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Wind straight up the strip but cloud cover (not as forecast) meant starting off the day not being able to take a full launch.  Small stirrings of excitment when Rod H managed to get a double digit duration flight (11 minutes).  10 launches and almost 2 hours later before anyone else achived this – Carol P + guest clocked up 31 minutes.  The guest was Dave Owen who made a welcome visit after many years of living aboroad.  The cloud cover did break-up and the sky started to look reasonable but the lift proved elusive.  I had a couple of 22 minute flights from the back-seat but other than that the only other double digit flights were 11 and 13 minutes.  We clocked up 39 launches and managed to introduce 6 new folks to gliding (yup, gliding not soaring – well, other than one of them who was treated to soaring to 2,900).

I guess most members had seen the weather forecast and decided to stay at home so we were somewhat short-handed, so, we pitched in to help Colin position the new generator home over the hole in the ground.  On discovering the booked TLs were on their way we decided to make the effort and get winch and a glider out.  First launch managed 30 minutes off 2 thermals (2,300′ being the highest). After that, more modest times.  John T climbed 300′ on the edge of a shower while the glider was getting a good washing.  Reports of lightening being seen as Graham T and I landed resulted in a tea break being called.  An odd cloud formation appeared above the field which Graham T (impressively) as mammatus.  Richard went off to explore taking the last flight of the day.

After setting up the airfield early the rain arrived and departed as forecasted. We flew 3 trial lessons and between showes managed some soaring flights. Honours for longest flight of the day went to Bill Orson who just failed to beat the hour with a very respectable (for the conditions) 58 mins in JMX.
With the rain and thundery stuff fast approaching discretion ruled and we promptly hanger flew the toys before they got wet again. A friend of James Holland and myself had the shortest flight at it was noted during the launch that the ASI in JMX had decided to fail possibly due to water ingress and was giving very odd indications. With the needle flicking between 30 and 80 knots the launch was abandoned at a safe height and a safe landing carried out. Its been a while since I flown with a faulty ASI so will ask our instructors to cover up the ASI when annual checks are due again, oh what fun 🙂

Phil

After the run of scrubbed days it was good to have a flyable day in prospect – even with a lively cross-wind.  Second launch, with Carol P and Paul P, demonstrated there was lift available with their 28 minute flight but nobody else was getting anywhere close.  Couple of hours later Peter E disappeared in HZD for 3 and a half hours (longest flight of the day).  My attempt to introduce a work friend to the joys of silent flight resulted in a 4 minute flight, landing reciprocal (shortest flight of the day).  Second attempt was more successful with climbs to 3,800 and heading back after an hour.  3 other hour plus flights, 24 launches and 13 hours flown in total.