Category: Flying Reports

As reported by Richard D:-

“The optimists got all the gliders out and waited for the fog to lift.  Round about 1PM when it was looking a little brighter we decided that putting the 2nd K13 away was a good idea, hoping it would provoke the sky into clearing.

It worked! One K13 and the Puchacz launched and reported the cloud below them had been a bit close.  We waited but it soon became clear the window had been very short, so we packed up.  Still, all those who flew can claim the longest flight of the day, and the shortest!”

Colin’s post mentioned “Bob’s brief sojourn ‘on top’” so here’s one of the photo’s from Bob (spot the halo).  Cloudbase at 700′ Bob patiently waited for a gap and launched to 1,700′ and then weaved his way back.  Out of the 34 launches (pretty impressive for a short day) only 9 made the double digit flight time.  With all but 2 being 11 or 12 minutes.  The exceptions were Peter E flying one of the youngsters for 17 minutes and Bob with 21 minutes at the back end of the day when everyone else was doing circuits.

What a glorious day – sunshine, warmth, thermals, superior chocolate brownies and good companions – what more could one ask for?

When moving a Wednesday there’s always the uncertainty of how many members can get along.  From the forecast moving to Tuesday was an obvious choice, it was clearly going to be the best day of the week but I don’t think any of us expected it to be as good as it was.  Just 4 folks had responded to my email to say they would be able to make it on Tuesday (and 2 who couldn’t) so that was enough to know we could fly.  In the event 14 members turned up and flew.

Start of the day cloudbase was around 1,500′ but plenty of gaps meant that Ken R started the day off in the K8 with a launch to 1,700 and a double digit flight time (maybe just 12 minutes but at the arse end of October double digit flight times are an achievement).  In the next 10 flights only a couple more double digit flight times but then (shortly before 13:00), until about 16:30, most of the flights were well into the double digit region.  Darren Mc claimed the longest flight with 1:03 and a high point of 3,600′ in the K8.  Rob J wasn’t far behind with 1:01 in the Puchacz.  One glider, rather sleek with turned up wings, passed through, presumably from Lasham, clocking up a few km.

Both of our most recent members were flying and they serve as an example as to how our sport (addiction?) is accessible to all.  Thomas F-B at 15 years old and Frank D a lad of 90.  What’s even more remarkable is they are they are not our youngest or oldest members.

If anyone was concerned that we missed out on our Wednesday donuts, worry not – Peter M provided his normal midweek service.  The bonus brownies were baked by Tony P’s own fair hand.