Category: Flying Reports

Sat 6th December
It was a beautiful winters day to go gliding, the morning’s hard frost clearing to give blue skies and a gentle wind on the surface increased with height to give good high Shalbourne launches. So much so that the inevitable discussion about who had the longest flight broke out although there wasnt any lift around.

The frosty start also provided spirited launch point chatter, as I understand it this was the scene at Paul P’s house

and Chris K’s drive the the airfield was somewhat like this…

It was pretty nippy.

Lastly a big thanks for your understanding of my late arrival and early departure due to nursing duties.

The sun made a welcome appearance and tempted a lot of folks out for the day, including visits from a couple of former members.  John T brought his nephew along for a birthday treat.  Another chap (sorry, didn’t get his name) who was a member 16years ago turned up in a Morgan.

With no head wind (and not much in any direction) launch heights were modest and no thermals so flight times limited.  Nobody managed to better (or even match) Rob J’s 9 minutes in the K8.  Canopy misting delayed the start of flying and eventually put an end to the day.  We still managed to clock up 30 launches.  Rowland P converted to the K8.  As the afternoon progressed and the sun got lower we were treated to impressive shadows of the glider when coming into land.  The low sun and the murk, however, meant left hand circuits became necessary as visibility westwards was rather limited.
While most of us were enjoying the sun and a chance to get bums off the ground Colin B and Steve B were busy at the other end of the airfield “breathing life into the Pajero”.

..will be known for all time as the mid-November day when it was too hot to have a jumper on…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The early morning fog and cloud lifted/dispersed – or at least split so there was some space between… The sun shone through the broken strata of cloud and with virtually no wind – lightest of southeasterlies – it was warm and pleasant. And SOOOOO pretty – although you had to be careful as, in defiance of all logic, a bank of cloud built up on the approach which meant circuits could be interesting – or indeed impossible. Even Steve Barber was flummoxed as to how a lee ridge appeared to be throwing up ororgraphic, but those who flew can attest that it did it all day. At heights between 200′ and 700′. If you have a suggestion as to what it was about, do share it. I don’t know about anyone else, but I had a great time!