Sun 13th October

Expeditions - Denbigh
Sunday was a day of changes. JP and JB left and returned to Devon while Pete Startup drove down from Portmoak and joined the NH crew. Most of the day was spent looking at the dreary and rainy skies, plus southerly wind, but at a late 2pm briefing, we heard that the skies would clear and the wind would swing round to the west at 4pm.

Considering that sundown was 6:30, there was some hesitancy and muttering about a lot of work for a short flight, but we soon put that aside with the realisation that the local weather over the next couple of days is expected to be worse.

DD3 on the runway

We were instructed to be on the runway and ready to launch at 4pm, and pretty much on the dot, we were aerotowing into a small bit of clear sky amongst the overcast. Was it worth it?

Up above the clouds (Tom Sides)

Well, the Denbigh ridge started working plus all of the intrepid aviators also got to enjoy a bit of wave flying. What an unexpected (and welcome) change for the day. - Tom Sides

Back at North Hill - As the duty instructor and the majority of the members had wisely decided to stay at home Cheryl, with assistance from Graham spent the day deepcleaning the kitchen. Graham Barden

Sat 12th October

The rostered duty team of John Sillett - DI, Tim Johns - DLM and Pete Harmer - Tuggie and a few others were sitting in the Clubhouse in the foggy drizzle, a few small jobs were done and Ashley Thomas enjoyed a personal lecture on basic Air Law and local airspace rules.

Unfortunately, the weather never looked like improving sufficiently to fly, but a big thank you to Ian Mitchell for fitting the new magneto to the Pawnee. 

Expeditions

At the expedition sites it was changeover day with some Portmoakers heading off to Denbigh and  some newcomers arriving at both Portmoak and Denbigh. 

Stu and Simon in K21 at Portmoak (Simon Minson)

Portmoak

After a long road trip, CFI Stu and RE Simon enjoyed a late afternoon trip on the Bishop.

Denbigh
Denbigh Business Development were for once underselling at the briefing, a lower wind speed now forecast than previously thought. Despite that a Libelle took an early tow and was in wave straight away. Whilst he was soon at 10,000ft, the rest of the pack were slow in getting away and the lower wave gave out. The Duo with Nick and JP  and JB in the Ventus criss-crossed the “right area” but found no more than reduced sink so - Back to the ridge... The wind softened and light rain made dodging the paraplungers all the more challenging. One by one the launched gliders landed, DD3 the last, only because the iron thermal allowed a final tease in the reduced sink beyond Denbigh. 

JP paella party (John Pursey)

Team DSGC was swelled by Tom Sides and Nick Harrison's arrival. The JP paella pan was put to use in the evening, new pal Tom Edwards (epic K8 pilot) and Team DSGC  chasing down the last of the Otter. 

Tom Edwards K8 from Lasham joins the party (John Pursey)

The out of hours Otter help line have been contacted by Stirling Melhuish who has remotely taken a keen interest in the expedition beer stocks! A less optimistic forecast wind for Sunday but Portmoak travellers expected to arrive. The week ahead has a feel of the previous week, good from mid week on..

Van envy (John Pursey)

Nick Jones has serious van envy after seeing the “camper” that has arrived. Team Eagle’s new HQ? - John Pursey

Fri 11th October - Expeditions

Denbigh

Denbigh Business Development were on point selling the forecast at briefing but as ever on the money. A damp morning as the front cleared but for those eating lunch at 12 the need to speed up was obvious! The wind and sky were perfect by 1pm and launch soon followed. DD3 with Nick and JP    (Phil on brief babysit duty) were quickly followed by JB on to the ridge with 2 clear cloud streets out to the west. 

Trips to DRS secured low points, then concentration turned on using the collapsing streets to get up wind. Over Ruthin the wave started collecting its punters, and the Clwyd Valley soon had Team Essex talking their way to glory.

Nick Jones and John Pursey in DD3 (John Pursey)

DD3 got lucky and parked itself near Ruthin tiptoeing up to 14,000ft with JB chasing Team Essex up through the levels. A radio report revealed that the ever canny Mike Armstrong (of Enterprise and Pocklington fame) had thermal’d his way to Betsy-C’d and had contacted the Conwy wave and was now through 16,000ft. 

DD3 burnt 7,000ft getting there and we wondered why when it all seemed very dark and the lift broken. Mike was by now above 18,000ft, above cloud and mentioning -26degC plus 80 kt winds.

A veil of cloud around 14,000ft made DD3’s last 3k “interesting” with the sun the best reference for attitude and cobblestone lift of up to 6 kts + and - very curious. 

