Author: Blogger

Well, it’s Easter, the schools are out, some are thinking of a short holiday and some of flying. Typically the forecast looks like its a bit of a mixed bag and, for the little knowledge I have of weather, it looks vaguely soarable on Friday in the south with a fairly early start but with lower cloud pushing down from the north by around midday. Probably still soarable underneath for a while but looking rubbish by 3pm.

Wind of 330/ 11 knots on the ground and 335/ 15 knots at height will help with decent launches, and the ridge will either help keep you aloft or kick off a thermal or two. Also worth keeping an eye out for paragliders if you are mucking about with the ridge, especially Coombe Gibbett end just don’t trust them to stay there.

Not worth watering the gliders but worth getting them out.

Phil has promised a big easter egg to the best cross country flight, which could be distance, speed or best place to land-out.

Forecast not at all encouraging but a sufficient number of “Wednesday boys” turned out anyway.  It felt as if we had returned to January but sometimes you just have to get your bum off the ground.  Steve B brought on-line the new caravan that he and John Turk have been working on.  Steve set the longest flight target early on – only 12 minutes but no one else was able to match it – well not until the last flight of the day which had the benefit of a 2,000′ launch .

We got off to a good start with some early soaring under little cu, which fooled everyone into thinking it was going to be a cracking day.  But after a bit the cu disappeared and soaring got harder, with quite a few relights needed.  Pete said it was rubbish, and could only stand it for 3hrs.  A couple of gliders from somewhere else came by calling out good climbs, but they were obviously only baiting us as they only ever did a couple of turns then moved on.  But towards the end of the day, Steve (recently converted to the Vega) got over an hour in it,  and Graham did as Liz had ordered yesterday and got a bronze leg with over an hour in the Ka8 just back from Annual.

Let’s see now:
Mon weather: CAVOK (cloud and visibility OK)
Tue weather: CAVOK
Wed weather: CAVOK
Thu weather: CAVOK
Fri weather: CAVOK
Sat weather: 8/8 stratus at 400ft
Sun forecast: CAVOK

Any guesses whose duty day it was today?  Anyway, Graham dutifully turned up to support his instructor, and was sent away so he could come back tomorrow and get at least one leg of his bronze badge.
Did he succeed?? You’ll have to read tomorrow’s blog.