Sunday, 28 September 2008

There I was thinking we had seen the last of the summer soaring ... and low and behold even more soaring on Sunday!

Will started us off with over half an hour soaring, having declared that his flight would be short as he was actually undergoing his Full Cat Conversion examination with Dave Munro!

This was followed by Polish George staying up in the Astir for over an hour. Then of course our resident thermaller ... Geoff Tilley stayed up in the K13 for 1hr 08min, beating George by just 1 minute. Apparently they both only came down to let someone else have a go!!

I finally managed to get some winch cable break checks done with our beloved CFI ... as I have only had 1 winch & 1 aerotow launch in 2 months. However, I am now back on form (as much as can be) and will now be flying with my usual regularity. Now ... where are all those thermals ..?

Jenny Novak

So late September is getting toward is the end of the soaring season, but as Ians flight yesterday proved, there's still some good flying still to be had.

So optimistically I set a local cats cradle task (TIB-DIS-WYM-BUN-GAB-TIB). No tug today so I had to launch the 20 on the wire for the first time and got a suprising 1700ft in very light winds. However it was quickly apparant that any cross country would be unlikely due to the poor visibility. So my fall back task was to get a climb that went through the 2800ft inversion - I succeeded a couple of times to 3000ft and did just over 2hrs airborne in what looked and felt like dust soup, but never got very far from the airfield.

The report from our flight with the Diss Express has been published and was a talking point in the clubhouse - you can find it here http://www.dissexpress.co.uk/sport/Gliding-Life39s-little-problems-seem.4529430.jp

Sat 27th Sept - Into The Blue...

The fog burned off quickly this morning. All the club kit came out and several private owners rigged. We were again winching, but despite virtually no wind 'The Wildcat' provided excellent launches and most pilots got high launches and some soaring from a day that remained blue throughout. The longest flight was over 2 hours. One or two had planned X/Cs but the gloopy vis discouraged most and only Bob got round a TP before deciding against venturing further away. It was also good to see a number of young members out at the launch point. The club had a flag presentation from RAF & USAF representatives in memory of those who served at Tibenham during WWII on the the day that was the 64th anniversary of the 445th Bombardment Group's most notorious mission - the Kassel Mission of 27 September 1944.

http://tinyurl.com/46zegv

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Tibenham

http://www.kasselmission.com/society.htm

http://www.tibenham.fsnet.co.uk/445th_bg_links.htm

The Summer's Still Here!

Another inspiring day. Winch launch only today (thanks to Phil M. for driving the winch) and the few of us that flew did manage some decent soaring. After a misty start the weak inversion burst earlier than expected and Cu had formed by 11am with a low base. We decided to wait a while. As the cloudbase rose so did the inversion & the dew point, and the Cu was rapidly squeezed as the day went blue, or as Adrian put it; " The cloud bottoms are catching up with the tops!"

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Mick Hughes and Paul Woodcock went off for an hour in the G103, landing about 1pm. They reported climbs to 2,500ft so I took off in 'LY' with 100km planned and after a bit of a scratchy getaway I was soon off into wind towards Bungay. I never find it that easy in the blue but I did finally get round my 100km task landing around 3:30 pm.

http://www.bgaladder.co.uk/dscore.asp?FlightID=17973

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Meanwhile Adrian had set off a bit later and found himself flying round the TP at Bungay in the encroaching sea air. The thermals that Hardwick runway were kicking off earlier were gone by the time he got back there and he made a safe outlanding, with Paul Wilkinson off on the retrieve shortly after. The soaring window lasted about 4 hours, with the cloudbase reaching over 2,500ft by 1pm and climbs reaching 3,500ft at best around 2:30pm. Thermal strengths varied but averaged 1-2 knots with 3.5kts the best I saw on the averager. The useful X/C window was probably about 2hrs30.

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The Diss Express has a good article on the club at;

http://www.dissexpress.co.uk/sport/Gliding-Life39s-little-problems-seem.4529430.jp

Ian.

