Category: Flying Reports

With a NE  wind blowing at around 10kts or so it was a good opportunity to see how well the on loan RAFGSA Skylaunch fitted with Dyneema performed.

Jim C. in EUF and yours truly in JPC, both flying solo, each managed a creditable (and surprising) 2,200ft 🙂

Some launches had to be cut short, due to the lower than launch height cloudbase, but if you were lucky with the timing then great views were on offer.

 

Note from Duty Instructor Richard:

Fortunately all the recent rain didn’t waterlog the field bit cloudbase started rather low at 900 ‘. Luckily, we had some very well defined streeting so we just went up the side so I can report that cloud tops started at 1400’. The streets prevented ridge soaring attemps but there seemed to be an area of lift between the streets and above cloudbase. I got a couple of knots and 200′ from it so I think we were experiencing some gentle wave. Not often the duty instructor claims the two longest flights.

I know, this photo has nothing to do with flying at Rivar Hill but Richard didn’t have a photo from the day and Geoff G sent out this photo which seemed worth preserving on our website.

Geoff said:

This was taken with my iphone at Old Warden a few months ago. Yes, it did fly (after an aerotow), but not for very long !

Been a bit tardy with the blog updates so here’s one posting covering the last three Wednesdays.

23rd October

Cloudbase at around 1,000′ but big gaps presenting the opportunity to launch in a clear patch above the cloud.  Short flights between 4 and 6 minutes but for one notable exception – Ken P and Sergi clocked up 16 minutes.  The previous weekend Mr Young, at 86 year old chap fund raising for his local hospice, finally got to fly (after very many failed attempts).  His first flight in any type of aircraft.  He enjoyed it so much he was back with a friend as he was convinced she would enjoy the experience.  He was right.

After morning lectures over a SUGC car load appeared early afternoon.  With 3 two-seaters on-line and more instructors around than you could shake a stick at, they all got a couple of flights.  23 launches in total.

30th October

A challenging due east cross wind but despite the absence of any wind on the nose launches up to 1,400′ were available.  A day when the only solo flights were taken by instructors.  A modest turnout but we still clocked up 14 launches.

6th November

Checking the weather daily for the 4 days before resulted in confusion.  Every time I looked at the forecast it had changed and forecasts from different sources rarely agreed.  Rain was expected but we cracked on to get everybody at least one flight.  A light sprinkling of rain convinced us the rain was finally about to arrive.  With the gliders safely back in the hangar it seemed we had been a bit premature packing up.  However, before we left the field the rain arrived.  16 launches with Paul P being the only person to achieved a double digit flight (a whole 11 minues!).