Looking at various forecasts it was a question of whether any of the showers would hit the airfield or would we be lucky and fly all day. With a moderate easterly the other obvious question was would there be wave. The K13, Puchacz and K8 were initially taken to the west end launch point.
First launch showed that there was no wave and the rain was quickly approaching from the south. We chose to stand down and return to the clubhouse for refreshments and wait for the rain to pass.
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| