Colin returned from the weather check reporting “lift everywhere” and having to side-slip along the downwind leg. The advice to his syndicate partner – “it’s worth rigging”. LS3 rigged and the word from Colin in the back seat was “sorry, it’s as if there’s been a complete change of air”. Alan P had been airborne for some time so something must be working. Straight off the launch into a reasonable thermal which stopped dead at 2,000′ by the inversion. No matter, plenty more where that came from, or so I thought. Nothing found to impede my inevitable descent to Mother Earth. Launch number 2 turned into an epic scratch – half an hour off only 2 thermals, each providing a gain in height of 500′, gives an idea of just how feeble the climb rate was. All good character forming stuff I suppose. Mine was the second longest flight of the day, beaten by Alan P with over an hour in his Skylark. How he managed that length of time is a mystery (especially, it was suggested, given the soaring ability demonstrated on the previous couple of flying days – one wag observed that maybe he should stick to yellow aircraft and avoid blue) but impressive.
The day ended prematurely when the intermittent problem on with the winch was no longer intermittent and the starter motor gave up.
Easter
Airfield is open all 4 days #shalglide
Sunday 13th
Thirteen is considered unlucky but only for those people who didnt turn up at the airfield today with a total of 39 flights and over 20 hours of soaring time logged this was our busiest day since August last year.
The good forecast brought out quite a few private owners who were busy trying to remember how to fly their hot ships after a winters slumber, the Janus, Nimbus, Ls3, Oly, Pirat and Jantar all taking to the skies for extended soaring flights and short cross countries. The club gliders were also kept fully utilised with Daniel and Pablo up first in the Puchacz for check flights before Daniel took to the skies in the K8 and decided not to come back, twice, clocking up two flights of over an hour to double his solo hours to date and get his first Bronze leg. Mean while Pablo kept the launch point uncluttered soaring the Puchacz solo for the fist time while Phil put Justin through his paces for his Bronze flying test. Stuart obviously also appreciates a tidy launch point as he disappeared off in the club Vega and Alan proved that the surest way to catch a thermal is to decide to hangar fly and went soaring in the Oly on his fourth attempt. Unfortunately Richard brought the Ls3 back for his syndicate partner who had already absconded in a spare seat in the Janus so the airfield didn’t remain tidy for long.
Conditions remained soarable until late in the day so I was able to sneak off for an hour in the Nimbus to remember what 50:1 is really like while Pete checked Graham out befrore his type conversion to the Vega ending a long day of good soaring and numerous personal achievements.
It looks like the soaring season is here.
Saturday 12/04 and Sunday 13/04
I was duty Saturday, it was grey and overcast and quite windy, but it was soarable. With no-one willing to fly with me I took the Vega, having noticed a brightening – it was quite tricky and cycling but i managed 38mins, Nigel and Stephen coming close with their soaring efforts.
On Sunday I rigged 737 along side EEF, the pirat, the olly, FOT and 383 and launched into a much better looking sky for, in formula 1 parlance, a systems check and installation lap. It was working ok up to about 3000ft so I set off north for a wander. There I found the thermals much more broken (wave from wales?) and struggled to get back, fortunately the nimbo was good for the task.
Congratulations to Graham Tanner for converting to the Vega and to Justin for completing his bronze checks.