Saturday 12th April

Saturday started off with a disappointingly grey sky and a cool wind. Being small in numbers, we just got out the Skylark 4 and a token K13 and set up in the 8 acre field. Robin went off to do the first stint on the winch, and Phil Hebdon took first slot in the Skylark, but we weren't terribly hopeful about the conditions. DI Graham P was adamant that it was going to get better!

Sam Tomline and Zander, another friend of Phil & Sam, turned up to fly so Graham had something to do, and the rest of us took turns with the Skylark. It all worked out quite well because fairly soon Sam was sent off solo again (after an 8 year break), and we kept the gliders busy all day. 

Solo Sam!

 Initially the flights were better than circuits but not terribly long, then just as it was looking very frontal, Paul Fletcher got away in wave in BNP. As we watched he disappeared up underneath the dull grey top cover, way above the lower ragged cloud, until he was at over 5000'. Best flight of the day, with an hour off the winch, and once again he kindly brought it back for the rest of us. Paul reported that some of the ragged clouds below him appeared to be lined up but that there was otherwise no clue as to the source of the lift.

Whilst Paul was up high, Harry turned up and launched in the K13 - he also contacted wavelike of some sort.....we watched him going up in a straight line away under a grey but cloudless patch of sky. Later, when the front had gone through, we got blue skies and thankfully it warmed up. After that there was more traditional soaring to be had, and Terry M, Phil H and Rowan had decent flights in BNP. 

This is more like it!

 

Thanks to a small but helpful team we had an enjoyable day. Thanks especially to Robin, Paul F and Michael Bell for doing all the winching.