We had a 'Winter series' visit from the UK Juniors group this weekend. Our visitors started arriving on Thursday evening, with more arrivals on Friday together with gliders. Lucy had organised the Regionals Food Team to come and help, so Jessie & helpers provided Friday food, while Jane & Tracey came to run breakfast at the weekend, and we had a sandwich rota including Ziz & Mary Wootton. Coming down to help on the Saturday John & I found the welcome sight of a sausage butty to get things started!! Definitely an improvement on my normal breakfast!
 |
| Juniors glider covered in postits! (don't ask...) |
Saturday started blue and windy, with c15kt north easterlies with the forecast to be mainly blue. There was a briefing at 10am for the many visitors so whilst Rowan, Lucy, Poz (one of our Regionals regulars) and the others went through the operations for the day, the rest of us started club flying up at the launch point. Paul Fletcher was in charge and organised Andrew Phillips (Alex's Dad) and Danny to fly with John W, while Andy Moore (on one of his regular visits 'home' to Shenington) had the pleasure of a couple of practice launch failures with Paul.
 |
| Mass glider rigging |
Shortly after this, the juniors started arriving at the launch point in the top field and the gliders started lining up for aerotow or winching. Christine brought in her cub, and Jonathan May from Bicester flew in an Icarus tug - all three tugs were kept busy, and we flew 30 aerotows during the day. Small clouds began to form and though it was very windy, most of the gliders got away and went soaring. Poz had set a number of tasks starting from 50km to over 300km, with the smaller tasks staying within range of the airfield. Going upwind did prove quite challenging apparently, even to the glass ships, and conditions went properly blue out east, and there were a few landouts. There were quite a few visiting two seaters (plus Russell in JYR) taking youngsters cross country, and the two seaters were also kept busy. Dave S went off in 'DS' and reported that conditions deteriorated beyond Bozeat.
 |
| All calm at the winch - look at that sky!!! |
 |
| Not so quiet at the launchpoint!! |
Lech and Sam did a magnificent job on Glidex at the launchpoint, though I think Lech appreciated a break on the winch late in the day! All was very calm up at the winch, with the biggest worry being whether we'd get the parachute over the fence with the stiff crosswind! All in all it was (for me at least!) a thoroughly enjoyable day, with the airfield buzzing, and lots of gliders disappearing into the sky under wispy clouds. Flying wound down around 6pm, and with most people back the hangar was packed and the bar opened. Mary's family came down to organise the evening meal (many thanks Michaela, Tracey, Damon and assorted helpers), and when we left early evening, the stampede for food had begun.
Thanks to everyone who helped out. Great day - lets hope there will be many more like this.