Saturday 28th July

A very blustery day with some rain showers in the mix as forecast!. The hardy members flew all morning with JP, Glenn and JB. My duty started with a change of flag to Blue and just after JP launched we had gusts of over 30kts, so I called it a day. 

Not quite the wall-to wall early sunshine of late (NHLwebcam)

Most of the Trial lesson visitors flew in the morning but our afternoon gentleman agreed that it was best to wait for the good weather to return.  Ian and James flew the Falke to Yeovilton and back again reporting very windy. 

What is that saying again, ‘its better to stand and look into the sky wishing you were there rather than being in the air wishing you were on the ground!

Thanks to all for their efforts, everyone certainly made the most of it. - Lisa

Thur 26th July

After super-soarable Wednesday, Thursday was forecast to be rather disappointing but still hot. Either the forecast or the holidays meant that there were few Thursday regulars but quite a few visitors at North Hill.

There was the same decision about which end to set up early on, but we went with the southwesterly option, and this proved to be correct.

It was just circuits for the morning, but Andy Davey was the first to soar in the Junior at lunchtime. During the afternoon, the thermals became  quite buoyant but shortlived and most had soaring flights, with the south ridge assisting. 

Perkoz parked for lunch (Mark Courtney)

 Alongside the normal training and  solo flying, we welcomed Shona Fenion from Surrey Hills GC, Josie Baker on holiday from University in Durham  having had some flights at Sutton Bank, and Arthur Hayhoe's Uncle Nigel, as well as the three booked Trial lesson Visitors. 

Flat sky over Devon (Mike Sloggett)

Later in the afternoon John Pursey arrived with some work colleagues to fly into the hot evening. Thanks as always to everyone for helping in the extreme heat. - J&P

Wed 25th July

What a day, all the gliders out and the DI's done early and a great many private gliders being readied, for if the forecast was correct a very busy day in prospect.

Getting the Club fleet ready (John Strett)

The weather didn't disappoint, the thermals started early but with low launches because of lack of wind and and sometimes a slight tailwind, the winch-launched gliders had difficulty contacting the lift, no such problem with the aerotow. 

Rigging private gliders (John Street)

Because of the difficulty of getting away a lot of members decided to take an aerotow and the tug was kept busy all day with ten launches completed, not that tuggie Pete Warren was complaining. All the Trial lesson visitors enjoyed their flights plus some friends and family flights.

Anyone wanting a silver height would have had no difficulty if they had taken a winch launch as the lift went up to 5,000ft in the afternoon with a sea breeze front setting in just to round of the day. - John Street.

Cross-country stories

DD3  Into deepest Cornwall  305Kms Truro - Wellington

Egged on by Nick we blindly followed RASP deep into dragon country and squeaked out south of Dartmoor. Spoke to Exeter on way back who were polite and helpful. - Phil Morrison

Wednesday the 25th July another good day in this amazing spell of weather.
Where shall we go? RASP doesn’t look very encouraging towards the east but West looks Best. Ashburton, Launceston, Truro and even Lands End were discussed.
In the end Pete in 230 chose Launceston, Hembury Hill, Roadford reservoir, North Hill.
JB after a delayed start for lunch chose Roadford, Crewkerne, Northill.

JB in convergence near Chard heading east (John Burrow)

DD3 picked Truro and Phil with Nick set off down the A30 to Truro the flight was reasonably uneventful but the views of the north and south coasts were Spectacular. 

DD3 at Falmouth  (Nick Jones)

The return was a little more problematical as the sea breeze appeared to have closed off the northern route around Dartmoor so south we went.
Several times we started looking at possible fields none of them very appealing! The quarry at Hammerton and then a bit later the quarry at Ashburton saved the day and got us to Exeter racecourse where we had a climb to 4500 called up Exeter and a friendly voice allowed us to cross their airspace and wished us well. 

DD3 at Exeter Racecourse (Nick Jones)

 
To get over 300k we added a short detour to Wellington and then home to North Hill and a well earned bottle of Otter. - Nick Jones

230  Also into Cornwall 300Kms Launceston - Hembury Hill - Roadford

Forecast blue to the East but with some Cu to the West of North Hill so tasked that way for a change. A bit of blue and a bit of sea air but good enough climbs to compensate. On the last leg the sea air had come up the Exe estuary which meant a long glide from Whiddon Down across the gap. Not brave enough to go any further into Cornwall, well done to the DD3 crew.

