Category: Flying Reports

This was the first time (in 30+ years of flying) that I can recall the morning briefing including a rendition of Happy Birthday.  But then it was Tony P’s 86th and the birthday at which he had decided would mark the time to hang up his flying boots.  Tony came armed with a large home baked cake which the Wednesday crew demolished with ease.  No candles as they might heave proved difficult to light.  Tony has been a stalwart of the mid-week flyers and will be much missed – and not just for his fabulous baking (particularly his brownies) but also as log keeper in chief.  With Tony on the logs I knew I would have not only a log I could read afterwards but also accurate.

The north easterly wind held the promise of high launches and a working ridge.  Launches were between 1,400′ and 1,700′.  However, the ridge only seemed to work for those flying a Duo Discus or a Sport Vega.  Ken R returned after an hour declaring the ridge was working – to the east of the gibbet.  Second longest flight honours went Martin S with 40 minutes in the Vega.  The day was cut slightly short when the rain arrived from Newbury and cleared up by the time we had the hangar packed.  Still managed 33 launches.

As no one has posted anything about last weekend and I can’t let such an exceptional weekend pass without comment.  25 launches on Saturday with Pete Smith in the back seat for 13 of them.  Sunday clocked up 40 launches and over 10 hours of flying with Andrew P and Phil M working their butts of in the back-seat.

Soaring in October – happy days.  Well, for some at least.  With the wind due west launch heights were modest so not a lot of time to catch that elusive thermal.  Stan B did and took it to cloud base at 2,400′ for a 28 minute flight.  Only 2 minutes behind that was new member Michele R, closely followed by Paul P in the K13.  Tony P made his penultimate trip to the club (hanging up his soaring boots on his 86th birthday next week) memorable with a high-key at Vernham Dean and just making it back to the field.  With no head-wind landings were long so retries took more time.  However, we still manage to clock up 31 launches.

Particular thanks to Bob S, Rowland P and Paul P for the efficient launching service.

A mid-week soaring day but no sign of the three amigos (Ken, Bill, Ken)

Once again a distinct lack of posts which does not mean we haven’t been flying.  In fact we have had far more launches than last September, 313 compared to 222 last year.  Came as a bit of a surprise to me as this year we have had to contend with the various COVID precautions and not all members have returned and not all instructors are ready to take up the back seat again.  However, we only managed 8 flying days last year compared to 13 this year.  When it comes to hours flown we have clocked up slightly less this year (105) compared to September last year (119).  This may be due to the shift to midweek flying when fewer private gliders are rigged and off flying cross-country. Last year about one quarter of launches were on a weekday whereas this year midweek launches were about one third.

Looking back on September last year one weekend accounted for about one third of the launches for the most but almost half the time, with 40 hours on the Sunday of that weekend.  This year the distribution was much more even with the best single day only manging 20 hours – unusually a mid-week day.  The weekend of the 26th and 27th was rather memorable with enough wind and direction for our ridge.  Mind, it was also thermic.  One of my rare weekend visits to the club and only the second outing this year for EEF.  Top of the soaring heap for the month was Pete S with 7 hours but Jim C snapping at his heels with 6:55.  The Duo syndicate also clocked up lots of flying either in their Duo Discuss or K6

Strictly speaking the last three mid-week flying days in August (a Wednesday and two Thursdays).  We start of on Wednesday 12th on a somewhat ‘warm’ day of around 35 degrees C.  With a bit of extended flights were possible with climbs to over 3,000′ but only half a dozen, of the 27 launches, managed more than half an hour.  Longest flights of the day were both 1:03 achieved by Ken R in JRL and  Pete S + Alex J in LTC.  Thunder storms threatening by the end of the day.

The following week the forecast were unusually united Wednesday wet, wet wet.  So, we went for Thursday which offered a decidedly lively wind,  Fortunately it was straight down the runway so we went for it with brief of complete finals no less than 500′, not far back and 65+ knot approach.  Most of the 22 launches were circuits but Bob B with Stan B managed 32 minutes.  Colin B made a welcome return after a long enforced layoff but demonstrating the flying must be in his DNA as there was no hint of not being current.  It was also good to see Chris K who had to take his car out to blow off the cobwebs (and charge the battery) and somehow ended up at Rivar Hill.

One week on and forecast wind for Wednesday was rather similar in strength to the previous Thursday but direction was decidedly cross.  Thursday had possibility of rain late afternoon but only a 40% chance.  In the event Wednesday started of as promised but wind calmed a lot earlier that forecast and Thursday rain got forecast earlier and with more certainty.  Got that one wrong by opting for Thursday.  The hard-core stalwarts appeared and we got in 6 launches before the rain stopped play.  I took the last launch which was to 1,900′ in EUF and a gentle descent in mainly 1 down.