Or should that be “2nd day of Task Week”? A week passed since the first day but this was only the second one suitable for setting a task. An exceptional summer and we get the week of rubbish weather – pah.
Busy launch point at the start of the day
With a stiff 90 degree crosswind it wasn’t going to be easy and it wasn’t. No headwind component gives only modest launch height with which to find the thermals rather that the 4+ down that was plentiful. When you did catch a thermal you had to be sure to be climbing faster than you were drifting. First 10 launches were all circuits with 2 exceptions. Launch 4 was with new member Mike G (returning to gliding after a long lay-off) and returned after 44 minutes and visiting cloudbase at 3,900′ – and practising airbrake coordination. Launch 7 (Phil and Carol in the Janus) didn’t qualify as a circuit as a) it was 16 minutes b) they returned in the opposite direction to take-off. Did I mention the 4+ sink on offer? Following the less than auspicious start things got better (or the pilots more determined). Making any headway into the westerly was tough. Colin B reported passing Pewsey several times before deciding there are only so many times you can batter your head against a brick wall (or stiff wind in this case). Finding one of the occasional magnificent streets was the trick – as John D and I did getting a K13 west of the Savernak. Longest flights honours went to Pete S and Chris B – no idea where they got to but with any luck they will add their own tales to the blog. A few stats: 3 flights of 2 hours or more, 6 > 1 hour and 6>40 minutes. Total of 43 launches flying for almost 24 hours. All 5 club gliders flying and 9 others rigged and flown. 29 people flew. Finally, I can’t leave this blog entry without thanking Ken R, Nigel B, Peter E and Richard D helping me get thorough the instruction list. I could not have got through the list without their help. Extra big thanks to Ken H for driving the winch all day and Colin B taking over DI duty mid-afternoon so that I could go and romp around in our glider.
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