Category: Flying Reports

After lots of flying on Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday I did think that we may be shorthanded on Wednesday – but, no, not at all.  In fact more people flew than on any of the days of the long weekend.  Mind, the numbers were boosted by a couple of Trial Lessons and Jonty bringing his 2 children (on holiday) along.  Additional Liz appeared with her godson – delivering his flying birthday present (which has taken 4 years to delivered).

Wind direction was not as we expected what little there was of it came from the North rather than South East.  Well, not until the last few launches when it changed to the forecast direction.  High murk factor – not surprising as the high has been with us for a while.

On his second flight in the K8 Rowland stayed airborne for an hour at a time when some far more experienced pilots just did circuits.  With only modest height launches on offer (due to the lack of wind) it was one of those days where you needed a bit of luck to get a sniff of a thermal before joining the circuit.  Half a dozen flights of more than an hour (including both the HAX boys) and about a dozen other soaring flights.  Bill C took longest flight honours with just over 2 hours in his K6 (on Monday he was flying the Duo Discuss – just a slight difference).

Fluffy Harris did another of his marathon sessions on the winch.  The high spot of which was delivering one pilot doing annual checks to 600′ above the winch – much to the amusement of the duty instructor (not sure the pilot in question appreciated it in quite the same way).

What’s happening – a bank holiday weekend and we get lots of flying on 3 of the 4 days.  Monday, though, was the best day for flying with 10 flights of an hour or more and another 6 between half an hour and an hour.  Trevor G took longest flight (strongest bladder) honours with 3:20.  Reports of climbs to 3,700 (and deploying breaks to avoid being sucked into cloud).  Launch heights only up to 1,900′ though.

After half an hour in the Vega I decided not to thermal for the rest of the flight.  My resolve did crumble when the vario flicked to 8 up and that thermal took me back up to near cloud base at never less than 3 on the averager (peaking at 3.9).

After her winter layoff Claire flew the Puchacz (with instructor ballast in the back seat)  determinedly scratching in the blue until the thermal decide to start to work properly. Then to be buzzed by a buzzard who flew straight at the Puchacz before changing its mind at very close quarters.  A few minutes later it was seen tumbling through the sky with a friend – it must have figured out the Puchacz wouldn’t make a good tumbling companion.

We had a visit from Phil R who used to be a member 25 years ago.  He took a diversion on his way home from Wales.  He had only intended just to take a look but fortunately his wife had a good book so he stayed for a while and was persuaded into a glider.  Not that it took much persuading – he left promising to be back soon.