reality gliding rig.
Sunday 12th. The wind had decreased to become a moderate W'ly, but any thought of flying was ruled out by rain during the morning and low cloud for the rest of the day.
Monday 13th. A moderate SE'ly slowly increased in strength to become moderate to fresh as it backed into the ESE and became increasingly gusty, as named storm Brendan approached. Rain arrived around 1600 hrs with 9.4 mm deposited by 1900hrs, a wet end to a non-flying day.
Tuesday 14th. Storm Brendan's departure overnight into the North Sea left the site in a moderate to fresh SE'ly and a low overcast that prevented any flying. The reason for the day's non-flying decision was made all the more emphatic by a closely following depression that led to rain from 1200 - 1700 hrs, with another 15.5 mm falling.
Wednesday 15th. Tuesday's depression and its accompanying low cloud and rain had departed to the SE, leaving the site in a moderate S'ly with a high overcast that was no bar to flying. The latter got underway off runway 20 around 1045 hrs, with John Carter and Bob Beck taking the first of the day's 9 ATs in the DG1000 as Bob undertook his instructor revalidation. John and Bob then took a second flight during which an simulated AT failure at 800' saw them land on runway 24. Operations continued smoothly from then on with the, by now clear blue skies, slowly being filled with convective cloud that provided some early thermal based climbs for George Rowden and the day's only First Flight pupil in the DG1000 and John Carter and Andy Evans in the same glider. By early afternoon the wind had increased in strength to become a moderate to fresh SW'ly, so the last two AT's off runway 20 landed on 24 from where operations continued. Two more AT's were then flown off runway 24 before the winch was deployed and 3 winch launches flown, the ridge up to Boltby being now soarable. The only single seater flight of the day saw Jesper Mjels take the DG303 for 1:09 as he explored the main and forward ridges and climbed to 2,500' QFE off his winch launch as he searched for wave. Meanwhile, John Carter and Stuart Richardson had 35 minutes in the DG1000, with 33 minutes being the flight time of both George Rowden and his First Flight pupil and Bob Beck and Tony Wiseman in K21 KLW, the 30 minute flight time criteria being met by 2 other flights.
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.