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Sunday 6th

After such a busy Saturday we only had about half the number of folks flying on Sunday and less than half the number of launches.  However, what we lack in quantity we more than made up with soaring.  The LS3 was rigged and each of the 3 syndicate partners had flights of over an hour.  3 other flights of 48 minutes and   Climb rates on offer were generally modest and the cloud base limited but 3 knots on the averager could be found  and climbs to 2,700′. 

Launch Point at midday – 4 gliders soaring

By 15:00 everyone had flown and nobody left to take advantage of the thermals still on offer.  Colin and Stephen were left to wait for Richard to return before derigging.

After an exhausting flight time for a power nap

A terrific day for the time of year enjoyed by so few.

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Saturday 5th October

What a busy day!

First launch was 10:37 and the last was at 18:27 during which time we clocked up 51…..yes 51 launches!

Due to annual checks being conducted and lift not in attendance every flight was below 10 minutes that is apart from Bob who defied gravity to clock up an amazing 45 minutes in the K8.

With only two 2 seater’s it took a while for Jim and I to get through the flying list but never the less everyone eventually got to fly.

With a 1/2 day course (which Pete Ellison kindly flew for me), 4 annual checks and a first solo everyone had a good time.

So….

Congratulations go to Steve Trenaman for having his first solo…..well done Steve!

Also to Mark Patterson, Chris Keating, Paul Prentice and Steve gaze for completing their annual checks and to Pablo for converting to the K8.

All in all a long but constructive day’s flying.

Phil

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Sunday 29th September

Similar to clouds seen today in a strong easterly breeze. (Pic courtesy of Cliff Mass
http://cliffmass.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/why-was-my-flight-so-bumpy.html)

Patches of lift interspersed by areas of severe sink suggested wave activity. Cloud base c1800 – tops 2500ish. Inset shows wind shear at Larkhill at about the same time. Apparently this is Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, rotary motion of air close to cloud tops caused by the interaction between different atmospheric streamlines (like wind causes waves on the sea). Interesting, but totally useless – longest flight 17 mins.

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Weds 18th Sept – equinox weather

An early weather check into a solitary blue hole resulted in confinement down to 800ft blowing sideways at a hell of a lick. (We should get land yachts for days like this.) So with no flying in immediate prospect we paused for lunch. Then, from the south-east corner the eye was drawn to a bright glow and a pall of smoke at the top of the field. Further investigation revealed a manic figure tearing the guts out of the old launch control caravan and feeding them into a pyre. This in turn ignited a cord of wood hidden in the undergrowth and evicted the myriad little furry things living therein. See what happens when you let a fireman loose with a box of matches?
An hour later Paul Bryant (was) volunteered to test cloud base in the Ka8. Success! Stephen Ottner soared the Puchacz for a while and then rushed off to his dentist. (Into the teeth of the wind?) By 15:00 we were climbing to > 3000ft whilst being blown sideways at 25 kts, making long glides to nowhere in particular and having lots of crosswind landing practice.
But at this time of year we’re grateful for whatever we can get.