On driving to the airfield glider pilots are always optimistic that the weather will be better for gliding than forecast - and so it was today, with the optimism being rewarded by the afternoon’s flying - but more of that later.
The morning saw James Flory and Mike Sloggett, ably supported by a small but keen group of members, get both K21s, the Perkoz and a Junior out of the hangar whilst the launch point was set up in the North West corner of the airfield. The steady wind ‘down the strip’ from the East suggested fairly straightforward conditions for launching, circuits and landings and that turned out to be the case. James and Mike worked their way through the flying list with Andy Batchelor successfully being ‘signed off checks’ - and to prove that he really did not need an instructor in the back seat Andy started to make good use, on his K21 solo flights, of the limited thermals which were starting to appear to the South of the airfield.
As the morning progressed then so did the sun become stronger eventually breaking through the thick top cover and increasing the thermal activity.
There was just time for Mike to have a short soaring flight in ASW20 (FUN) before the decision was made to give all the members, who had been working well together to keep the flying going during the morning, a well-deserved rest and some refreshment. Unfortunately for the various private glider members who had just decided to bring their gliders down to the launch point the winch driver had also gone to lunch!
But after a short lunch break and under steadily improving skies it was then on with the afternoon’s flying with all winch launches getting gliders away ‘first time’. With Pete Startup 230 managing a creditable Club100:
"Not the task or indeed the day I had planned! Very persistent high cover prevented any real convection until mid afternoon and as soon as it did you could see the sea air waiting to rush in from the South coast. I sort of had something in my head to include Beaminster which was sea aired out from Lyme Bay, or Yeovil which was sea aired out from Brigwater Bay. As it was the convergence that had set up fizzled out between the two around Crewkerne but set up nicely to plod around the Club 100. It was different..................."
And the soaring just got better and better with the forecast sea air starting to arrive as expected but with the thermals still being all around the airfield and in abundance, and with climbs to 3500’ QFE readily available - the conditions now were so good that club gliders needed to be airbraked down to allow others to fly. Various aerotow training and currency checks were also completed during the afternoon.
By late afternoon it was now a question of how long into the day could members ‘push their luck’ in terms of home commitments (glider pilots are just as optimistic with their 'leaving the airfield time' as they are with the weather forecast but are rarely right!) - and as the hangar started to be packed then the various Club gliders completed hangar landings in turn.
Congratulations to James Smart (Ian Mitchell)
Well Done to James Smart with his Nav test, successfully completing his Cross-country endorsement with Ian Mitchell in Falke (SC), and also to Pete Warren on his biennial with Ian. (Ironically, James has just returned from an epic ferry flight UK - Australia!).
Well done to Pete Warren
During the day Falke VG completed some local flying and soaring.
Thick top cover in the morning (Mike Sloggett)
As ever thank you to all the members who helped others to get into the air today - a day of much fun whilst learning for all, and with happy members wending their way home no doubt working out the ‘why I am late home’ conversations…- Mike Sloggett