Sunday, 21 Sept 2008

Today, Sunday 21 September 2008 started as such a normal end of summer day, with poor visibility, very few thermals and mediocre flying, etc.

However, as the day progressed it turned out as a quite an interesting day in many respects. Oh, not as any major recordable record or even cross country achievement, but in a number of small events which assisted in making this a memorable day.

Derek Piggott had been around for the previous 24 hours lending his vast experience in assisting Stu Hoy in preparing the famous experimental green Optimist glider (similar to a K18) to take to the air, both with additional electronic engines and without, as a normal glider. Derek first flew this glider several years ago and was now assisting its designers to push the boundaries a little more. Small electric engines had been fitted to make it self-sustaining. Today, Derek certainly tried hard in keeping it airborne close to the ground by using a combination of ground effect and the small but reasonably powerful electric engines just before touchdown, proving that those engines can be used to sustain flight … at the last minute!

Following Derek’s flight, he suggested that some other club members have a flight in the Optimist, so Will Day volunteered to be the first, followed by Mike Tate and our CFI, Mark Wright. Not to be left out, Steve Flowitt-Hill decided that he too wanted to try it out at the end of the day.

Amongst the many trial flights being flown by John Roche-Kelly and Steve Flowitt-Hill, a completion course was in progress run by Dave Munro for 3 assistant rated instructors, enabling them to legally put us all to the test in their new capacity …

Two of our pilots also decided to break the mould of submitting to such low inversion restrictions in the local area by flying further afield .. Dave Taylor flew the 100km President’s Triangle and Pete Ryland flew to Ridgewell and back.

The strange thing was that whilst we were all still coping with the restrictions and frustrations of the local conditions, two pilots from Wormingford managed to fly their first 50km Silver Distance, landing at Tibenham and putting most of us to shame!



Jenny Novak



We also welcome three new members from Shipdham, all who flew today. Jerry B flew his newly aquired open Cirrus and John and Andy H flew to get checked out, we have prospects of seeing some more gliders types flying here soon (including a Pheobus and an IS30).

Jan

A Bimble Around.

I started off in 'LY' intending to try for TIB-NWI-RAT-TIB 111km flat triangle releasing from tow just South of TIB, but as I ventured North it soon turned into a bimble around the local area following the weather. I wandered North to Heathersett and tuned into Norwich LARS 119.35 to keep an ear out for traffic, then turned right to Norwich TP (NWI). Heading South towards Rattlesden I was doing OK as I passed TIB but as I reached the disused airfield at Sherpherds Grove the weather further South looked decidedly uninviting so I turned North again and wandered up to Snetterton. I was now in contact with Old Buck DZ and was careful to remain well clear. I then pushed onwards to Shipdham Airfield. At this point the thermals were starting to collapse so I called Old Buckenham drop zone again on 124.40 for clearence to final glide through their overhead for TIB. Fortunately they had finished dropping for the day and they cleared me through making the glide home easy. I arrived overhead TIB at 1500ft. A pleasant wander round adding up to about 120km flown.

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Ian.

Sat 20th Sept...And The Soaring Continues.

Another sunny day, if rather hazy. SRE Dave Munro started the instructor completion course and Mark Wright ran the day. The First Aid ‘Trauma Course’ was well attended during the morning, after which the thermals started to pop (around 1:30pm again) producing about 3 hours of useful thermals keeping Steve Catermole busy in the tug for the next couple of hours! Several private owners rigged and a number of soaring flights were made with the longest over 2hr 30. Later, in the still evening air the Green Machine (Edgely Optimist) again took flight, but with multiple small electric motors attached as part of a university project experiment, and Derek Piggot again graced the Norfolk skies.

