Summer Soaring Fortnight - Day 7

Ian set a variety of tasks to chose from including a 5 pointed star, a hero task to Towcester and some 100k flights towards Rattlesden and Norwich. The weather was expected to cut off from the west at around 4pm, however some good soaring and cross country tasks were completed;

Tony Griffiths won the day completing a declared TIB-GRF-CAX-TIB for 188k, Simon Urry and Mark Wright chose the pentangle with Simon completing around 190k (CAB-FRW-THE) and Mark doing 146k FRW-THE-WRM before landing at RAT (again!!) Bob Grieve did WRM-NWI. I did 122k GRF-NWI-ACL, Jenny completed BUN-GRF.

Congratulations to Mike Crook on completing 111km NWI-RAT for Silver. Adrian Prime also went round this task in a speed of over 75kph to complete his 100k dimploma. Wade did his frst cross country flight but unfortnuatly landed back after turning NWI.

Ian took some club members on a couple of mini cross countries in the K21. Firsly Andy Blowers to NWI, then Harry van de Noord (a friend of Warwick's and instructor in Holland) to Rattlesden - I understand they watched Mark landing there before beating a retreat back to TIB. Harry subsequently joined as a full club member - welcome Harry, we can't guarantee every flight will be like that!

So a good day and everyone had fun. Tomorrow looks doubtful for task flying but should be OK for local soaring before the rain comes through.

Summer Soaring Fortnight - Day 6

A day of sunshine and showers with lots of wind (15G25kts). The task was eventually scrubbed but several pilots managed short soaring flights off the wire between the showers. Fingers are crossed for a better day tomorrow.

Earlham Right Directions fly at Norfolk G.C.

Wednesday 29th July

A group of teenagers from the Earlham area of Norwich were treated to a trip around the skies. The weather was not as good as it could have been but a number managed flights in excess of 30 minutes from a winch launch of 1500'. There was a weather window which lasted about an hour and a half when the sky was very active in streets in the strong wind. A great time was had by all and many conquered personal demons. They would like to thank Ann and James for bringing them and all the club members for giving their time. Thanks guys; come and have another go some time.

Summer Soaring Fortnight - Day 4

With the weather predicted as unstable with over-convection likely and breezy conditions (220/10-15kts @SFC) I briefed that there was likely to be a 3-4 hour soaring window with a 4000ft cloudbase and 'challenging' SW winds for XC. Tony G (DG300) and Berkley (K21) took off early and made the best of the day both doing just under 3 hours soaring. Tony managed to complete the 122.7km task of TIB-THE-MEN-BSE-TIB to 'win the day'. Jim Lawn relieved me from the tug and I decided to have a tow (about an hour and a half after Tony) and I got round Thetford but the day went splat as I got half way down the second leg and I turned North for TIB. Adrian flew his 19, and was not far behind me with a similar story. Still at least no-one landed out. Mick instructed in the K13. Over all I think that we got quite a lot out of a day that didn't really promise too much. Well done Tony!

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In comparison the Dunstable Regionals A Class set a 112km task with only 4 competitors getting round!

Summer Soaring Fortnight - Day 3

Scrub.

Summer soaring fortnight - Day 2

A slow start, with conditions not looking too promising, top cover and a strong southerly wind with low cumulus forming below. Club flying began with Will running the day. and some lucky club members getting half priced launches before 11am. After midday the top cover started to clear and the cumulus rose to around 2500ft. Pete Ryland set a number of local turnpoints as a fall back task.

I launched and went for a local bimble around TIB-DIS-GAB-TIB, I was tempted going towards Rattlesden but could see the front approaching from the south and into a 22knt wind it was all a bit slow progress. Cloudbase at 4000ft and the streets being much more reliable that yesterday, Pete decided to land to re-brief the new task TIB-RAT-NOE-TIB but then unfortunately missed the weather window.

I dont think anyone went anywhere but it was a reasonable local soaring day if you were prepared to battle into wind up the cloud streets, and it made the landings more interesting especially for spectators!

Congratulations also to Andrew Hewitt in flying his first flight on the winch in his ASW17.

Summer soaring fortnight - Day 1 Sat 25th July

A mixed day with some good cross country flights, and some who struggled. There appeared to be some wave influence causing strange mixing of thermals, combined with a stronger than forecast wind most who flew found the clouds were not working as expected. Still, with cloudbase at 4000ft and some thermal strengths reportedly 9knt who can complaint!

Pete Ryland won the day with a 330km flight in his DG to Sudbury, Silverstone. Well done also to Jenny completing the briefed task of TIB-RAT-SMB-TIB, Norman Clowes completed the extended task TIB-RAT-SMB-NOE-TIB but forgot to have his logger on. A number of outlandings included JRK, Mark Wright (who popped in for a cuppa at Rattlesden) and Dave Munro (who had a long aerotow retrieve from Sutton Meadows), both Tim H and Chris managed NMT return.

Thanks to Ray Hart for helping cover the airfield after we sent Tim D home for having flu! Also thanks to Paul Wilkinson who stepped in to help out with rather a lot of trial lessons, and all the other crew who pitched in running the airfeld, winch and tug.

Bright & Breezy

The warm weather made it very pleasant to be out on the airfield despite the breezy conditions. Consequently there was a significant number of members out enjoying the day with the hope of catching a thermal. Breezy winds were the order of the day, giving around 30kts at 2000ft! The wind broke up the thermals low down and made it a challenge to soar away off the wire. Nevertheless, several pilots did manage to get away and a number of soaring flights of up to an hour were achieved in thermals of up to 5kts. Cloudbase was over 4000ft QFE.

Results from the ICL at Tibenham

Saturday was a non scoring day – the task was not scrubbed and though the various pilots who launched never found enough under the overcast to attempt Framlingham – Thetford (96km)

Sunday dawn grey and overcast - though the satellite pictures showed a clearance in the west that was following the remains of the front. Briefing was delayed until 11am and tasks set. Novices – Thetford, Honington (65km); Intermediates – Thetford, Bury St Edmunds (83km); Pundits – Thetford, Newmarket (113km).

The conditions lived up the forecast and streeting was quite obvious leading John Gilbert to launch on the Pundit task in his Skylark – he later commented that it was only possible due to the streeting and that at times his grounds speed was 25kts.

Paul Wilkinson (TIB – Novice) was an early finisher having been first to launch, closely followed by Vernon Bettle (WRM – Novice) and then Tom Smith (HC - Pundit). A few land backs and relights took place before there was a long wait for Pete Ryland (TIB - Pundit). Who had started late after a relight.

Eventually all pilots were accounted for and scores were available.

Novice:
1st – Tony Bartlett – RAT – Pegase – 74.22kph
2nd – Vernon Bettle – WRM - ASW19 – 63.48kph
3rd – Ian Macrow – ROU – SZD55 – 59.18kph
4th – Paul Wilkinson – TIB – Std Cirrus – 52.66kph

Intermediate:
1st – Richard Crockett – WRM – Nimbus 2 – 62.3kph
DNS – Jenny Novak – TIB – ASW19
DNS – Andy Howells – RAT – Pegase
DNS – Chris Reed – ROU – Open Cirrus

Pundit:
1st – George Green – WRM – Discus – 79.56kph
2nd – Peter Ryland – TIB – DG400 – 63km
3rd – Richard Maison-Pierre –ROU – Speed Astir – 19km
DNS – Andy Howells – RAT – Pegase

This leaves the overall scores as follows after 3 competition days

WRM – 18
TIB – 14
ROU – 14
RAT – 13