Gliding Club News - Aston Down Expedition Day 2. 16th May 2023

The day  promised much compared with yesterday.  After a delicious cooked breakfast courtesy of Mike's breakfast club we adjourned to the trailer park.  No rigging required except for a Standard Cirrus whose syndicate members went in auto and derigged it last night. The rest of us took their canopy covers off.  Posh members removed their glider covers.  K-6 owners just removed their trestles.

The aforementioned Mike of "Breakfast Club Fame" 

Mini Nimbus in covers

DGS gliders waiting to move to the grid on runway 03

The brief was at 0930 after some of us had already taken our gliders up the main runway to the threshold of runway 03. Once we got going Mark had his first flights at Aston Down in K-6 FUB, and was delighted by the results: 12 minutes and 23 minutes in turbulent conditions.

 

The K-6 syndicate celebrate Mark Elliott's achievements

 Early in the day was indeed very challenging with local club pundits abandoning tasks.  I took off at 1335 and spent 25 minutes trying to climb in very turbulent and noisy conditions. Rick had the same experience in his Standard Cirrus, FCN. 

I set off on task at 1400 but the cloudbase was only at 3,400 feet over the airfield, visibility to Gloucester and the River Severn was very poor.  Finding the thermals was difficult so I abandoned the task and headed back.  I should have waited an hour or more as the conditions improved. Little did I know that Phil had set off in task and got with 20 km of Leominster.  Very creditable, Phil.

John at cloudbase

Identify the airfield anyone?

Heather enjoying the view

The "Man of the Match" went to Adam who flew Woody, his yellow K-6, to Ledbury and back. Bravo!

There was a lot of glider activity in the local area; small-winged gliders thermalling with big wings.  All exciting stuff.

Overall, despite the challenging conditions we all had a good day.  Tomorrow is forecast as a soaring day which is good as I have a special event happening tomorrow.  All will be revealed in due course.

John Allan was the duty chef this evening and produced chilli con carne followed by apple crumble and custard. Mmm!

On the WhatsApp group we heard that Richard had flown his Discus from Brentor to near Aston Down, before heading back and landing at Mendip Gliding Club.  Well done as well.

Gavin Short