CVV  56kms - Cullompton - Tiverton - Culmstock - Wellington

Well done Dave for collecting more local turnpoints

Sun 22nd July

A busy day at the Club today, with a good weather forecast encouraging a number of pre- and post- solo members to fill up the flying list(s) well before 9am.

With Simon Leeson, as Duty Instructor, leading members well, all Club gliders and the winch were ready for launching to start before 10am, with a light North/North West wind seeing the launch point set up in the South East corner of the airfield.

With various other Instructors helping out with two-seater flights and with everyone present working well together to launch and retrieve gliders, the flying list made steady progress during the morning.

K21 on tow over dusty brown Devon fields (Peter Smith)

There were various Trial Lesson visitors and Friends & Family flights completed as the day unfolded and with sufficient members keen to help others to get into the air, flying continued through lunch, which meant that by the end of the day the flying list had been all but completed.

Geoff Lawrence (Pegase HES), John Pursey (Lak HOG), Andrew Logan (ASW15 FMS). Simon Minson (ASW20 SM), Phil Morrison/Stirling Melhuish (Duo Discus DD3) all rigged and flew. 

With Simon Minson on the Club 100 and John Pursey completing 177kms Tiverton, Yeovil, Crediton.

After a morning of high top cover cloud late morning the day started to look more interesting with odd blue thermals and distant cumulus clouds suggesting an afternoon of good soaring.

However as is often the case, whether it was a Club or private glider being flown pilots were either fortunate to find a thermal off the winch launch or unfortunate to find the heavy sink instead - when the Duo Discus (DD3) was heard to start it’s “iron thermal” not long after a winch launch one member was heard to comment ‘well, if they have had to start their engine what hope have I got?’

No surprise that gliders launched behind the Pawnee had much better likelihood of finding the elusive thermals and by late afternoon the sky had returned to that seen during the morning with little help, lift wise, being provided to gliders winch launching.

Packing up after a long hot day (Mike Sloggett)

But overall whilst a long hot day today there were plenty of (tired) smiles and happy faces, thank you to all those who worked away all day in the hot and humid conditions to get others into the air...-Mike Sloggett

Sat 21st July

With the first rain overnight for two weeks at North Hill, it was a little drizzly to start and the members had largely found other things to do. By lunchtime the forecast clearance had arrived and the cloudbase started to rise nicely.  

Pawnee back in action (Mark Courtney)

A big thank you to Ian Mitchell for getting the Pawnee back serviceable with a new Impulse Mag.  So with 8 Instructors and a Tug Pilot present, and the 3 booked Trial lesson visitors hoping for some flights, we set up a limited aerotow operation. with DD3 and ENW joining in the fun. With few members, we were also able to accommodate  two other trial lesson flights. 

ENW at cloudbase (James Hood)

Phil Morrison and Hans Jenssen were first to launch in DD3, with Lisa Humphries  next, getting some solo time in KEK, and reporting back cloudbase rising to more than 2000ft. There was even plenty of sky to get our Mile High flight in. 

Convergence (Stu Procter)

Conditions were quite strong especially when a convergence street set up over the airfield. 

Phil and Stu in DD3 (Stu Procter)

Stu Procter was invited to try out DD3 and Phil and Stu turned Crediton. So it turned out quite nice in the end with 10 aerotows,  and we hope to see some of our visitors returning during their 3 months temporary membership. - J&P

Thur 19th July

Another blue sky morning with a  light northerly wind, but it was fairly leisurely to see if the wind was going to settle at east of north or as forecast west of north, and a few minor fettling jobs were undertaken on the Club fleet. 

Eventually we set up for the north westerly wind but low launches were inevitable. The first few launches were a bit of a lottery on getting away, but then the soaring started in ernest. Every flight from 12:00 onwards was more than 30 mins. 

Thermals were plentiful and strong averaging 5 knots over the local area and to the west, (trickier to the east) cloudbase was initially 4000ft above North Hill reaching 5000ft by the end of the day.

Andy, Rob and John - Congratulations (Jill Harmer)

Congratulations to Rob Rand and John Borland for achieving their Silver heights in LRD and FZF respectively. Rob (flying over lunchtime) also got his 2 hour flight towards Cross-country endorsement. 

Congratulations also to Andy Davey for completing his Cross-Country endorsement field landings in the morning and Nav test in the afternoon with Mark Courtney in Rotax Falke.

Waiting for thermals to start (Jill Harmer)

Well done to Pete Harmer and Chris Wool for managing to soar to a Mile High for their respective Trial lesson visitors from 800ft winch launches, when the Pawnee wouldn't start.

