The forecast from Wednesday was for "quite a pleasant day", but looking at RASP this morning, there were some good indications of wave activity at two different levels and plenty of evidence of lenticulars to the west.
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| Lenticulars in evidence (Eric Alston) |
The first launch found some "strange ridge lift" that worked above 1000ft but not below. Then the challenge was taken up by Pete Startup 230, Matt Wright M5 and Eric Alston G29 who worked their way up to find first the 3000ft wave system, and then climbed up to the north by Wellington monument to reach the higher system at FL100 conveniently outside the airway. However the airway restricted exploration upwind.
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| M5 and 230 playing in the wave (Pete Startup) |
Most flights got easily into the lower system including our visitor Andrew Cluskey from Saltby with his jet Shark.
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| Spot the gliders showing the two wave systems (Jill Harmer) |
With the planned transit of the Red Arrows up the M5 past Wellington in the afternoon, Pete Harmer made a quick call to Exeter ATC to advise them of our unusual operations in the wave, and then Red 1 made a call on 130.1 as they were passing.
While all this excitement was going on there was Congratulations to Tim Petty who achieved his third first solo - Power, Balloon and now Gliding.
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| Congrats to Tim Petty (Will Stainer) |
And congratulations to Malcolm Vest for converting to the Eagle, and George Sanderson for flying the Junior.
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| Malcolm Vest with JB and the Eagle (Lizzie Westcott) |
And another first, James Hood having converted to the Pawnee yesterday, made his first Aerotow from the front of the rope - there will be no stopping him now!
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| James Hood making his first aerotow (Paul Kane) |
It was certainly a pleasant day with 58 flights in total, (17 flights of more than an hour), and 5 gliders flying for more than 3 hours in the quite unusual conditions for North Hill. - J&P
