With soaring expectations high, there was a lot of activity in the rigging area, but coats and hats were needed as it had been quite cold overnight and the easterly breeze was still rather biting.
Daniel Hender with Pete Harmer found some lift on the second launch of the day and the private owners were soon queuing up with the Club gliders for launches and for some reason they were all waiting for winch launches whilst the Pawnee stood resplendent (but lonely) at the end of the field.
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| Largest grid of 12 private gliders so far this season (Jill Harmer) |
Cloud base was only 2000ft until lunchtime, and the thermals were strong in places (but then so was the sink! which was reliable all day in the circuit). By Midday, the cloudbase went up to 3000ft but then blued out leaving just wisps and haze caps.Nearly all had soaring flights although some members struggled to find the second thermal. We welcomed new member Craig Hinchcliffe who enjoyed two short soaring flights with Peter Smith following his trial lesson last year.
With the tricky conditions and quite a strong easterly wind not many ventured very far. Pete Startup 230 tried out a new potential 100kms Club task Beaminster - Wellington - Cullompton. Wyn Davies W7 enjoyed his first field landing of the season at Smeatharpe and met a model flyer who assisted with a self-retrieve. But most of the private owners just enjoyed the first airing of their gliders.
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| W7 at Smeatharpe (Wyn Davies) |
By 16:30 the wind had started moving round to the southwest and so landings at the hangar from the east completed the day. 35 launches in all. - J&P
