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With the forecast for a wet Wednesday and a cracking Tuesday, Wednesday was moved forward a day. Bit of a slow start with a modest turnout but more people appeared as the day progressed (15 folks flew a some point during the day – including a vsitor from Parham who dropped in). The wind sock said NW but the wind felt N (i.e. blooming cold). Only one private glider rigged (the LS3) which Colin flew for 1:40. On his return I just had an hour before I needed to be back. So, found my first thermal and took it to cloud base (5,400) then followed the cloud street which took me almost to Swindon. Ran back along it to Andover then back to Great Bedwyn all without stoping to thermal after that first climb. Our new FLARM/logger was put to good use (logger side at least) with 3 silver heights achieved. Highest average flight time in 2011 was achieved

Definately a day for flying flying early. We were greated with no wind and far more blue sky than forecast so I opted for the launch point at the top end to make it easier to get more gliders out if needed. The first 3 gliders to launch found the lift and clocked up two hours flying between them. Then the gaps in the cloud filled in and all teh thermals stopped. After four more launches we’d halved the average flight time to 20 mins. It would have been a great training day but there were no takers. Hopefully the next open day will bring some new members but as always the club is happy to see potential new members at any time. Congratulations to the three who flew Silver Height on Tuesday. Pete has checked the loggers in the Flarms and has confirmed all three claims are good.

…and that tended to be how the expert gliding forecasters predicted the weekend’s weather and how it turned out. I was duty on Saturday (9th April) which proved to be the more soarable of the two days with a couple of pilots getting over two hours but not being able to get any where. The high ground around the ridge line produced those cumulus clouds that tempt you over but you know they will disappear by the time you get there. An Easterly wind meant landing was “fun” and provided other operational challenges – watch those low wings.

Sunday (10th April) was (now let me get the grammar correct) the most poorerest of the two days probably because the 737 roster had a “P for Peter” written on it. For some reason at about 12.30 all the private owners pulled on line, I guess to test the still air characteristics of their steeds for it wasn’t thermic… Sometime later I took a launch and climbed in nothing for 93 minutes in a glider that doesn’t turn and thermals that even the birds rejected, but the lessons of learning at a sea breeze site kicked in – if its not going down, stay in it – an adage that’s very rarely true in gliding. All that said I stood outside the hangar at 6pm looking up at DHA, EGF & HCF stacked in a thermal. All in all it wasn’t a classic gliding weekend by any stretch, but is there a better way to spend a weekend in that weather?

Good news! I’m pleased to report that Steve Gaze passed his Bronze paper on Saturday and has now completed his Bronze Badge. Well done Steve, now go over to see Uncle Roy at Upavon and get your Cross Country Endorsement done so you can go off XC! Phil