Category: Midweek

Low cloudbase did not bode well for welcoming our visitors from the Hungerford Aircrew Association but there was optimism that things would improve.  A leisurely start to the day and plenty of chatting with no one exhibiting any keenness to be the first to find out what cloudbase actually was.  Martin S was the first to crack and was rewarded with a 1,400′ launch – mind, the cloudbase was just under 1,000′.  We launched into a gap in the clouds and circled around in the clear air until an exit appeared.  Cloudbase did improve and we were getting launches up to 2,000′ but all just circuits.

Liz flew 3 of our visitors and the others decided to come back another day.  With little prospect of the day improving in line with the forecast Liz headed off – that was the cue the weather needed to improve.  At 15:30 the “window” opened as Peter E lead the way with 21 minutes followed by Trevor G (36 minutes), Rowland P (33 minutes) and James W (41 minutes).  After 16:00 we were back to circuits.  The high launches at least provided me with the opportunity to do some of the fun exercises and tick boxes on progress cards.

I was reminded that there are things in life (well, flying from Rivar Hill) worse than westerly’s – easterly’s!  The forecasts I had seen agreed the wind would be 90 degrees – the Met Office said it would stay that way but Dave Masson (Lasham weather guru) forecast it moving to 110.  Given it’s safer to have the winch at the top end of the field in an easterly I decided to believe the Met Office – wrong!  After launch 8 we changed ends.  Peter E cleverly avoided the migration by staying airborne with a BGA TL.  Alan P (in his Swallow) and Dennis G and myself (in the Puchacz) tried to do likewise by trying to join Peter’s thermal but failed miserably.  The changing of ends was possible the most efficient I have seen with only 33 minutes between last launch from the south end to first launch at the north end.

After a couple more launches most were soaring in the murk, thermals conveniently triggered by the combine harvester activity in so many fields (none of them on fire though).  Family Brind all enjoyed extended flights (2 in their K7 and 2 in the Puchacz).  Steve B clocked up and hour and a half in his ASW15.  Jeremy K discovered the secret of soaring his DG – looks like the master class with Chris B on Sunday paid off (hopefully Chris’s other speciality didn’t transfer too, mind, Chris hasn’t landed out for sometime).  Trevor G did his usual of winching through the morning; rig late and take the longest flight of the day (2 hours 20).  Highest climb I heard of was Andrew B (in his K7) to 3,700′.

Huge thanks to Peter E for working flat out in the back seat. Without his help I could not have got through the list.  On the nibbles front Danish pastries made another appearance (this time I did spot the benefactor – thanks Bob S); some biscuits (contributor unknown to me) and some home made biscuits from David B.

All in all, an excellent day rounded off with the last gentle thermal of the day in which Bob S and I gained 650 feet at 18:00

The day started looking decidedly underwhelming and the prospect of bands of rain passing through in the afternoon.  Second launch with Bill C in the K8 staying aloft for 22 minutes raised hopes that were soon dashed as all other flights were circuits – that is, until 14:00.  Alan S, in the Puchacz, demonstrated the tenacity needed to scrape away in week lift and marked the thermal for Rod H and Gillian B in the K7 – who, in turn marked it for Peter E with new member (joined that day) Martin S.  Each of those flights getting about half an hour.  Then the rain arrived but, fortunately, soon passed.  After the rain is was back to circuits until shortly before the next band of rain when the last 3 flights at least got into the double digits.
For the second week, Rod & Gillian were top guns with 33minutes and a climb to 3,200′.  Just in case anyone is concerned that it’s only certain folks who get mentions in the blog (as if) it should be noted that Paul P flew the most types of gliders on the day.