Sunday 31 July 2011

Busier and busier!


G-OFER is back in the air after her extended refurbishment...and boy did we need her! Thanks to Colin H and Dave G for all their hard work.

Saturday saw blue skies and scattered Cu, which brought out most folks and there was much soaring to be had. Graham P (Lak) and Al C with Dave H P.2 (Duo) set the standard with both gliders completing a 440km task. John D flew the DG500 and both took Andy L and then Bob W for 2 hour plus soaring flights with beaming smiles all round. More big smiles from Tom K who completed his 2-hour XC Endorsement leg in the club K8 and newly solo Richard Allen, who got both Bronze legs in the K13. But the biggest grin was from visiting pilot Peter Bryant from Thame who landed out at Sheningto having achieved both his 50k and 5 hours to complete his Silver, having completed his XC Endorsement training only 2 weeks ago with us under the coaching of Bruno Brown!

John M was out for a spin in his Robin and kindly popped in from Bicester just incase anyone needed a tow, but Gary B was busy putting G-OFER through her paces before handing over to John R, when he and young Lucy took up the call to road retrieve Paul N from near Northampton!

Ray and Phil ran the day with lots of help from both our club and our BFGC visitors, with Rowan taking over the airfield for the AX group which we flew from 3pm. BBQs all round.


Richard Allen after his first solo a couple of weeks ago, with instructor Dick Skerry
 Sunday was another XC day with lots more soaring and another big AX group with the duty crew and additional helpers doing another sterling job. Make hay while the sunshines...!

Congratulations to John Whiting who claimed a day win on Wednesday at Hus Bos and earned an overall 5th position in the Midland Regionals flying his Discus.

Thursday 28 July 2011

Vintage Silver!

A good flying day with lots local soaring. Those who flew XC included John R in his DG100 and whilst the usually brave Lasham pundits whimped out Al C & Graham P (suitably attired for the beach in Hawaiian shirts and shorts) flew to the Isle of White and back in their Duo. Also, congratulations to Dave, visiting from Bowland Forest, who flew his Silver Distance to Sackville Farm in his vintage Skylark 3!!!

Al Cook's BGA Ladder comments:
Initial run down past LAS tricky, the climbs only getting better as we headed towards the coast. Coasting out was fun. On the IOW sea air was in as far as Sandown with Cu only in the centre of the island and to the north. Picked a nice 3kt climb in the sea breeze to take us back over the solent. Dropped the ball at Newbury and had to start the engine. Graham Paul acting today as tactician, statistician, beautician, dietitian* (delete as applicable)!

See trace at:

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Go Soaring, Go Shenington!

As can be seen from the analysis of BGA Ladder traces by Paul Jessop, featured in the latest S&G, Shenington sits in the middle of the best area for thermal XC Soaring in the UK with the peak area roughly between Great Malvern - Basingstoke - Cambridge.

So don't miss out - come visit, either individually or on an exped. There is still some places available in our Reigionals 6th - 14th August.

Come and have some the fun!
01295 680 008
http://www.shenington-gliding.co.uk/

Monday 25 July 2011

Beautiful Day!

Blue skies and another busy day. DW ran the day with Tony T helping out. There were several soaring flights with Graham P (Lak) and Al C (Duo - with Lucy as P.2) going XC. Several pilots soared locally including Reg W, from BFGC, who flew his Nimbus and Jan A in her ASW-20. Thanks to Dave H who managed to resource the Robin coming back from the comp at Bicester so we could do some A/Ts, and for Ted Norman for ferrying both ways. We had a couple of comp landouts from HB, one of which took a placed tow home providing a nice detour for Ted! Others out included several folks from Bowland plus Paul B, Tim D, and Malcom R.

Special thanks to Dave Smith who spent much of the day working round the flying operations clearing the 'folliage' off the hard runways so they are clear for our regionals.

Sunday 24 July 2011

Busy, busy, busy...

...
A busy weekend with Dave Perkins and team running Saturday. Lots of club flying and a number of landouts at Shenington from comp pilots showing us an interesting variety of alternative ways of flying the circuit! Sunday was even busier with Paul Noonan and team providing the most efficiently run day this year.

Their were lots of AX flights, plus guests from Bowland Forest and Weston-on-the-Green. It was so busy that 3 two-seaters just weren't enough, so I got HVQ out to provide extra instructional support, and after several AX's I flew new member 'Andy-Midge' who has rejoined us after an 8 year lay off! With the tug away at Bicester for their Regionals the winch team needed to provide swift turnarounds and met the challenge using separate drivers for winch and retrieve all day getting through 73 launches - now that's more like it!