Navigating by the sun (John Pursey)

The near 80kt wind and shear probably helped... 

66 knots and grey outside (John Pursey)

A sensible retreat to blast down to Bala and back to join JB on the ground, blinded by glowing instruments highlighted the late hour.  Glider bedding by headlight and full Disco heater settings to defrost Nick’s feet before the gin and tonic testing - 

Otter stocks are running critically low (John Pursey)

  Another reasonable forecast for Saturday and the pub awaits. - John Pursey


Portmoak
And in Scotland it was sunshine and showers with some little waves..........

Loch Leven (Wyn Davies)

Thurs 10th October

Expeditions - Denbigh

Sky Sight was very optimistic at the morning brief and Chris Gill as Denbigh’s 'Business Development in Chief' was soon talking up the forecast and talking wave. Early launches and the Eagle was away with a visitor in the back and JP in the front. 

 A trip round DRS highlighted the Eagle  / DuoDiscus difference to John who having smoked it in the Duo the day before realised that 45kts vs 80 kts makes a big difference when crossing sink. The cloud meant there wasn’t the thermal on the ridge to reach the obvious wave out in the valley. But all good things... A moment of blue skies and rotor thermal got people to the cloud base and one after the other pushed forward into wave. 

DD3 and JB had followed the early starters after twigging the Denbigh phenomena of showers that appeared upwind, but never reached the airfield, as they dumped their load on the moors. With a 40kt wind a classic examination of glider polars ensued, with the Ventus through no skill of its pilot ruling the roost...! (apologies to JB who did a great job of maxing out the local conditions to 6000ft) 

 Ever present cloud up wind with a changing cloudscape meant hands were never far from the air brake. After 3 hours the Eagle was the last to leave the ridge after the last gap filled and the air got very moist. The clear vision panels were both open and a straight in approach from the Tusk demonstrated both the strength of the wind and The Blunt Nail high speed performance of the Eagle.

All gliders tucked away the Otter barrel was about to be broached when the 'Denbigh BD guy' announced there is wave to be had and pushed the club LS7 on to the flightline to prove the point. A howling rotor-like nature to the surface wind stopped the team from readying DD3 but didn’t stop them from launching Chris G and Team Essex. 

Wild tows and reports of 50kt winds made the putting to bed of DD3 all the more a sensible move. The young boys got to nearly 10.000ft while the older boys got to the Otter. More to come we hope, with more SW forecast. - John Pursey#

Portmoak
Saw the sun today for a while. Great fun Bishop out and return many times.

However still plagued with showers stopping flying. - Wyn Davies

North Hill

A weak warm front was expected at some time during the day, with some rain for late afternoon and a brisk southwesterly wind.

There's Woolly (Mark Courtney)

With good height launches and extended circuits, Chris Wool and Mark Courtney got the best flight of the day with 42 mins at lunchtime just before the warm front showed its hand.

Best part of the day (Mark Courtney)

19 flights in all making the best of the available weather, we packed up just in time for the rain setting in. Thanks all, with special thanks to Aston Key, Tim Petty and John Borland for completing the rope change at lunchtime. - J&P

Wed 9th October

Expeditions -  Denbigh, Wales

It all started on Tuesday night when JP suggested that we should be up at crack of sparrows and get the Eagle (which was roosting in the hanger) down to the launch point to get an early launch. I couldn’t quite understand why we couldn’t just chuck a towel on to the front of queue and have a lay-in but he was a bit insistent so we agreed! - Turns out it was raining in the morning so the towel came in handy! 

Phil and JP launched 2nd and JB was 3rd. As JP said, anything less than 5 hrs isn’t worth getting out of bed for!

We bimbled up and down the ridge for a while then it all went smoooooth and with a bit of Jigery-pokery we climbed to 4000ft, and confident that we had connected with the wave we relaxed.... and it was gorn! 

Phil and JP fired up the iron thermal for about an hour and a ‘arf and finally got into the wave over Abergele and swiftly climbed to 8800ft the like of which was never seen again! 

Hey ho, that’s gliding for you! 

Meanwhile, JB decided to play on the ridge and carry out some scientific experiments! Does it make much difference if you fly fast or slow if the ridge is working? - Well, not a lot!

If you bumble along at between 50 and 60kts you stay between 1900 and 2300 and if you go -ve 2 and stick to the front- you going like a robbers dog and fly the lot at about 1500! It’s a lot faster and a bit more scary but it works - most of the time anyway! But it is a bit rough!

