Tuesday 18th to Wednesday 19th June 2024
Posted: 22/06/2024 16:50
Tuesday 18th. A light wind initially saw ATs off runway 24, but with the wind becoming a light to moderate N'ly, operations moved to runway 02, day's AT total being 16, including 4 for First Flight pupils, with the Tuesday evening group ensuring flying lasted until around 2020 hrs. Cloudy skies mean little in the way of lift, so flight times were generally in the 15-20 minute range with Toby Wilson/Steve Morgan's 24 minutes in K21 JVZ being the longest of the day, the result of finding and using 2 thermals over Cold Kirby. The fact that Toby and Steve came off tow at 1200' QFE only enhances their performance. All but 2 of the day's flights were in club gliders, the other 2 being by Bas Sonnefeld in his own glider.
Wednesday 19th. A light and variable wind blew all day with the day's 22 ATs off runway 24 and landings on 20. A low cloud base hampered flying at first but conditions improved in the mid afternoon and in spite of the unpromising early conditions, a number of cross countries were flown contributing to the day's 9 flights of over 30 minutes of which 6 were over an hour. Steve Thompson in his Ventus bt flew 302 km with TPs at Scunthorpe N, Sutton on Forest and Rotherham managing to stay airborne during the first 40 minutes of his 5:42 flight without climbing above 2,000' asl and surviving a number of low points. Improving conditions on the last two legs made the flying more comfortable with cloud base rising to 4,200' asl. Bob Calvert in his Discus 2 also found conditions tricky at first but eventually turned York, Thirsk, Stamford Bridge, Pocklington and Burn, finding a gentle wave climb that took him to 4,800' asl, the best of the day. Rob Bailey in his ASG29t went off to the N and NE with TPs at Tontine, Guisborough W and Danby before returning to site via Kirbymoorside and Thirsk, while Les Rayment got close to Castle Howard before visiting Tontine in his DG800. John Ellis, another DG800 pilot flew the 100km Rufforth, Pocklington triangle, surviving a low point at Rufforth and doing some local soaring after arriving back at Sutton to extend his flight to 3 hours. The other > an hour flight was by Clive Swain/Neil Amos in the DG1000, their 1:10 being spent soaring locally but also included a sortie that took them 5 km short of Boroughbridge.
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.