Gavin's Report for the Week

A week that would look difficult on the forecasts but which produced thermalling flights every day!


Monday 22 April

Nir Gonen returned and converted to the K8.  Glen Evans flew a few good flights, suggesting that it's only a matter of time before he goes solo.  Lech Zakrzewski was up for an hour and twelve minutes in difficult conditions achieving the first soaring leg of his cross-country endorsement.  Kath took a break from winching to fly with Paul and Ian and Clive went motor gliding for a few hours.  Christine Bell took K8 HRJ up late in the day and managed a very creditable 24 minutes defying the consensus that conditions were not soarable anymore.

Nir converts to the K8.  Will we ever see it on the ground again?

Tuesday 23 Aprils

Today Nir takes the K8 up for over 20 minutes in difficult soaring conditions.  Suzi Sykes-Waller continues to make progress toward her first solo flight and Martin Jones has a few good flights too.  Michael Rawclife has a couple and then disappears for a few hours with Russell Dyer in the Duo Discus. Carla, Nir's wife (9 months pregnant and ready to pop) helps out at the launch point, drives the buggy (over rough ground) and looks desperate to have a go in a glider, except that the instructor doesn't fancy his chances of doing a mid air delivery or a field landing in the hospital grounds ...

Wednesday 24 April

Chris Raine visits to do some currency flying. We take an aerotow to go spinning and Dave Gould drops us adjacent to some cloud at about 3000 ft.  We realise to our astonishment that after a few spins and spiral dives we've lost hardly any height at all and begin to explore the reason why, only to discover strong lift at the face of the cloud.  We steadily climb up the cloud face and enjoy a spectacular flight, well above cloud base, lasting the best part of an hour. Harry Abraham helps out and then, after a few flights in the K21, including some launch failure practice, converts to the Astir.

Chris above cloud and climbing.  Note the airfield in the distance.

Harry is all smiles after his first flight in the Astir.

Thursday 25 April

Today Terry Turner completes his AFR and Bob King makes progress toward his. Bob then opts for a few flights in the K8 and perseveres after a few shorter flights with a 25 minute flight late in the day. It is a creditable flight in rather tricky conditions.

Friday 26 April

A forecast which promised ridge, thermals and long cross-country flying produced a little bit of everything, including a few passing showers and spectacular skies. Jane Jarvis flew early in the morning, went home, and then returned for an afternoon flight.  Harry, determined to get the better of the Astir in conditions that offered challenges low down eventually thermalled away and enjoyed nearly an hour's flying.  Paul Duffy, attempting to remain current disappeared with the Green HUSsey for a couple of hours.  Graham Paul and Eric Lown disappeared to Wales and Russell Dyer and Phil Atkinson opted to stay reasonably local in Duo Discus JYR.  Paul and Kath Barns ended the day with a flight in the K13. One of only two flights all week that Kath was not seated in the winch.

Friday starts with a Royal Flypast by the Queen's own squadron. No, they didn't file a Notam.

Typical Shenington Members! "Do you think it's on the Ridge Old Goose?"

Russell takes this spectacular scene from JYR. Sometimes it's good to be up simply because it's beautiful aloft.

Showers delay flying  for a while in the middle of the day but then pass us by.

So far in April there have only been two days in which we have not flown. The vast majority of those have been soarable for some or all of the day. According to the forecast for the next few days there is a good chance that we will fly out the month in style. "Only one way to find out Old Goose!"