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Wednesday 30th

Don’t know what happened but the wind wasn’t coming from the north. Maybe that’s why it was a modest turnout. However, plenty enough folks to operate and de-rig HCF for its 100 hour check. It also meant there was more chocolate cake (a particularly fine offering from Tony) and M&S chocolate roll (‘fraid I don’t know who to thank for that)

A decidedly wintery look and feel to the day and with that due west wind modest launch heights short circuits were the order of the day. However, the views were excellent.

Proud winner of longest flight of the day – with a whole 9 minutes

After the rubbish December we were hoping for something better but January last year was the worst ever month in over 10 years (probably ever). This January, however, proved exceptional – well, that is if you fly mid-week. Only the 3rd highest number of launches but the most flying time, just 3 minutes shy of 36 hours.

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Thursday 17th – another ridge day

Clear blue sky and a wind from the north – what more could one ask for? First launch was Bob B in the Vega and only returned 32 minutes later. first flight in the K8 was Ken P who pipped Bob’s time by 1 minute. With on 2 names on the instruction list and 4 instructors I got a chance to jump in the K8. Lively launch which I needed to abandon because an excess of speed – so only 2,000′. At 1,600′, in the bowl, I encountered lift too strong to be ridge lift so I thermalled away to over 2,500′. Time to get back to the ridge, arriving back there at 1,400′.


Lots of the 26 launches were extended but top dog honours went to Ken R with 1:14. All this plus Tony P’s excellent home baked brownies.

I will just mention that on the day we flew last week (9th) we clocked up more launches than had been flown in an entire January in 2 previous years but when it came to flying time it was better than achieved in 5 previous January’s!

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Wednesday 9th Jan – Ridge day

Shalbourne Gliding ridge day

Normally at this time of year it’s all about who can do a double digit flight.  Not so today.  Out of the 35 launches (yes, 35!) only 5 were less than 10 minutes (and of those one was a training launch failure and the other a hangar lob).  So, today’s benchmark duration was 1 hour and both flights in the Duo Discuss and both in the LS3-17 exceeded an hour.  In addition to these two glider the Skylark was rigged and all 5 of the club fleet were busy.

Shalbourne Gliding ridge day

A steady, but hardly fierce, wind from the north provided ridge lift and triggered the occasional thermal.  My first 2 flights of the day (in the back seat of each Puchacz) was to 2,000′.  Chris K reported a launch to 2,300′ solo in EUF but I didn’t hear any reports of what launch heights were achieved in the K8,  gotta have been good.

24 folks got to sample this exceptional day and clocked up just 12 minutes shy of 14 hours of flying time.  At the end of the day we were treated to a glorious sunset.

Shalbourne Gliding sunset
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Happy New Year

What an excellent start to 2019 on 2nd January with no misting, 25 launches and more cakes than you could shake a stick at. 

2 types of home made cake, 5 packs of mince pies and big box of sausage rolls

Ken P set the time to beat early on with 10 minutes.  A couple of hours later I got a chance to find out if I could remember how to fly solo with a launch in the K8.  1,800′ launch and tickles of lift towards the gibbet and figures of eight on the east facing side of the bowl (we had a weak NEly) meant I managed to scrape out 15 minutes.  However, I was only able to revel in the glory for 8 minutes.  That was when Andy B landed the K13 and the log said 16 minutes.  Andy achieved something I wasn’t able to – a gain in height, a whole 50′