Sunday 1st to Monday 2nd October 2023
Posted: 02/10/2023 19:19
Sunday 1st. A light to moderate/moderate SSW'ly that slowly veered into the WSW provided another wave soaring day, this being utilised by 4 private owners to deliver slow but significant climbs out of the day's 13 launches, although a some of the flights in club gliders also made use of the wave. 3 of the private owners, Bob Calvert in his Discus2ct, Fred Brown in his Ventus ct and visitor "Nobby" Noble in his DG300, contacted the wave while soaring the main bowl, often continuing their climb over Felixkirk, this latter area being the wave contact point for Bill Payton flying his DG1000t solo. Bob eventually climbed to 7,600' asl in the Felixkirk area before exploring further west and south west over Dishforth, Boroughbridge and Melmerby and then flying to Catterick before returning to Sutton. Fred's best altitude was 8,900' asl just SE of Melmerby, before he too visited Catterick, returning to Sutton via Northallerton, while Nobby stayed local and climbed to 5,600' asl in a 7 km long beat centred on Sutton and orientated NNW/SSE. Bill also used a NNW/SSE beat, but this time 5 km long and centred on Felixkirk and from his maximum altitude of 7,500' asl, visited the Masham and Dishforth areas before returning to site. Malcolm Morgan flying one of the day's 4 First Flight pupils in the DG500 maintained above 3,000' asl while flying a 8km long, NNW/SSE beat centred on Sutton village, while Dan McLean flying Astir DPO had 54 minutes slowly climbing from his release point to 4,800' asl as he flew a 6 km long similarly orientated and centred beat.
Monday 2nd. An overcast day with a light, essentially S'ly wind, saw 8 ATs off runway 24, flying being interrupted by orographic cloud around midday and then rain from around 1500 hrs. The day's launches were split evenly between the day's 4 First Flight pupils and visitor Andrew Cowey who set probably a first by landing on a different runway on each of his flights. Flying with "Nobby" Noble, Andrew was given a simulated launch failure on his first flight and landed on runway 02. On his second flight, being reminded that they were going to tow to 1100' QFE, Andrew released at 500' QFE and landed on 06, while his last 2 flights ended with landings on runways 20 and then 24. George Rowden flying the second of the day's First Flight pupils had to land on runway 02 due to orographic on the approach to runway 20, but later, with the orographic cleared, gave the last of the day's First Flight pupils the longest flight of the day, 26 minutes, by finding a patch of zero just to the SE of Bagby.
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.