Club Trophies

NGC 2009 Awards for Flying Achievement:

The Whiskey Cup
For the most points on the Cross Country Ladder. (Only flights from Tibenham)
PETE RYLAND (DG400)

The Club Ladder
Points are awarded for the first solo and badge claims.
SIMON URRY (Mosquito)

The NGC President’s Trophy
For the best flight from a Norfolk Airfield.
TOM SMITH (LS8)

President's Triangle
For the fastest handicapped speed round the "Presidents Triangle",
Diss, North Pickenham Mast, Norwich East .TIB-DIS-PIC-NOE-TIB(117Km.)
RAY HART (Nimbus 2C)

Chairman's Cup
Awarded for the best flight from TIB with a handicap of less than 90 or less.
JAMES FRANCIS (Std Cirrus)

The Spring Task Week Cup
Best flight of May Task Week
PETE RYLAND (DG400)

Harvest Cup
Winner of August Task Week
TIM DAVIES (ASW-27a)

The 2 Seat Cup
The best flight in a 2 seater from Tibenham
IAN ATHERTON + HARRY VDN (ASK-21)

Derek Kitchen Trophy
Best flight for a pilot under 26 (Decided by CFI, Chairman and Sporting Sec.)
TOM SMITH (LS8)

Frank Sayer Trophy
Best flight of the year from Tibenham.
TOM SMITH (LS8)

Youngest First Solo
BEN KIRK

The Oldest First Solo
WARWICK SWANCOTT

The CFI's Cup
Pilot with the best soaring progress: presented by the CFI.
JAMES FRANCIS

Top Ten

Top 10 NGC Distance Ladder Pilots of 2009 (Total KMs XC entered on ladder):
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1 Peter Ryland 3494.4
2 Ian Atherton 2918.3
3 Tom Smith 2055.9
4 Tim Davies 2010.1
5 James Francis 1216.4
6 Tony Griffiths 884.4
7 David Taylor 881.1
8 Chris J Lawrence 837.3
9 Jenny Novak 799.6
10 Simon Urry 697.6
..
Check-out who the full ladder at;
http://www.bgaladder.co.uk/DispLadder.asp?Season=2009&ClubID=NGC&Ladder=D&PageSize=200&ExComps=&Log=Y

Portmoak Expedition

Mick Hughes has taken the K21 and a bunch of club members including Paul Woodcock, Jenny Novak, Mike Crook, Phil Hayward and Don Johnson to sample the delights of Scottish whisky, I mean countryside!, as they start their week expedition to Portmoak.

Read how they got on on our NGC Exped blog http://ngcexpeds.blogspot.com/

The NGC XC Ladder – Best Year Ever!!! (Updated)

Well done and thanks to all those who contributed to the club ladder in 2009.

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There were 115 entries on the 2009 Norfolk GC Ladder totalling an impressive 18021.7km between 21 pilots, making an average task distance of 157km per entry. This makes it our most successful year ever for ladder entries with over twice as many as last year.
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Pete Ryland flew the highest number of XC Kms totalling 3494.4 in 19 flights, whilst Ian Atherton accumulated a total of 2918.3km, also with 19 entries, to give him second place on the 'Distance Ladder'. Tom Smith was third with 2055.9km over only 8 entries giving him the furthest average distance on the ladder of 257km!
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The furthest distance in one flight was Tom Smith's 756.7km flight, which is featured in the recent S&G and looks likely to give him the BGA Wakefield Trophy for the longest handicapped distance of 2009.

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Additionally, the NGC Ladder also recorded:
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1 x 500km+ flight By Tim Davies at 522.3km.
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1 x 400km+ flight by Ian Atherton at 458.2km.
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7 x 300km+ flights, including 2 first 300km Diamond Goal flights by James Francis and Simon Urry.
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19 x 200-299km flights.
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53 x 100-199km flights.
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33 x sub-100km flights including a number first XC flights, 2-seat training flights, Silver Distance and BGA 100km Diploma attempts.

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Of course, these are only a fraction of the XC flights achieved by NGC pilots this season. As well as letting other pilots see what they missed(!) the records also help to provide evidence when fighting our corner against airspace proposals, etc. - so why not add your flights in the future?

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Thanks to Pete Ryland for his work as club steward - please contact him soon if you think you have a claim on a club trophy before the annual dinner.

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See more at;
http://tinyurl.com/y8cuhsw
http://www.bgaladder.co.uk/INDEX.ASP
http://www.bgaladder.co.uk/BGAAwards.asp?Year=2009

Cross Country in the K21!

A most un-expected and fun cross country flight on a Friday afternoon, with Will Day as P1. Declared President's Triangle, with NOE first.

After turning Norwich East, we were back at 3,500' and were able to enjoy our picnic sandwiches in the sun. We soon had to abandon Pickenham as the thermals were not as reliable or regular as they looked, so after the first turning point, went towards Diss, abandoning Diss about 3/4 of the way there as it had gone blue with thermals difficult to find.

Anyone interested can view the flight on the NGC ladder.

Our overall speed was rather on the low side, but optimistic Will says:

"... at 26.38kph .. keep up boys!! At least we have won the day for NGC!

Challenging Skies

Soarable for much of the day with most folks getting in some local soaring. Several club and private gliders were out with the longest flight achieving 3hrs 35mins. Most made the best of what was probably one the last few decent thermal soaring days of the season. However, limited cloudbase at TIB (2500ft slowly rising to 3000ft) and strong winds with wind-broken thermals made XC somewhat of a challenge.

.

With winds of 030/25kts going upwind to Norwich meant struggling into a markedly descending cloudbase as well as the headwind. I eventually managed to to turn NWI TP after a monumental struggle and several aborted attempts, and despite the tailwind on the way back was picking fields until I hooked into a decent climb at Tacolneston which allowed me to turn Diss and get back to TIB. This took 2 hours, but by now things were improving and seeing Will in T65 release from tow into good lift inspired me and I joined him in a climb to 3000. This was more like it. Off to NWI for a second time and a much more comfortable downwind leg that saw me get quickly all the way to Great Ashfield. Here cloudbase was higher and I climbed to 3500ft and filled with optimism I set off for home...and then the sky fell apart. With a 25kt H/W I was struggling and only found one half descent climb on the way back which turned out to be barely enough, finally managing a somewhat more marginal final glide than I would have preferred resulting in a straight in approach to 03. Home safe and sound - Phew!

.

Meanwhile Will had turned NOE and PIC, but wasn't quite so fortunate and landed out on the way home near to the pub at Tibenham village - so at least it was an easy retrieve for Geoff T and Jenny.

Downwind Dash!

It's not often that you can fly a "downwind-dash" for a Silver Distance from Tibenham, but that's exactly what Wade did today making use of the thermic conditions and north-easterly winds for a 66km goal flight to Ridgewell which he completed in just over an hour. Well done Wade!!!

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See Wade's ladder entry at;

www.bgaladder.co.uk/dscore.asp?FlightID=23727