A typical gliding day today - weather forecasts indicating rain showers most of the day, and yet a small group of members turning up at the Club determined to find at least one forecast which provided optimism of some potential flying later in the day. (To be fair most of those present were staying on site already or planning to put up tents for the Club week ahead).
After much googling and App reviewing one forecast was found suggesting that early evening flying might just be possible. So it was now a question of patience - with the day being used for setting up tents, various discussions on the conversion of licences and importantly how to interpret weather forecasts, both for accuracy of predicting the weather for flying and not least to find a forecast that actually said what a glider pilot wants to read!
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| Threatening skies but it had stopped raining (Mark Courtney) |
One of the longest ‘patient waits’ for some gliding but well worth it for the members who got into the air early evening. - Mike Sloggett
Condor Racing
Dan had created a task 160kms North Hill - Fordingbridge - Bembridge for a little jaunt across the Solent. With Dan, Mike, Chris, Geoff, Rob, David, John and Pete on the grid at North Hill for an aerotow in Discus 2a.
It was light southerly wind, but variable thermals in strength and base. Dan as usual set the pace with some good climbs. Conditions improved somewhat in Wiltshire (just like for real), and the key to the task was getting high and staying high, particularly just before the sea crossing. (Although there was a cloud in the middle of the Solent). -J&P
