Well, what a day. After JRK's posting about 6000ft cloudbases yesterday it inspired me to get my act together and get on with completing that 300k flight I keep promising myself I'll do when I have crew, a nice glider, a serviceable trailer and anything else that I use as an excuse.. So some frantic planning late last night and a room full of various bits of gadgetry on charge. We turned up at the airfield for 9am the weather still looked promising so we rigged and I eventually took off around 11:50ish.
The local climbs were good, but having not flown on a declared cross country for around 7 years, I was pretty cautious. Gary Marshall had launched ahead of me on the same task in his Astir (B12) so we caught up and pair flew to just south of Newmarket.
Our first turn point was Cambridge South, and it seemed to take an age to get there. Cloud bases were around 4000 to 4500, the lift was good but there were gaps that opened up ahead, lots of gliders were struggling with conditions for a while.
I got low a few times on the way to the next turnpoint, Northampton West - I had started to try to fly faster and a little less conservative as I was worried I wouldnt get round in the amount of soarable day available. I didnt dare check my stopwatch through the whole flight incase I talked myself out of getting round.
Unfortunatly heading to Northampton meant passing St Neots (a story for another day). Then passing to the south of Northampton, around the Billing Aquadrome, I got to my lowest point about 2000ft, the fields were not good out that way and the wet air was not giving good lift. Thermals were however coming from the combine harvesters that have started cutting and eventually I got away, steered around the turnpoint and back on the north side of the town, passing Sywell on the way out.
My direct route on the way back would take me over Mildenhall, so I diverted south of Cambridge (passing St Neots again!). The climbs were good, and with a 10knt tail wind I was making good headway. It seemed no time at all and I was at Newmarket Heath, with the glide computer telling me that 5,500ft was good enough to get home about 58k! I didnt believe it - so I topped up to cloudbase, now 6,000ft, straightened up on track, trimmed the glider out to 65knts and tried to breathe normally.
20ks later I still couldn't see the airfield and hit lift again, so I topped up a few hundred feet on the principle that I'd rather not miss a 300k for the sake of lift behind me. At last Fersfield came into view, then Tibenham as the cloud shadows moved. I arrived overhead at a wopping 2,500ft! So now at least I believe the final glide computer.
It was a fantastic day, and made all the better for knowing that everyone got round. Well done guys. So whos up for a speed task next Friday?!!
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