Author: Blogger

This year we are going to hold a combined task and soaring week beginning 11th August (tasks will be set from 9th-17th August).

The aim is to make it simple and fun – there will be multiple tasks per day for the range of experience on the day set by me and you wont need any complicated gubbins to record the tasks or have to memorise overly complex rules. In fact I intend to do all scoring in the pub and the results may change with consumption of IPA.

For those wishing to do local soaring that is fine but the field wont necessarily be supervised so you will need at least a bronze and xc endorsement unless you make a private arrangement with an instructor. The same applies for pre-solo, make a private arrangement with an instructor.

Ken has kindly volunteered to winch drive all week.

I guess we’ll visit the pub and have a BBQ or two after the glorious soaring weather that we’ll have.
So save the date and watch out for more updates.

A bright sunny day and the forecast had changed overnight to something a little more promising. Only 4 people on the airfield but annual checks on the winch guillotine were completed and the field set up anyway.

JPC up first flight at 10:15, 1900′ winch launch and some weak but turbulent thermals. Chris was talked into rigging B1.
Second flight for JPC, strong narrow thermals to 2500 rapidly building to 5 knots to 3000′ Spun down after B1 established.
Third flight B1, soaring flight and the Vega came out to play. Cloudbase now 3500′. You get the idea…

We ended up with seven people on the airfield, all flew and all had soaring flights of varying duration many of about an hour. Everyone even laid off on the launch. Chris takes the prize though with just under two hours before his toes froze.

A heavy shower stopped play at about 2pm but all the toys were packed away in super quick time to avoid getting wet with the vega landing and being pushed into the hanger just as the showers hit. All in all a very good day. Probably the best of the weekend.

There’s hope for the weekend! Sunday is looking especially ok. Moderate North Westerly, maybe blue in the morning…..Possibly good for a small task.
So time to blow off the cobwebs and clear out the mouse poop from your glider and trailer…..

Chris K and Rob J returned from the first launch reporting so scraps of 0.  Carol P took the next launch in the K8 and returned 56 minutes later, Paul P followed in a K13 and returned 55 minutes later.  That got Bob B pulling the Vega from the hanger and taking the next launch and flew for 49 minutes.  Nobody was thermalling – they were all sliding around the sky following the wave up to 3,000′.  Most got a taste of the wave but only two more flights (Chris K with Rob J in the K13 and Trevor G in the K8) got decent times (48 and 46 minutes).
15 of us clocked up almost 7:30 of flying off 24 launches – an unexpectedly good day.  All that flying plus mini-muffins (Wednesday flying is very civilised).