Easterly Saturday

Not much of a day today. The duty crew plus a couple of others were there - everyone else gone to Eden or Haddenham, or got more sense than to attempt the rough east wind. Still, we had a few flights to improve the skill with turbulence and crosswinds, and towards the end of the day Martin (after a lay-off of several years) showed Richard he cousl still soar despite the challenging conditions, and got to 2800ft.

Royal Wedding Friday

Not sure why but every village we passed through on the way to the seemed to be having a big wedding - at least most had closed off the roads and were having a party...

As we weren't flying a few of us were up to fettle equipment and work on private toys and some to collect their toys for trips away. Happy flying to those at Eden and Haddenham.

Easter Sunday

The conditions today were nothing like yesterday's but we still managed to fit in quite a few flights albeit short ones. Ken Reid manged the longest flight of the day with 29 minutes and Steve Gaze with me in the Janus squeezed in 21 minutes.

Richard Barber flew his recently acquired Sport Vega, which he had delivered from Aboyne during the week, and seemed to enjoy his new toy. Hopefully he will get many hours and xc flights in it over the following months.

Jeff Lynes, after some encouragement, converted to the club's Sport Vega and enjoyed the experience. Lastly, but not least, Rod Harris completed his annual checks and we also fitted in some welcome trial lessons.

All in all a good day's flying was had by all.

Phil

Easter Pt 1. 7072ft & 304km

As has been the way recently Good Friday and Saturday were late to get going but when they did there was lovely fluffy cumulus over Shalbourne. Friday was forecast as marginal but turned out much better than that. I went up to Bicester via North Swindon for just shy of 200km and 185 and R3 visiting from Keevil did West-East tasks of about the same.

Saturday was forecast as a much better day and indeed it was. I had tasked a double out and return to the Northampton area but a blue sky beyond Bicester got my blueophobia going and I turned to follow the clouds down to Aston Down back to Islely and the extending past Rivar to Keevil and back for 305km. Passing Great Bedwyn to Keevil I took a climb to 7072ft above see level, which is about as high as I've climbed in thermal. (and yes the spelling is deliberate as around Keevil into sun the visibility was appalling.) Colin in EEF and Carol'n'Phil in the Janus also went for some cross-country, see the ladder for their adventures.

Tuesday 12th April

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

Saturday 16th April

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.

They said Tuesday would be good....

... and it was. Colin changed this week's midweek day to Tuesday (12th April), which was a good call or we'd have all missed out. At first, every launch soared away, but then it got harder low down and some flights were only quick circuits - commiserations to those who didn't connect, including our visitor from Parham who desperately wanted to fly back home. But if you got that first thermal, it was a fast climb to 5000ft+, even just short of 6500ft by 5pm. Subject to ratification, congratulations to the three pilots who got their silver height climbs, two in consecutive flights in the K8.

We had our first BBQ on friday night...

...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?

Saturday 2nd

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

Sat 2nd, Sun 3rd

Saturday was a blustery one, sadly with the wind 180deg opposed to the ridge direction... Ken P provided instruction and a few extended flights. Much more work was done in the hangar, new launch point caravan and assorted mottled trailers. JPC is now fitted with FLARM - please can all pilots (including P2s, excluding TLs) sign the brief briefing sheet in the log before flying.

Sunday was soarable. It wasn't epic and it seems from the ladder no-one went cross country west of the Greenwich meridian but it was soarable, this with a reasonable blow meant high winch launches and with 2 rated instructors excellent training opportunities - make sure to use them next time.