On a day when many chocolate boxes across the country were being opened to celebrate Easter the day was a bit as Forrest Gump would say - 'gliding (life) is like a box of chocolates, you do not know what you are going to get'.
During the morning in particular, and to be fair like any other gliding day, one glider would find itself launched straight into some lift whether thermal or ridge and the next glider would find itself launched into heavy 'sink' and be almost immediately into circuit.
During the morning in particular, and to be fair like any other gliding day, one glider would find itself launched straight into some lift whether thermal or ridge and the next glider would find itself launched into heavy 'sink' and be almost immediately into circuit.
 |
| Lift and heavy sink in the circuit (Jill Harmer) |
The morning had started with a very limited flying list but steadily and surely the number of members on site increased with Michael Fawcett and Andreas Kramer making welcome returns after extended periods of time away from North Hill.
After careful consideration by John Sillett (Duty Instructor) re the best way of protecting the field in setting up the launch run for the present/forecast wind direction, flying was under way mid-morning with the K21s and a Junior in use. Cloudbase was only around 1500' initially, evidently thermic in places but with suspected wave interference and ridge all mixing up the odds potential for soaring flights.
After careful consideration by John Sillett (Duty Instructor) re the best way of protecting the field in setting up the launch run for the present/forecast wind direction, flying was under way mid-morning with the K21s and a Junior in use. Cloudbase was only around 1500' initially, evidently thermic in places but with suspected wave interference and ridge all mixing up the odds potential for soaring flights.
 |
| Wave clouds and an empty launch point (Jill Harmer) |
Matt Williamson (ASW20 611) and James Flory (ASW19 877) both rigged and then launched looking to make the most of the conditions and Dave Clements and John Sillett shared the flying in (B4 CVV). Good progress was made with the flying list during the morning but with a limited number of members, and particularly those able to winch, flying was stopped for a lunch break.
 |
| Typical Devon countryside and clouds (Mike Sloggett) |
Meanwhile Ron Johns and Daniel Johns had rigged (ASH25 - 711) and with wave clouds all around the Club, albeit at distance, after lunch the ASH was aerotowed to the East of the airfield with a plan of getting into the wave which they achieved to the base of the airway, albeit the wave was not as good as it looked.
 |
| Ron & Dan in ASH getting above the clouds (Ron Johns) |
After lunch the soaring conditions improved with successful completion of the flying list during the afternoon ahead of increasing cloud cover late in the day - and with the last few flights of Easter Sunday enjoying wide areas of 'straight line' lift all over the sky.
During the day a trial lesson was completed together with several family and friends flights, with the Pawnee in regular use.
All in all a pretty enjoyable box of chocolates today, if you launched at the right time... - Mike Sloggett
During the day a trial lesson was completed together with several family and friends flights, with the Pawnee in regular use.
All in all a pretty enjoyable box of chocolates today, if you launched at the right time... - Mike Sloggett
