Tuesday 20th to Friday 23rd November 2018
Posted: 23/11/2018 17:35
Tuesday 20th. Frequent showers in a gusty, moderate to fresh NE'ly wind led to both an accumulation of 10.2 mm of rain and a non-flying day.
Wednesday 21st. A period of rain in the morning as an occluded front slowly moved north led to a further 11.0 mm of rain, the moderate and occasionally moderate to fresh ESE'ly wind slowly backing into the E. The cessation of the rain did not lead to any flying as the base of the persistent overcast was too low.
Thursday 22nd. The blocking anticyclone over Scandinavia and low pressure to the SW of the UK maintained the cloudy, and at times, damp and murky ENE'ly flow at site for the whole of the day, resulting in the hangar doors remaining firmly shut.
Friday 23rd. The day started bright, although foggy/misty in places, satellite images revealing North Yorkshire under a rectangular hole in an otherwise unbroken sheet of cloud covering eastern England and Scotland. These conditions prevailed until around 1230 hrs when the southern edge of the hole reached the site and low cloud and very poor visibility became the order of the day. 3 of the day's 5 ATs off runway 20 behind the Eurofox flew in the morning sunshine, Les Rayment and Harvey Booth, the 1st 0f the day's First Flight pupils, having the longest flight of the day, 27 minutes, in the DG500 as they were able to take advantage of the conditions to launch to 3,000' QFE. Alan Beaumont, flying the DG500 and George Rowden, flying K21 JVZ with Karen McCaughtie, the 2nd First Flight pupil of the day, both had to contend with the rapid change from sunshine to low cloud and murk as the hole in the cloud sheet disappeared to the north, while Paul Whitehead and Mr Wallace flying the last glider flight of the day in the DG500 found that the base of the now extensive overcast had descended to around 1200' QFE. The gliders and tug were therefore returned to the hangar leaving Paul and Mr Wallace to continue to fly, but this time via 2 flights in the Falke, the cloud base by mid afternoon now being down to under 1000' QFE.
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.