Tuesday 26th to Thursday 28th April 2022.
Posted: 07/05/2022 21:23
Tuesday 26th. Increasing cloud after a sunny start meant it was a day of circuits, with flight time very dependent on launch height. The day's 35 launches were virtually all dual, with all the club's 2 seaters flown, but Amelia Forrester continued to tot up solo time with12 minutes in K21 JVZ off a 2,000' tow. The light to moderate NNE'ly led to operations off runway 02 but the lack of lift meant that only 4 flights managed 20 minutes or more, all being off tows of 2,500' or above. Toby Wilson took one of the day's 7 First Flight pupils for 24 minutes in the DG500 off a 2,500' tow, Kelly Teagle took another First Flight pupil for 23 minutes in K21 KLW off a 3,000' tow. The list of flights of 20 minutes or more was completed by Dave McKinney who had 21 minutes with another First Flight pupil off a 2,800' tow and then 20 minutes with Phil Simms off another 2,800' tow both flights being in the DG500.
Wednesday 27th. The light to moderate wind continued to blow from between N and NE bringing in cloudy skies and not much in the way of lift, although my mid afternoon conditions brightened considerably, allowing Nigel Burke in his DG800 to have an hour's soaring. Prior to that the best durations had been Guy Hartland/Roger Taylor's 30 minutes in K21 JVZ and the 25 minutes flown by Laurie Clarke and one of the day's 3 First Flight pupils, also in JVZ. Operations were off mainly off runway 06 although runway 02 was preferred by some for landing.
Thursday 28th. A light and variable but generally N'ly wind and broken cloud provided some weak soaring conditions in the early afternoon which allowed the last two of the day's 6 ATs off runway 02 to post flights of >1 hr. The longest of these, the 2:18 by Derek Smith in his DG800, was an attempt to fly a 262 km task with TP's at Pontefract, Richmond and Garforth. However, with a best altitude of just over 3,000' asl and several low points of between 1450' and 850' asl, the task was abandoned when to the west of York, the distance flown being 111 kms on OLC. Derek described conditions as uninspiring, with the main spur to the attempt being that it was his birthday. The other flight to exceed an hour was the last one of the day, when Steve ? flew K21 JVZ solo for 1:15, with the longest of the morning's flying being the 24 minutes by Nigel Burke in JVZ in the company of one of the day's 2 First Flight pupils, Nigel giving the other First Flight pupil 23 minutes in the same glider.
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.