Probably the best soaring day for North Hill so far this season - Thanks RASP!
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| Those white puffy clouds that we have been waiting for (Mike Sloggett) |
Expectations were high as the kit was readied this morning, and a met briefing looking at the RASP forecasts in more detail helped us plan the tasks. The best area was from North Hill across Exmoor and a short Club task was set to Bampton and Tiverton to try to get maximum number of trips for many pilots through the day in Club two-seaters. The Pundits declared a 300kms to Mottisfont Station and Crediton, ignoring the dodgy poor soaring area at Yeovil that was on the forecast.
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| Met briefing (Graham Barden) |
Strangely, there were no pre-solo pilots at the club today, but still a few card checks and currency flights to catch up on, not to mention the familiarisation flights on the Perkoz. The first couple of flights tested the air, and then the soaring began in earnest.
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| Pundits waiting for aerotows (Jill Harmer |
Chris Wool attempted three laps of the Club task in DG505 with Aston Key, George Vojtisek and Ruth Comer during the day, just missing TIV on the last one, late in the day.
Ron Johns mentoring Nick Harrison in 711 completed the Pundits task by using the ASH performance to get through the soggy bit. Wyn Davies W7 diverted round the blue hole to use the sea breeze front in the Bournemouth zone (with permission).
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| Poole Harbour (Wyn Davies) |
Unusually, Pete Startup 230 succumbed to the blue hole and landed near Yeovil. Eric Alston in G29 followed the energy staying on the western edge of the blue hole and completed Melbury Bubb, Wellington. Rowan Smith CLM decided to stay local as he didn't want to land out (having split his shorts whilst rigging).
Pete Harmer, Peter Smith and Mike Sloggett were occupied all day with local two-seater flights. James Smart attempted his first long flight in a Junior, but missed out on his 2 hours. Congratulations to John Borland, who took a hangar flight in the Junior and found a reinvigorated sky completing his 2 hour flight on a local mini-triangle.
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| Washing the flies off the wings at the end of the good day (Mark Courtney) |
A lovely, busy, soarable spring day at North Hill, 45 winch launches and 11 aerotows, with 40 members flying. Thanks all. - J&P