Anyway, a great time was had by all and topped off by a G&T or two in Nick's Palace before heading off to the Y Ceffyl Glyn which apparently is The White Horse!- JB (photos JP)

North Hill
The forecast was not very inspiring  with high wind and the likelihood of frequent showers, this accounted for a lower than usual turnout.

Fairy circles (Tom Sides)

We took only one K21 and a Junior out of the hangar, the wind was due West gusting to twenty knots at times, although the West ridge looked as if it should have been working there were only extended circuits to be had and we stopped flying a few times due to the frequent showers.

The rain arrived from the west (John Street)

Everyone who wanted to fly flew, we packed up about 4pm due to heavy rain approaching from the West.  - John Street

Tues 8th October - Expeditions

Denbigh,  Wales

DD3 

The much awaited day arrived and did not disappoint. With 20 gliders at Lleweni Parc it took a while to get everyone in the air, especially an aerotow behind a 115hp EuroFox!

View across the Wirral to Liverpool on the way down (Phil Morrison)

Phil Morrison and Nick Jones in DD3 opted for the aerotow to the west which meant the rate of climb got them some way upwind before reaching 2000ft. JP and JB in the Eagle opted for the ridge. 

Long queues ( John Pursey)

Both achieved wave climbs but the Eagle lost out due to lack of penetration having successfully climbed to 6,500ft and pushed forward in a valiant effort to attain the next bar. Unfortunately they fell out and returned to the ridge where they were still to be found when DD3 eventually returned after a tour of North Wales from FL194 achieved over the Conwy valley. Though they did cheat a little with a quick burn to check the engine.  But they were rewarded with amazing views of the hills they had explored the day before in an effort to find the bungy launching site for an historic ridge flight along the NW coast by a close friend of Nick’s business partner.

14k at Conwy (Phil Morrison)

 Amazing flights, amazing scenery and b****y cold, -25degC at 19kft. Back down through the Denbigh rotor to a nice warm caravan and a pint of Otter, smuggled through customs by Nick. - Phil Morrison

Eagle n Dinybch

After weather reports of an unsettled run of weather for the week, taking Enterprise’s favorite 'Blunt Nail' to North Wales seemed foolish but at the last hour the weather gods sorted things out. 

BBB made contact (JP)

Excitement about wave meant BBB was lugging JB’s oxygen  around, - shame it wasn’t turned on... Bouncy ridge ride and sight of and reports of  'plastic' in wave spurred on the cycle of climb and push out with fingers crossed. Locally things were challenging for the transition with the main climbs up towards the Conwy. Eventually BBB broke into a climb near Ruthin and at 6,500ft headed off to Denbigh. 

Eagle  halo on the shadow (JP)

Poorly defined clouds and blunt nail performance meant 45 mins later we were back in the rinse and repeat cycle near the ridge. Well done to DD3 who went with the grown ups to the Conwy Valley! - John Pursey

Portmoak, Scotland

Denbigh looks grand. Portmoak was too cloudy to go up in the wave, so no record height gains here today.

A sunny gap on the Bishop (Wyn Davies)

 Bishop, push over the lake, climb, repeat, with various gaps opening to show the sun, but not long enough to squeeze through. - Wyn Davies

Sun 6th October

This weekend was a tale of two completely different days - unlike yesterday a much more positive forecast for today with the weather predicted to be good all day, with maybe a little rain here and there, and a brisk wind during the middle part of the day.

With a fairly long list of requested dual flights and solo pilots keen to maintain currency, the morning duty team of Ron Johns and Andreas Kraemer soon had the various Club members present bringing all the Club gliders out of the hangar, whilst the winch was set up for launches to the northwest corner of the airfield.

Launching into a thermic sky (Mike Sloggett)

And soon gliders were being launched into an evidently thermic sky albeit with cloudbase not that high above launch height.

However the ridge was working sufficiently in places to provide extended circuits and as the morning progressed then cloudbase steadily increased. During the morning a couple of light rain showers meant the odd delay in flying but just around lunchtime the sky just got better and better...

After a short lunch break, it was more of the same during the afternoon with Mike Sloggett and Rob Rand ‘juggling gliders and members’ to ensure that the flying list progressed suitably.

Rotax Falke tows the Perkoz (Mike Sloggett)

During the day, we welcomed several Trial Lesson visitors who were able to complete their flights in the Perkoz, thanks to Ian Mitchell kindly using the Rotax Falke for towing, due to the Pawnee being unavailable.

North Hill in the sunshine (Mike Sloggett)

Andrew Logan (ASW15 FMS) was the only private owner to rig but after his soaring flight clearly felt he had made a good decision.

