Well, as expected it was not quite the ideal soaring day today. Indeed when I arrived and unlocked the field gate, I wasn't sure if I would get up the field , there being quite a lot of surface water around (understatement!!). But get up ok I did, and was sat there planning a flight for myself (Snowdon O/R - my plan for the first nice day this spring - 569K) when fellow E teamer Graham arrived with a Landrover (Chris was away on duty team at his granddaughter's birthday party). This was a great relief in case of problems going back down the field.
As I said, if we can't fly we can plan, and Graham and I worked on his training plan so he now has a clearer idea of what progress he can reasonably expect to make through the summer, and how best to twist the arms of the duty instructor to make sure it happens!
For those who are in training, days like these are an excellent opportunity to ask questions that get lost on days when your head is full of flying. Make a list, pin the DI down and get him/her to explain things you're not sure about. Then you will make the best progress come the flying days.
For those who are post solo but who haven't yet made the ranks of World Champions, days like these are an excellent opportunity to make a plan for the season.
This morning Graham and I talked through things in 3 headings which you might find useful to make progress:
> badges / distances/measurable achievements - eg I want to do my XC endorsement, get my 5hours, fly my first rated comp, fly faster XC, do my 500k, do over 100hrs flying, become an instructor
> technical - eg I want to get all my post-solo development card items crossed off, improve my circuits, work on speed control in thermals, improve turnpoint technique, learn to fly the energy lines, learn to fly blue conditions
> fun - eg I want to ditch the geezer in the back seat, fly with buzzards, do task week, do someone else's task week/comp, fly Snowdon O/R, fly a 750km, nab a ride in a hot 2-seater, fly and land somewhere for coffee then fly home.
>>Of course, all three categories overlap!
The other person on the airfield, Graham's dog Bunny, was to be honest pretty unimpressed with many of my suggestions. In the end she was very glad that Graham finally came to understand that the real purpose of his being there was to take her for a walk. Which he did, just as the rain turned to snow and the field vanished in a blizzard. I slithered gently back down the field to solid tarmac, went home and made soup.
Satuday 3rd March
Not a promising start to a new month with rain over the airfield in the morning. However, those few who had looked at (and believed) the forecast were rewarded in the afternoon. Behind the band of rain there was brighter weather, even if there was also plenty of wind - a day for lot of height and lots of speed on finals. Above Ham at, what will be, our Olympic ceiling I spied the Janus being tempted on-line. After a couple of circuits the Janus boys claimed they had only wanted to complete their ARC by checking deflections. One grotty band of rain passed to the north but the next lot got us. Once that passed the wind swung further south adding about 300' to the launches.
On a day that could so easily have been missed 10 folks (between them) got 15 launches and over 2 hours of fun flying.
On a day that could so easily have been missed 10 folks (between them) got 15 launches and over 2 hours of fun flying.
 |
| Not everyone was convinced by the new back seat technique |
Sundays flights (continued)
As Steve has already said, it was a great day. I noticed Phil jumped in the Puchacz a little later in the afternoon and the thermals were so strong it seemed to do funny things to the glider. Did I spot a chandelle or two?
I tried out my wing cam; apart from the narcissistic element of watching myself on film it's actually a great training tool to self police your flying.
I tried out my wing cam; apart from the narcissistic element of watching myself on film it's actually a great training tool to self police your flying.
Sunday 19th of is this really February
What a cracking day. 4 club gliders being kept busy plus the LS3 and LS7 rigged. Stonking - provided you were in the right place at the right time. 4 flights of over and hour (sorry Steve you Wednesday record was short lived - Colin flew the LS3 for 1:35 today) and another 5 of over 30 minutes. When Pete S had to rely on his third (free) launch to get away you know it took more than just skill. Climb rates of 5.6 (on the averager) and climbs up to 4,000' QFE were available - so you can now kick yourself for not getting along to partake. A Duo Discuss from L was seen over the gibet being outclimbed by one of our members (I suspect that might provoke a response from Liz about L folks doing cross-countries).
It was good to see Evelyn return after her hibernation having being distracted from flying by things like getting married. Just as gliders were being launched for hangar landing our first TL of 2012 appeared.
Thanks Bob for arranging such good weather for your duty day.
It was good to see Evelyn return after her hibernation having being distracted from flying by things like getting married. Just as gliders were being launched for hangar landing our first TL of 2012 appeared.
