Sunday 7th to Saturday 13th July 2024
Posted: 14/07/2024 11:50
Sunday 7th. A light to moderate WSW/W'ly blew all day bringing in a few showers but also some reasonable thermal soaring conditions that enabled the Competition Enterprise pilots to fly a task of 4 quadrants centred on Sutton Bank. Club flying was limited to 5 flights, 2 for First Flight pupils, with Fred Brown having the two flights to exceed 30 minutes both in K21 JVZ, the first of 38 minutes with Julia Noble and the second, 32 minutes with one of the First Flight pupils.
Monday 8th. The wind had become a light SSE, bringing a good thermal soaring day that was enjoyed by Competition Enterprise and YGC pilots alike, the former flying some very enterprising and long tasks as did some of the YGC pilots. Club flying produced 28 ATs off runway 20, including 15 for private owners, with 20 flights of over an hour and one between 30 and 60 minutes. Dean Crosby in his LS10t flew the longest club flight of the day, a 501km task with TPs at Grantham, Thirsk and Blyth, with Rob Bailey in his ASG29t, John Ellis in his DG800 and Bill Payton solo in his DG1000t all flying 300+ km tasks, Rob 446 km via Sutton Control Point N, Tontine, Grantham and Sutton Control Point N, John 302 km via Blyth, Thirsk and Market Weighton and Bill 355 km via Boston, Churchhouses and Hemsley. Chris Handzlik in his DG300 flew a 269km O/R to Horncastle, Martin Newbery in his Ventus 2ct did an 195 km O/R to Gainsborough and Eileen Scothern in her Discus 2t flew a 113 km task via Pocklington and Burn. It wasn't all easy going, however, with Dave Latimer in his Ventus 3M and Steve Thompson in his Ventus bt both having to resort to their engines while attempting a 446 km task with TPs at Horncastle, Alton Towers and Tuxford Junction. Both Dave and Steve made it to Alton Towers but had to resort to their engines thereafter, Dave completing 369. km and Steve 275.1 km. Landouts also resulted for 2 early cross country pilots, John Forresster landing out at Burn in Astir DSU but claiming his Silver Distance, so congratulations to him, while Paul Bulmer in his ASW19 landed out at Pocklington. The best of the flights in a club 2 seater saw Clive Swain/Dan McClean in the DG1000 visit Market Weighton, Masham and Ripon.
Tuesday 9th. A low pressure tracking slowly northwards brought a day of rain and low cloud and later in the day thunderstorms, the rainfall total at a nearby weather station recording nearly 70 mm of rain, so there was no flying.
Wednesday 10th. The light rain/drizzle continued into Wednesday morning, but eventually cleared, leaving a legacy of overcast skies which, although allowing flying from early afternoon, limited soaring opportunities, so no task was set for Enterprise pilots. In the event, 4 ATs were flown off runway 24 into a light to moderate SW'ly that slowly veered to become WSW'ly, but flight times were low with only visitor Jules Anderson in his Discus bt making it to 30 minutes due to some fitful hill lift in the main bowl off the last flight of the day. The only flight in a club glider was by Bruce Grain/Dan McClean in K21 KLW, their 11 minutes being a slow descent as they attempted hill soaring the main bowl, giving up at 350' QFE and landing on 20.
Thursday 11th. The departing low pressure left the site in a light to moderate N/NNE'ly with overcast skies, the start of flying again delayed until late morning when the first of 5 Falke flights took off from runway 02, two of these flights being for First Flight pupils. There were only 2 ATs in club 2 seaters both, extended circuits and 2 by visitors. One of the latter, Bob Bromwich solo in his DG500 M, showed what was possible by having 2:47, mainly operating between 1,400' to 2,100' asl thermal soaring in lift triggered by a north facing ridge just south of Cowesby. Bob, however, did have to resort to his engine to get back to Sutton at the end of his flight.
Friday 12th, A cloudy and moderate N'ly with little in the way of lift mean a non competition day and limited club flying with 8 ATs off runway 02, all for First Flght pupils. Nigel Burke who flew all but 2 of the flights managed 27 minutes off the second flight of the day, being able to maintain his release height for a while over Sutton village in weak wave. All the other flights were slow descents with typically 20 minutes flight time.
Saturday 13th. The low pressure in the Northern North Sea continued to feed in low cloud and increasingly bits and pieces of rain on an light to moderate NNW'ly wind so there was no flying.
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.