Phil Morrison and Malcolm Vest in DD3 completed the Club 100, Pete Bennett in DG1 went to the reservoirs on Exmoor, and Robert Lee in DKU explored both coasts.  Paul Medlock and Eric Alston also enjoyed local soaring. Chris Wool and Ray Dodd flew Tiverton - Taunton in K21.

Not many occasions when there was a launch queue (David Clements)

We welcomed Jasper Hoopman a Dutch glider pilot to enjoy the delights of Devon soaring and look forward to seeing him back at North Hill.

33 launches in total  with everyone enjoying a soaring flight - What's not to like about this weather? - J&P

Wed 18th July

We unpacked the hangar onto a desert-like airfield with few members in attendance today, we only took the two K21s and a Junior to the north east corner of the airfield.
There appeared to be a low cloud base so John Street & Vince did a quick met flight and found the conditions OK for launching. Peter Warren was the Tuggie for today with three trial lessons visitors booked and members requiring aerotow checks he was going to be kept busy, we delayed the first trial lesson due to the overcast, initially it was quite thermic up to 2,000ft but on the first aerotow the glider nearly beat the tug down.

Andy's first aerotow (John Street)

Andy Davey had his first aerotow in the Junior and Malcolm Vest took a aerotow check flight and then a solo aerotow.
We couldn't fly the two mile high flights due to the limiting cloudbase. - John Street.

Sun 15th July

With a good weather forecast against a background story of badge flights yesterday, it was no surprise that the hangar doors were open, and gliders being pulled out for daily inspections, well before 9:00am today. A number of private gliders were either rigged or being rigged and there was much discussion as to what might be achieved by private and Club gliders.  The launch point was soon being set up in the North East corner of the airfield and first flight of the day was in the air just before 10:00am.

And with some fluffy clouds steadily appearing as the morning unfolded, alongside the Club gliders being launched there was a steady queue of private gliders getting airborne whether by winch or aerotow. Despite the optimism for some potential badge flights for Club members during the day, as ever the dreams were replaced by the reality of not being in the right place of the sky or not launching at the right time.

North Hill (Mike Sloggett)

Various instructors worked their way through the Club flying list which was completed late afternoon concurrently with the sky going blue and with evident cooler sea air generally driving the thermals away to the North of the airfield, out of reach from a winch launch.

And with a scheduled NOTAM for a royal flight transitting from Highgrove House down to Cornwall to the West of the airfield and with everyone having flown it was decided to stop flying early evening.  54 launches in total - Mike Sloggett

Cross-country stories

DD3 & 711
With probably the best weekend weather for cross country soaring, domestic jokers had to be played and a second day blagged to go flying.
Hot on the heels of Saturday's team outing to the Lasham area, the RASP forecast had people excitedly looking at routes in the club house which made the most of the promised good run out to the west late morning.
Phil M with typical nonchalance chose Holsworthy as the westerly end of a 500km with Lasham and Wroughton as the other two points. I say nonchalance because Pete S with much teeth sucking claimed it was too close to the sea, one of the cardinal no-nos (except in Enterprise) for serious X/C pundits. As it happens it was just ok since it sat in sea air but with this summer's great cloud bases a dart out and back was no real risk. Ron J ever the romantic for Cornish air, took on Phil's task and DD3 and 711 turned the Cornwall TP in rapid succession after reasonable runs down through Devon. Meanwhile train spotters JB and Pete turned Crediton station and started blasting off to their next station at Mottisfont on Pete's no-sea-just-trains 300k task.

The trip back towards NHL started what were some of the day's best conditions with super fast blasts twixt 6 kt thermals. Things changed beyond Salisbury with the air drying out and going blue. The spotters were lucky with their choice of TP and were able to blast back to the clouds while the ASH and Duo started to tiptoe. In the storming run up the smaller Duo wings really helped stretch out a lead but in the blue the mighty Albatross with it's seasoned skipper floated ahead and the LAS TP was turned line astern. Ron and Dan picked a good line leaving Lasham and went for clouds on the horizon. DD3 went on track and was soon in that out of phase with the lift feeling and much  grovelling was required.

Southampton Water (John Pursey)

 As an aside, in the bad air soon encountered I realised that Phil really did have no sense of smell and thought perhaps he would like to fly with me in the Eagle instead of JB with his sensitive nose and stomach...