Several gliders easily got to the motorway (Mike Sloggett)

Meanwhile on the ground other private owners were seen during the day checking out their trailers ahead of a long drive ‘North of the border’ to the Scottish Gliding Centre at Portmoak, and some have already headed off to Denbigh, - watch this space for all the stories.

Thank you to the various instructors and members who all ‘worked together’ to get others into the air today - 35 winch launches and 3 aerotows. - Mike Sloggett

Sat 5th October

The forecast was for a very poor day so it was no surprise that very few members turned up today.
James Hood and I drove though the gate at 8:15 to find Charlie Stuckey and Josh Funnell putting the new  electric golf buggy through its paces, shortly after Dan Hender arrived and tested the 'rear passenger compartment.'

New electric buggy being put through its paces (Mark Courtney)

We were fiddling our thumbs at first because the North Hill Cafe management team were away on a jolly and Zoe’s alarm clock has not got a setting earlier than 9 am, during this time of hunger  the sky opened up and the morning looked promising.

Because we could not dine it was decided to get the kit out and be ready should the day develop, no sooner we got the  field set up the orographic cloud moved in so it was back to the clubhouse.

Potential future BI's (Rob Hender)

The “interval” was used productively however with  some lectures to our potential future BI’s from myself and CFI Stuart.

Potential BI Charlie with CFI Stu (Mark Courtney)

Suddenly the cloud disappeared as quick as it arrived and we got going with the flying. Charlie flew from the back seat with Stuart in the front, and Josh flew with Steve Westlake.  Rob Hender flew with me and made great progress, with some guidance  he even caressed  and tickled the gentle lift to carefully stay airborne for the only soaring flight of the day, an impressive massive 15mins! Sometimes on the poorest of days you learn a new skill, well done Rob.

James flew with Dan,  and Mike Horwood and Alan  Turner shared a K21 solo. With winter coming stealing a few flights to stay current is the name of the game.

By 2 pm and with rain tiptoeing in the kit was put away, with everyone flown, thanks to everyone for helping out, and for Zoe standing in for the “catering management team”. Total of 14 flights. - Mark Courtney

Thurs 3rd October

With the arrival of ex-hurricane Lorenzo expected during the afternoon, there was just a little hope that the morning would bring some flyable weather.

The normal moist air  bringing low cloud across the Blackdowns was not yet apparent, and in the calm of the vicinity of the clubhouse, it looked quite promising. The windsock at the west end was outstretched, and when the launchpoint was set up in the North east corner, it was clear that the southerly wind was building as forecast. 

Preparing to launch with two eyes on the windsock  (Mark Courtney)

Intrepid Duty Instructors Pete Harmer and Peter Smith decided to take a launch  for a weather check. The launch to 1200ft was a bit lumpy especially low down, but having got to the top they headed south into the 40knot wind  and near Broadhembury found some smooth 2 knots lift. With a little more exploring there was gentle sink to 800ft, then the turbulence got going again in ernest. They felt happier with a 70 knot approach in the significant crosswind and turbulence, and came gracefully to a halt in the wind shadow of the clubhouse. 

The Instuctors concluded that they couldn't teach much in these conditions and the risks were greater than the benefits on this occasion. So it was back to the hangar for all. - Good try!

Eagle eyes on the photo will spot the new electric golf buggy for glider retrieves. Sealing the aircraft hangar floor was completed, and some more reference markers were replaced. - J&P

Wed 2nd October

What a remarkable October day! - there were positive signs by the number of private gliders being rigged, but what would the day bring? some of the early flights were short and with a northerly / sometimes slight even a tailwind made some of the launches a bit low.

About 12:30, it started to get thermic by 1:00pm the cloud base was nearly 4,000ft, but it was one of those days when some launches got away easily, but others were back on the ground in five minutes due to the poor launch heights.

Private gliders in the launch queue (John Street)

The private gliders led by Pete Startup in 230 mostly had good soaring flights, Pete disappeared for most of the day (as usual) completeing a Club 100 and then sightseeing on Exmoor.

A nice edge to fly along (Jill Harmer)

 With the Pawnee waiting for a replacement magneto, Tom flew the Trial lesson Visitor in the Perkoz with the help of Ian Mitchell and his Rotax Falke. There was a little problem when the Skylaunch winch would not start and was making some strange noises, but Mark Layton sorted it with some magic!

It was thermic until after 5:00pm, - a real autumn bonus for some but disappointing for others, but that's gliding!  -  John Street