With the current low pressure system spinning away to the north of the country and the associated cold front clearing our area during the early hours this looked like a good day in the making. A good day after all that rain with the fields and hills still very wet? Well yes, the effect is a bit like taking the cork from a bottle of champagne. Cork in ( high pressure for the last week is an effective atmospheric cork ) everything in quiet and stable. Cork out ( Low pressure, passing cold front ) bubbles everywhere.
Today did not disappoint. As soon as the rain cleared away, the thermals started. Not gentle 1 knot climbs but strong, very active, thermal cores giving 6 knots+ just about everywhere.
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| Joe Tyler, Ged, me and Joe's grandfather Graham. |
First to take advantage of this was One Day Course candidate Graham Murrell flying with me in K13 G-CHXP who completed the first half of his course with a soaring flight of 3/4 hour. We only landed to allow us to have a cup of tea and for Graham’s grandson, Joe Tyler to begin his own One Day Course with me. Both had a lot of flying and left with smiles on their faces.
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| Richard Robert's view of Roadford Lake. |
One enterprising club member, Richard Roberts, saw me soaring in HXP and rushed of to rig his K6, launching half an hour later to complete the best flight of the day at 2 hours and 22 minutes. Most members managed soaring flights. It was nice to see our 3 trainee pilots, Simon Collier, David Downton and Michael Bennett, all have soaring flights of around half an hour with Ged.
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| Looking south toward Plymouth |
So a good day; only 18 launches but an average flight time in excess of 27 minutes including all the training flights.
Steve
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