Tuesday 4th to Wednesday 5th June 2024
Posted: 07/06/2024 16:23
Tuesday 4th. Low cloud and then rain from midday meant there was no flying until the Tuesday evening group commenced operations off runway 24 around 1745 hrs as a moderate WNW'ly blew. 12 winch launches were flown in K21s JVZ and KLW, flying coming to an end just after 2100 hrs. A number of simulated winch launch failures were flown. but the ridges were working, providing flights from 24 to 46 minutes with an operating height band of 1,100' to 1,400' QFE .
Wednesday 5th. The wind had become a moderate W'ly, so it was again a winching day apart from the 3 ATs for First Flight pupils. It was a day of ridge, thermal and wave, the cloud base of around 5,000' asl and peak average thermal strengths of over 5 kts being tempered by a 25-30 kt wind at flying heights. Steve Thompson in his Ventus bt flew a 292 km O/R to Alton Towers which he described as hard work due to the wind, showers and blue holes, while visitor Martin Davison in his Ventus 2cxt visited Thirsk, Northallerton, Catterick and Bedale before returning to Sutton but had to resort to his engine at one point. Dean Crosby in his LS10t, visited Thirsk and Rufforth, climbing to 6,400' asl here in wave before going NW to Wetherby back to Rufforth and then returning home, while Paul Whitehead in his Ventus 2cxt turned Pontefract and flew to within 4.5 km of Beverley before having to use his engine to get home. The wave lift used by Dean Crosby, also featured in the flights of Martyn Johnson, Bob Calvert and Fred Brown. Martyn flew around locally for a while in his DG600 but then on a beat between Tontine and Carlton Bank area eventually climbed to 7,000' asl over Tontine before returning to Sutton. Bob, on his 2nd flight of the day in his Discus 2t, used thermal to get into wave at Black Hambleton, climbing there to 6,400' asl and eventually climbing to 9,500' asl over Thimbleby. From there he visited Tontine, Northallerton, Catterick and Masham before landing back at Sutton. Fred in his Ventus ct, had an initial climb near site up to 7,200' asl but then operated between 3,500' and 5,000' asl between Tontine and RAF Topcliffe before finding a climb up to 9,800' asl over Tontine and visiting the Ripon area before returning home. Other pilots concentrated on ridge soaring, with Bill Payton in his DG1000t having two trips to Tontine, first with Stuart Heaton and later with Conrad Thwaites. There was also a 3rd trip in Bill's DG1000t to Black Hambleton, but I have no details of who was flying. Other ridge soaring pilots with over an hour's flight time but also thermal climbs to around 5,000' asl, included Steve Ogden in Astir DSU, who also went S to Easingwold, Bruce Grain/Steve Morgan in K21 JVZ who explored the forward ridge and Conrad Thwaites in the Discus who was another pilot to reach Black Hambleton.
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.