Sunday 16th to Monday 17th 2024
Posted: 20/06/2024 20:37
Sunday 16th. An initially light WSW increased to moderate by lunch time, resulting in a change in launch type from AT to winch off runway 24 with 9 ATs, including 4 for First Flight pupils, and 11 winch launches. A trough initially provided a lowish overcast and a few spots of rain, but its passage led to a great improvement in conditions with strong thermals, a high cloud base and even a little wave. 14 of the day's launches led to flights of over 30 minutes with 8 of these over an hour, all but one of these being by the 8 private owners who flew, the other > an hour flight being by Steve Ogden in Astir DP, his 1:35 including a climb to 4,300' asl as he soared locally using thermal and hill lift off the penultimate flight of the day. As the conditions started to improve, Jamie Quartermain/Arthur Townson in K21 JVZ and Toby Wilson/Julian Hepburn in K21 KLW had 48 and 58 minutes respectively of ATs, both climbing to around 3,000' asl and indulging in a little hill soaring. Chris Teagle had 1:06 off the last AT of the day in his Kestrel 19 but a lack of a trace meant I have no further information on his flight. The improving conditions subsequent to their flights can be gauged by the altitudes reached, thermal climbs to around 6,000' asl by Fred Brown in his Ventus ct, John Ellis in his DG800 and Dean Crosby in his LS10t, with Bob Calvert in his Discus 2t adding a little wave climb to 7,000' asl. Nobody went too far, with Northallerton, Catterick, Masham and Ripon areas being visited by most pilots although Dean went east to Dovedale and Martyn Johnson in his DG600 stayed local. Peak average thermal strengths also improved from below 2 kts before lunchtime to 3,5-4.0 kts in the afternoon, the shortest flight under the latter conditions being 42 minutes.
Monday 17th. A weak occluded front made slow progress south, its low cloud and showers with longer periods of rain preventing any flying from taking place.
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.