Special thanks to Dave L-M who gave up his afternoons flying and stepped in as PM LPC when our rostered volunteer couldn't make it. Several folks went XC, including John D, Gavin P, Al C and  Alan L. Alan was the only one to go west, and proved to have chosen wisely (i.e. he was the only one to get home without the assistance of  a motor of some form)!

Friday 15 July 2011

Big Lift, Big Sink...

Another good flying day with lots of soaring with some great climbs and some monster sink. Dick had a busy day with Tim D also helping with some instructing before flying his DG500, taking young Tim with him soaring. Clive did Evesham O/R in his K6e. I got to the club after lunch once I'd finished work and flew my ASW20 around "The President's Triangle".


When I got back I found a young Ed from Aston Down had battled into wind in the club Astir to claim his Silver Distance. Later I towed the Astir back home then gave Bob Playle a tow in his Capstan. dave L-M helped me wash the tug, then it was in the bar for a beer!
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Tuesday 12 July 2011

Campaign for Real Gliding gets a boost!

Tuesday 12th was a grey and not particularly auspicious day, with an easterly wind, generally regarded as the kiss of death for gliding. This didn't put off Dick and his students in the K13, and from my point of view, it was a red letter day.
After nearly ten years in storage, and after much effort from new syndicate members Andy and Dave, the President's Carriage, Skylark 4 BQZ, took to the skies again.


I had a quick test flight to see if anything dropped off or didn't want to work, and then managed 43 mins soaring up to 2'700ft cloudbase.
In the afternoon, Dave took his first two flights in her, and arrived with the customary wide smile on his face. The Age of Elegance has returned!


Busy Skies

What a busy day with Derrick S running the show with Bob and Clive as LPCs. The T21 was finally back in the air with its new Cof G winch hook providing super launches to heights previously only dreamed of. John D was the test pilot and such was the anticipation that we even got a flypast from the Red Arrows on their way to Silverstone as she was launched! How did you arrange that Derrick? The usual suspects went XC and there was lots of local flying. New member Tim J did lots of work and got in some flying. Tim D and I did 3 very productive flights towards his Assitant Instructor Rating acceptance which we completed, totalling around 1hr 30min soaring/stalling/spinning! Well done.
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Sunday 3 July 2011

Sunday Soaring.

A relativly quiet day with John D and Tony T running the show with the help of  Glenn E as LPC. Graham took an early tow in his Lak, as did Al with dave H in the Duo and wnet to North Wales and back - for details see the BGA Ladder. Andy L got away off the wire for a couple of hours before it spreadout and cycled bigtime, with Mick F later scratching away in his Discus. I eventually clawed my way skywards and clocked up over an hour and a half but only bimbled around collecting some local TPs. Star of the day however, was the chap who landed out at Shenington in a Ka8 having flown his Silver distance from Thame - cool! 

Saturday 2 July 2011

Another 5-Hour day!!!

Rowan was DI with Bruno assisting and Phil B as BI with Dave H starting off the tugging, then Mike C checking out John D for towing in the Robin. A couple of guests from Bicester, Rocky and James, brought their ASW 19 up to Shenington to escape the Std Nats Comp. 

Graham P did over 440km with an East-West task in his Lak 19 whilst John W and Al C  flew the Duo. http://www.bgaladder.co.uk/dscore.asp?FlightID=32397

Several others also also went soaring including Mary and I in the K13. 

Star of the day was Paul M who, inspired by Bruno, got away off the wire in the Ka8 and achieved his Silver Duration.  Well done Paul.

Special thanks must go to Bob P who ran the airfield as LPC all day but decided not to fly  and Roddy who washed down the K13s on his own at the end of play.


Friday 1 July 2011

In the Summertime...

Not really the 750k day that RASP had been suggesting, but still a 300k day. Several folks went off soaring and some went XC with Graham P flying the club 200km and John R clocking up 250km at over 80kph. Tony T flew around 100km with a trip to Hus Bos O/R. Charlie had another great day to finish off his week with us, gaining his 2-hour flight for his XC Endorsement and his Silver Height in the Astir - what a week he's had.  Tonight the juniors made the most of a lovely summer's Friday evening.