Thanks Bob for arranging such good weather for your duty day.
Wednesday 15th
Wednesday had it all - ridge, thermals and wave. The fact the wave was seen in the distance and the thermals interfered with the ridge just meant the lift could not be taken for granted and one had to work at it. Four club gliders in operation and at times an empty launch point. The Vega blinked as it emerged from the hangar for the first time this year. Only 3 launches taken in it but it did clock up 99 minutes of flying time. Honours for longest flight of the day (and for 2012) went to Steve B with 48 minutes. 12 members flew and we did 22 launches. JMX was rigged and JPC derigged and into the workshop.
Saturday 11th Feb
Just a nice day to be out enjoying the sun and the banter. No soaring on offer but just good to get one's bum off the ground after so many non-flying days. The wind was forecast to go from East to South to North during the day - but there was so little of it that it made not a jot of difference. A good day for check flights too and spot landing with no wind to help. Comment was made whilst observing the K8 landing approach "you'd think Bob would be able to fly straight with all the experience he has". After that most K8 pilots appeared to take the opportunity to practice side-slip approaches. The winch driver gave a nicely timed (requested) launch failure which Chris K took in his stride and did a well judged reciprocal landing back to the launch point. James W when asked to demonstrate a spin and recovery showed off with a left spin off a right turn.
23 launches with Bob B being the only one to make double digit flight time (just).
The following picture was taken by Bob B of a blue glider on a blue day
23 launches with Bob B being the only one to make double digit flight time (just).
The following picture was taken by Bob B of a blue glider on a blue day
Wave flying.
I posted a link to this on GPN a little while ago, Steve B spotted it and promptly told me off for not posting it to the blog.
Well worth a read if you've ever been wave flying, or ever intend to, albeit you may not want to after reading....
http://home.earthlink.net/~shp1/wave_sim.html
Well worth a read if you've ever been wave flying, or ever intend to, albeit you may not want to after reading....
http://home.earthlink.net/~shp1/wave_sim.html
Saturday 4th Feb - polar bears seen on field
I was extremely pleased that it had warmed up a little from when I got up by the time I was ready to leave for Shalbourne - it had heated up to -9.3C as I left home. Hmmmm!!!
With the ground temperatures that low and a forecast of snow arriving sometime between 12 and 3 it seemed to me (effete southern jesse that I am) inappropriate to try to get flying so we looked at some navigation and map reading, and how to use SeeYou to analyse flight traces.
With the electric heaters on and quite a few mad people turning up, it was quite festive in the Roundout. But we declared a close on the day in time for everyone to be home before the promised snow arrived - and of course then it arrived later than forecast. But in this instance, better safe than sorry...
With the ground temperatures that low and a forecast of snow arriving sometime between 12 and 3 it seemed to me (effete southern jesse that I am) inappropriate to try to get flying so we looked at some navigation and map reading, and how to use SeeYou to analyse flight traces.
With the electric heaters on and quite a few mad people turning up, it was quite festive in the Roundout. But we declared a close on the day in time for everyone to be home before the promised snow arrived - and of course then it arrived later than forecast. But in this instance, better safe than sorry...
Sunday 29th 1-1 Liz vs Met Office
So the forecast mutated overnight from plausible if cold flying into a rather nasty creature. Driving up from home and closely following on the heels of the CFI, it was turn-and-slip on somewhere north of Andover as we went into fog. This made it difficult to see when we actually went into cloud, but the airfield was most certainly well above cloudbase. One of those days when you point the car uphill and hope to stop before you hit the clubhouse wall...
Many hardy types arrived with hopes of flying; much tea was imbibed.
At midday you could still barely make out the eastern hedge from the clubhouse, and we scrubbed - although by then cloudbase had in fact risen to around 5 fathoms and so it was rather easier than expected to find your way off the airfield.
Oh, and it was colder than it was yesterday. Still, that's January mostly done with - it's getting better all the way from here...
Many hardy types arrived with hopes of flying; much tea was imbibed.
At midday you could still barely make out the eastern hedge from the clubhouse, and we scrubbed - although by then cloudbase had in fact risen to around 5 fathoms and so it was rather easier than expected to find your way off the airfield.
Oh, and it was colder than it was yesterday. Still, that's January mostly done with - it's getting better all the way from here...
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