Bruno the Brave!

A good training day and just marginally soarable for an hour or so in the middle of the day under the high pressure gloom. Bruno and Jane picked up the best of the weak thermals to get away from site in a forlorn bid for Bidford but the weak thermals disintegrated not far from home and they landed near Oxhill for a short retrieve. Their bravery was rewarded, however, by winning the day! Tonight we descended on mass (a table for 21 please!!!) to "The Purple Mango" for an excellent Indian meal to cheer ourselves up!

Bronze Legs & BBQs...

Hot, blue and late to trigger. It was a day to be in wood with Tom K showing the way and eeking out his first Bronze Leg in the Ka8. Bruno launched with Cassie in his K13 and was the only one to go XC, eventually landing out at Long Marsden - bit no de-rigg today, calling for an A/T retrieve instead. Sven got the bit between his teeth and also scratched out a Bronze Leg. Jan & I did a Navex in the Falke around "The President's Triangle". Sue Rogers kindly went into town to get the makings for the first club BBQ of the year and Rowan volunteered to be chef...Scrummy - well done guys!

High Hopes & Landouts

Lots of flying...some soaring...several landouts...all back safe...beer in the bar!

3 out of 3

Dick's first day back running the midweek flying, with course student Danny W, plus new member Chas C. As always Kath was doing a sterling job on the winch. The soaring tasks were duly set, but the weather didn't really play ball. A murky high pressure appears to have sat over us, with hazy outlines of cumulus tempting some to take hopeful launches. Bruno and Gail launched in HVQ but despite a valiant 30mins airborne failed to find taskable weather. This was followed by a succession of launches by club members into quite soarable local weather.

Rowen had the longest flight of the day in his Cirrus (2hr 16min) climbing to over 6000ft, but could not make progress in the poor visibility. Sven took a winch launch in the K8 and managed to stay out for 1hr and 26mins, achieving a leg for Bronze and XC Endorsement - not bad for a pilot who went solo last Tuesday!! Ian flew the ASW20 for 1hr 46, and John Rogers also managed 47mins local soaring. Visitor Pete R from Tibenham took his DG self-launcher around a short task (to a new turnpoint nominated by his other half - Bicester Outlet Village!). Martin L had a quick flight in the K8, Tony T took GCY for a couple of flights, and Jane flew Q5. A good time had by all, hoping for improved forecast in the morning.

Only the brave...and turbos!

Derrik S was Duty Instructor, with Tony T BI-ing and Christine and Roddy in the tug.

A relatively solw start due to waiting for the visability to improve. Quite a lot of folks out with high hopes but in the end only a select few managed decent soaring flights as the Cu built rapidly and cut-off the convection locally.

A much tougher soaring day for XC with the relatively poor visibility and weaker climbs. Graham P took Sven with him in the Duo and did Basingstoke O/R clocking up 192km. Our visitor from Tibenham, Pete Ryland, took off late but completed a credible 123km, with Alan L doing the best task without the comfort of a motor in the back with 103km. Bruno and Paul M bravely pushed on in the K.13 but landed out near Newport Pagnell, whilst Dave Heath did Oxford and back in Q5. All in all pretty good considering the conditions. See http://www.bga.ladder.co.uk/ for details.

Climbing the Ladder!

Geoff P was Duty Instructor and did a lot of good work instructing on a busy day with Rowan on the tug and Jane as BI. It was great to see several new members out as well as quite a numbers taking part in the Spring Soaring Week.

A great start to the Spring Soaring Week with lots of soaring and a number of pilots kicking off proceedings with some good XC Tasks. The weather models were very mixed but suggested that were would have the best on offer and we did - Shenington had more entries on the BGA Ladder today than any other club!!! ( http://www.bgaladder.co.uk/ )

Poor air to the south of the Cotswolds meant that the Vale of Easham was the place to go, and this area was booming with climbs 4-5kt to 5500AMSL. Graham Paul flew furthest with Long Mynd O/R for 214km. Bruno did a superb 137km task in his K13 with Jill (from Bidford in the co-pilots seat) and I managed 177km in a yo-yo between Evesham and Banbury. Mick F did the short (85km) task and Clive managed 75km of his 100km BID-BIC triangle but landed out at Upper Heyford to just fall short of his silver distance middle leg at 48km from his remote start at Bidford...good effort - close but no cigar!