On the radio the 300kers could be heard getting a fast convergence run home while the semi blue conditions towards Wroughton seemed a long way from home. The TP was probably in sea air  coming up from Bristol channel but by staying high contact was made with better clouds towards
Salisbury plain. Closer to home it was clear there was some kind of convergence working but I certainly didn't make the best of it and another slow but steady grovel was required before the triumphant final glide at 120kts as conditions over The Blackdowns boomed us back up. The ASH was already in its pyjamas when we landed (but only just) but importantly the pints of Otter were poured and on their way over in the trusty Discovery. 

Beer, nuts, olives (John Pursey)

 Beer, nuts , olives, good company and 500k  83kph- who could want for more with their joker?! - John Pursey

 DG1
 Pete Bennett seems to be getting used to the DG100 with a swift 146kms round Cadbury Cross, Chard and Knowstone at 75kph - "landed early for the football" .....

JB & 230
Pete Startup's train spotters task. 300kms Crediton Station -  Mottisfont Station, I hadn't done this one before and when it was all blue as I approached Mottisfont and quite close to Southampton water I began to think I wouldn't do it again, but there were good blue thermals and it turned out to be an easy day. Probably should have done the 500 task! - JB

OL
Pete and Jill took the last aerotow and headed off following the energy west turning Gillingham and Glastonbury, A fast encroaching sea air from the south sent me north into the area that I am not too keen on (Somerset). I now know why. Reasonable looking Cu, no lift. Convergences that were difficult to read, but after a bit of a struggle we escaped back to better conditions. 
 
ENW

Okehampton (Mark Courtney)

Mark Courtney flew his glider! and went west turning Okehampton, before returning to North Hill and climbing in the Pawnee.

Sat 14th July

The potential of a nice thermic day encouraged a good number of pilots to come to the club today.
The Team of Martin Woolner instructing in the morning, James Flory in the afternoon with Pete Bennett flying the Trial Lesson visitors,  got stuck into the flying list and soon the thermals started to work. 

Tom Sides completes 300kms (Rowan Smith)

Both Juniors were also used throughout the day with David Wojnar and Ellie Carter achieving their Silver Heights. Will Stainer managed his 2 hour flight  for Cross-country endorsement. Martin Bennett converted to DG100, DG1 before Tom Sides took DG1 to Lasham and back to complete his first 300kms flight for Gold Distance and Diamond Goal in 6hours 20, a busy day for the glider! Congratulations to all. 

Ellie Carter achieves Silver Height (Neil Carter)

A few other gliders made the 300km trip to Lasham and back: HOG (John Pursey), DD3 (JB and Nick Jones) and 230 (Pete Startup). 

Martin Bennett converts to DG100 (Pete Bennett)

Pete and Jill in OL did their own thing (as usual setting off later than the others) and following the energy up over Exmoor and then trying to make sense of the many convergences over the peninsular from both coasts and also on a north-south line. 

Tim Linee brought his Nimbus 2 over from Dorset GC to enjoy the Devon soaring.

Club flying stopped around 5pm, but it was nice to see a large number of members staying till the end of the day and enjoying the evening outside the Clubhouse. 

All in all, a very successful day for the club with lots of badge claims and achievements. 31 winch launches, 14 aerotows, 11 Private gliders flying alongside the club fleet with nearly all the flights soaring. - Pete Bennett

 

Thur 12th July

It was a bit of a slow start as most members had driven through some rain to get to North Hill this morning. But looking at the forecast rainfall, the Met Office were confident that North Hill would stay dry all day.It was hoped that the light and variable wind would allow us to fly from the east end, but the wind picked up to a steady 5knots easterly and so the gliders were all walked down the field.

North Hill airfield from the east.....(Mike Sloggett)

With fairly dark clouds all around the local area, but only medium and high level clouds at the airfield, the air seemed very still, and nothing to extend the winch circuits or even the aerotows. It was a good day for training - 40 flights in all.

.....and from the west (Mike Sloggett)

Well done to Andy Davey who was checked out and flew solo aerotow. Well done also to Chris Mew who got the final signature on his cross-country endorsement having completed his 2hour flight last week.

Launch point (Mark Courtney)

Highlight of the day was when Freeda the new Freelander came out  to join the ground vehicles on glider retrieves. 

Freeda the Freelander (Jill Harmer)

As forecast at 15:00hrs exactly the wind swung round to SSW and a swift change of ends ensued.

Lisa Humphries flying the evening group (Mark Courtney)

In the evening, a group from the local pony club turned up for a very enjoyable 24 glider  flights and social evening. - J&P