Saturday 24th September
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).
Saturday 17th September
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.
Sunday 18th September
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
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
Wednesday 14th September
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.
Slingsby week
A few of us had a good time at Sutton Bank a week or two ago at the Slingsby week. Alan P took the Skylark (clearly eligible), Rod took the Swales (not Slingsby, but Annex II and built in nearby Thirsk), Bill took the Ka6 (iffy but at least it's vintage wood), and EUF syndicate took their Slingsby Owl, as Paul insists it is. John D, Bob, Alan B also came to fly, plus there were several wives and Andy and family looked in a few times during the week.
The first day was a winching day, with the wind on the ridge. It's not like at Shalbourne - some people had terrible 80kt launches to 400ft before pulling off, everyone else let go even lower. Then those new to the site needed a bit of bottle to glide away from the landing area to find the lift. But the ridge was reliable and it was easy enough to climb high enough to get into thermal, some (not us) even got into the wave. Rod won the day's duration prize - 3hrs in the Swales, off 3 launches with three different P2s. He had the log corrected (delete Swales, insert P****z) but not till after had drunk the prize. What a travesty.
High pressure then settled in, so no westerlies and unfortunately an October-type cloudy anticyclone, but we had a couple of days thermalling from aerotows. Alan collected the booby prize for shortest flight of 23mins - but remember at home that would often qualify as the longest flight. Of course, as soon as the weather saw us derigging at the end of the week, the wind finally went round onto the ridge.
But despite the poor ration of flying, it was a great week and a site to be thoroughly recommended.
The first day was a winching day, with the wind on the ridge. It's not like at Shalbourne - some people had terrible 80kt launches to 400ft before pulling off, everyone else let go even lower. Then those new to the site needed a bit of bottle to glide away from the landing area to find the lift. But the ridge was reliable and it was easy enough to climb high enough to get into thermal, some (not us) even got into the wave. Rod won the day's duration prize - 3hrs in the Swales, off 3 launches with three different P2s. He had the log corrected (delete Swales, insert P****z) but not till after had drunk the prize. What a travesty.
High pressure then settled in, so no westerlies and unfortunately an October-type cloudy anticyclone, but we had a couple of days thermalling from aerotows. Alan collected the booby prize for shortest flight of 23mins - but remember at home that would often qualify as the longest flight. Of course, as soon as the weather saw us derigging at the end of the week, the wind finally went round onto the ridge.
But despite the poor ration of flying, it was a great week and a site to be thoroughly recommended.
Sunday pic
Here is a pic that Chris took on his short xc in the LS7 when he flew down to top up his psychic energy over Avebury and Silbury Hill...
Sunday 4 Sept
Well, after a wet start to the day it cleared through pretty much as forecast - well, perhaps a little later - to give what eventually became a nice soaring day. I'd swapped with Tim but he, being in need of a few minutes extra instructing for his renewal, was also present and raring to go. Newish member Jim McCormick therefore got to fly until he begged for mercy, after which Alan S got a flip round in the difficult not-quite soarable slot.
Meanwhile Richard and others were flying the Vega, and Chris had rigged the LS7 but I managed to blag it just as it got sensibly soarable again. Messrs Robson and Gavin (oh yes, he's back!) and I passed each other somewhere towards Marlborough but I felt that I really ought to return B1 and let Chris enjoy the day which was finally brewing up around 3.30pm. On returning I actually managed to get my hands on a TL while Tim took TL returner Evelyn to pack in some follow-up airtime for the second weekend running (clearly someone who should be joining us long term!). Trevor finished the day by 'hangar flying' the Puch until he felt in danger of being lynched if he didn't return, after which we all retired to the George for a beer.
Perfect!
Meanwhile Richard and others were flying the Vega, and Chris had rigged the LS7 but I managed to blag it just as it got sensibly soarable again. Messrs Robson and Gavin (oh yes, he's back!) and I passed each other somewhere towards Marlborough but I felt that I really ought to return B1 and let Chris enjoy the day which was finally brewing up around 3.30pm. On returning I actually managed to get my hands on a TL while Tim took TL returner Evelyn to pack in some follow-up airtime for the second weekend running (clearly someone who should be joining us long term!). Trevor finished the day by 'hangar flying' the Puch until he felt in danger of being lynched if he didn't return, after which we all retired to the George for a beer.
Perfect!
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