First 750km day of the year!

By far the best day of the year so far with 65 entries on the BGA National Ladder, including some seriously big flights by the national pundits - 1 x 750k, 1 x 700k, 3 x 600km+, 12 x 500km+, 15 x 400km+, and 17 x 300km+ flights!!! Amazing for April.

Take a look at:www.bgaladder.co.uk

www.bgaladder.co.uk/dscore.asp?FlightID=30214

Closer to home there was lots of flying instruction and local soaring going on, in fact when I arrived around 1pm DW reported to me that they had had to ask DS to come in and instruct, as well as Bruno, and all 3 K13s were very busy.

As expected, a few likely candidates had set off XC - Al & Lee in the Duo, Graham in his Lak, John LC in his DG800 and Alan L in his DG 300. I finally got ariborne around 2:30pm with a winch launch onto the ridge where I found a good thermal and climbed away. There were some fantastic climbs (I saw 7kts on the avaerager!) but some awsome sink and 20kts of wind at height! In the end I clocked up over 3 hours, but should have achieve more with the day than my local bimble to Northampton and Bicester (where I landed out - doh!).

The season has begun in earnest. Don't miss the next big day.. www.weatherton.blogspot.com/

Worth The Wait...!

A steady day for the most part with DW and Bruno both instructing. Sven continued with DW plus other club members including Robin A (annual/currency A/T Cx), whilst Bidford member Jill came to fly with Bruno and sample the delights of Shenington. Several of us were waiting for the weak cold front to pass through as predicted, which it eventually did around 4pm and the wind strengthened and veered onto the ridge. For most of those who stuck it out it was well worth the wait and we were rewarded by some specacular climbs and outstanding vis (50km) allowing us to see as far as Didcot to the south.

... ...

DW was the first to get away with new member Richard. I took off at 5pm and beetled down the ridge to pick up a decent thermal, and off I went. My best climb saw 5.0kts on the averager at 17:45L to 4750ft QNH before setting off back upwind against 25kts on the nose - cloudbase was well above at around 5500ft AMSL. I also found some weak low-level wave in line with the ridge working to around 2700ft, before running the ridge again to finish. Eric launched shortly after me in his Ka6e, and also had a wonderful flight. We eventually landed around 18:45L ahead of some showers that never actually reached the airfield. The ridge was still booming!

And they're off...

The first week of our summer program got underway this week with DW as course instructor with 2 visiting pilots on course, Sven from Germany and Simon from North Hill in Devon. A mixture of winch, A/T and motor-gliding activities have been taking place ranging from ab-initio training and AFRs to instructor prep, with lots of fun flying.

A/X from the weekend, Jimmy B, came back on Wed and had a flight in the Falke, and later Clive did a Field Landing refresher with Lee.

Thursday was busy with John LC flying his DG, the Duo was also out and Ian flew the 20. Eric & Clive flew one of their 3 K6e's. DW had a flight in the 6 and Ian also had a soaring flight.

On the social side Mary did a cook-in on Monday after flying with 12 in attendance! Make the most of the good weather over the weekend - perhaps it's time to fire up the BBQ!

Wake Up - Spring's here!

Saturday 2nd April. Just because it thunders a bit and drizzles in the morning, doesn't mean its not going to be a good flying day.

By about 11:oo am, Duty Boss Dave P had got us organised and flying, and although the wind was a bit brisk, some good soaring conditions developed for about four hours.

Eric NTD and El Presidente used their combined experience of approx 200 years to keep the K21 up for half an hour until Eric remembered another appointment. Yes we did airbrake down the last 1500ft. JR then disappeared for slightly longer, arriving just in time to hand XXI over for some trial lessons.

All in all, from a late start, we flew 28 launches, all bar one in club aircraft doing a useful mix of annual renewals, trial lessons, and basic training.

Where were the private owners? If they weren't either recovering from April Fool's Day or prepping for Mother's Day, they missed an opportunity for a quick XC, possibly an early attempt at the President's Triangle. Don't believe the weather forecast - get out here and make your own mind up!

Thanks to the usual suspects, Dave, Paul, Rowan for instructing/tugging, Andy/ Eric winching, Paul M/Lucy/Gordon everyone else for making a very pleasant day.

Reports that a very junior member attempted to run over a very senior member in one of the buggies are exaggerated.