More Soaring & a Silver Distance

The high pressure was setting in and it took a while for the thermals to bust the inversion, but when they did it went with a bang with thermals to over 4000ft. It finally triggered around 1:30pm and the few who turned out were rewarded with good soaring. I launched last and flew for 2hrs 46mins finally landing at 5:20pm, Mike turned up to tug and managed 1:30 in the k13 with Paul Wilkinson flying the K21 for over an hour. The star of the show, however was Paul Woodcock who flew to Ridgewell in the Astir to gain his Silver Distance. Mick and Brian went to retrieve him later.

A Late Spark of Summer

A good soaring day with the longest flight at over 4 hours - well done Paul. John K. rigged the Vega and soared for over 2 hours, whilst both Ratty and Berkley had over an hour each in club gliders. There was around 6 hours soaring available. Nineteen flights from both winch and A/T produced an average flight time of 49 minutes. There were good climbs to over 4000 feet.

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The weather should remain good into the week-end and the week ahead looks like it sees us remaining under high pressure with a generally easterly flow. Make the most of it whilst it lasts.

Solo day

A big congratulations to Harley Grayling in going solo off the winch today on his 16th birthday. He must also be congratulated in achieving a 0:58 min flight on his second solo in such overcast conditions, gaining a bronze leg in the process. Well done Harley..
Thanks also to all those turned up and supported him.

Mick Hughes.

Sunday 14th Sept

Sunday was OK for mid September. Good climbs occasionally (3 metres in the G103 to 3,500 feet with a trial lesson was my best).

Some chaps went to the east coast. Mark Wright flew the 27 and Ben got the rest of his hours in the Libelle. Phil Sillett flew the DG.

Launching on 08 with the winch at the end of grass stub & the aerotow from the hard is always a pain! Happily a rare wind strength / direction.

Cheers

WILL

Talgarth Photos

More at: http://www.flygliders.org.uk/blog

Last day at Aboyne

Final day here(Wednesday) and at last there is wave!
Monday was a good thermal day but unreliable . Set 250 kms abo-lgg-eas- abo but it went to worms near the Feshie valley, west of Linn of Dee, so I had to run downhill away from the unlandable moors(again) into the Linn of dee and towards Braemar I terminated with an engine start.
Tuesday overcast then rain.
Today looked very promising. launched to 3000 feet and spent 30 mins searching for wave until I went round the back(NE) of Morven when I hit the hotspot. 8 to 10 knots on the averager, vario off the stop 3 to 7000 feet in no time but strange wave with teriffic roughness around it. At that height I could see nothing but rain and darkness to the South, so elected to make a quick exit to derig and decamp before the rain. All accomplished just as the rain arrived!
Pictures:1 .Balmoral and Dee valley(yes the flag is flying)
2. Looking East to Club and Aboyne village.
3. Ballater and Muick valley.

Peter

Talgarth Expedition.

Follow the news at:
http://www.flygliders.org.uk/blog

Good weather in Scotland!!

Hi All.
Picture of top of Lochnagar on Thursday.
Day 5 here at the Mountain comp.
Being a flatlander, I have to say I bottle out easier than the dyed in the wool Haggis hunting Deesiders.
Today the haggis were given a run for their lives when a swarm of gliders followed a cloud street West into the mountains, when, with only about 1000 feet from rolling moors to cloudbase, it dumped(some) of us.
I saw one glider seemingly scratching at 50 feet above a sunny spot and two at about 500 feet, but felt it too close to join them and, following the terrain down and not finding a useable ridge, started the engine. 22 kms, and last for the day! Todays winners the (famous) John Williams and the junior hero, Charlie Jordan.
Great time up here, with wonderful hospitality and Trade Winds by Cairngorm Brewery on draught. 5 days flying out of 6 so far, and possibly one tomorrow, with first wave of the week, tho wrong direction of NE. Aboyne gives regular wave to 9000 feet, and often to 20000 plus in all directions from SE to N.

see the website with pictures on:
http://ukmsc.deesideglidingclub.co.uk/index.php

Pete

Saturday 14.30
Scrubbed now today and prizegiving over, the sun is coming out.
Overall task winner is Roy Wilson of Deeside.
Height trophy.........John Ellis of Sutton Bank