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As you may be aware Claire and I take a gliding trip every year to another club. This year we had booked last week off work – here’s our daily account, it was a bit different as we booked on a course and got to try some different types:

Sunday: Arrived and got a quick recap on the Junior including how to rig before having a couple of hours getting used to them in the morning. In the afternoon we took to K21s with an instructor for the first session of our course.
Monday: Much the same, a specialist session on the Junior in the morning with some advanced drill in the K21 with instructors in the afternoon. Much stronger conditions today, almost at the limits.
Tuesday: This time a specialist session on the DG500 including lead and follow, Claire and i took one together in the morning, but landed out a couple of times. The afternoon saw us complete a practise race in the DG500, I think we did ok but it wasn’t scored.
Wednesday: Morning free session in the DG500 practising going round a course.  In the afternoon the course had lead and follow in LS4s on the agenda, again some land outs buts lots of fun. After the leader had finished we kept going for another hour.
Thursday: Quick free session in the DG500 in the morning before daring to take out the Nimbus 3D together – returned scared for lunch. Afternoon, another lead and follow in the LS4s to complete our course, no land outs this time.
Friday: Late start for some aerobatics and advanced flap settings in the DG500 with an instructor along side – lots of land outs and a long distance covered during the flap training! In the afternoon a competitive race with Claire and I again in the DG500. A bit slow at the start but we recovered to finish 7th out of 14.

Claire after a land out.

Claire cranking the DG500 into a strong thermal.

Well, that was a miserable June with the lowest number of launches for June for 5 years (and we had the extra Bank Holiday) maybe summer is waiting for July.  Nope, in the first 2 weeks more non-flyable days and Trial Lesson Eveniings cancelled.  However, despite the weather, we managed to fly on the following days

Thursday 5th

No flying for the Wednesday boys but Phil moved the Progress Group to Thursday and they managed to squeeze in 16 launches in the evening (that included several training launch failures – well, this is the “progress” group).

Saturday 8th

On a positive note – 26 launches, but when the longest flights were 33 and 18 minutes this was hardly summer flying.

Monday 9th

Kintbury Scouts visiting for a TLE (after had their evening cancelled the previous week because of the weather).  A prompt 18:00 start and an excellent ground crew resulted in 21 scouts flying with one cable to be tided away.  Deservedly taken by our TLE co-ordinator Graham who was rewarded with a great view of the sunset

Wednesday 11th

One of those “interesting” days that adds to ones life experiences (i.e. difficult strong cross-wind  day).  Mainly circuits with a few extended flights.  Outstanding flight of the day was a 43 minute one from Chris K taking the the duty instructor along for ballast – lots of laughter on that flight.  The Progress Group discovered just how much circuits may need to be modified with high final turns and landing across the runway.

Saturday 30th June

A gusty SSW wind kept everyone on their toes, whilst the base wind wasn’t too bad, there were strong gusts coming through, requiring high, close circuits and steep approaches with plenty of speed.

In the morning 30min flights were the norm as the strong thermals were just about useable, in the afternoon, as the wind and turbulence built, they became less useable and staying aloft became much harder.

Sunday 1st July

We all awoke to blue skies and what in terms of 2012 was a positive forecast (ie you might be able to go somewhere), however it wasn’t to be and a line of Welsh showers* set up from Reading to Bristol. By the time they had cleared we had changed a winch cable but Richard’s weather check flight resulted in reports of serious vertical shear and the toys going away.

*A “Welsh shower” is a period of continuous rain interspersed with torrential downpours. It is normally found on expeditions** to Talgarth, Denbeigh etc.

**For clarity, expeditions over the Severn Bridge are highly recommended.

… of a good afternoon.  Don’t complain about the weather mucking up the flying if you don’t turn up for an afternoon when the sky is looking glourious.  Yes, the day didn’t start very promising and it is a bit breezy but it was forecast to improve in the afternoon and it did.

Not enough members turned out to operate the field, so our American visiting pilot was not able to sample the delights of a winch launch.

Bit of mowing done around the clubhouse – only another 69 acres left to do.