Cloud base later over 4000 feet. Jim managed 300 km (it was a Nimbus!) - Peterborough return; Phil and Carol did Bicester/Devizes. Ken P gallivanted around Wiltshire and Alan H landed out near Welbourne to 'phone a friend' to return him to the airfield for a 'selfie' retrieve.
Locally, cloud base improved with very strong thermals AND over 6 knots sink. Later, mostly the latter curtailed flight times, although Richard with gliding visitor, Catherine, managed almost an hour for a tour of the area. Trevor, having driven all but 3 of the winch launches of the day also scratched away for a decent flight at the end of the day!
Bob
hopefully it still is a Nimbus
ReplyDelete300k that day was a pretty good deal, coming home must have been slow that 20kt headwind was a pain.
DeleteAs reported by Alan H:
ReplyDeleteI landed at 13:34 in a huge stubble field belonging to Welford estates. Technically it's East Shefford. Three fields west from RAF Welford is a pretty good description.
Made the edge of Harwell's zone en route to Didcot and Bicester but not high enough to be at 2500 or more all the way over so had to attempt to go around (where some of the sink was), turn back to the lift I had just left (which had now become sink) or get religion and pray for a miracle. I tried all three things, sadly, none of them worked. Driving back to the club, the sky looked utterly brilliant which just brought on a slight attack of transient Tourette's.
Oh well these things happen and it was nice to have a wander round on the ground and confirm I had picked the best field of the four I had looked at from above. Field landings are a good practical test of airmanship and kinda cool actually. Getting it wrong can be expensive or painful but having the Mk.1 Eyeball Altimeter calibration checked and confirmed and getting the chance to look at fields that were rejected from the safety of the ground is a nice thing. The only real faff is, of course, recovering the aeroplane. Luckily, my trailer is excellent fettle, the rigging aids are either new or refurbed and an ASW 15 is neither heavy or difficult to derig so no drama.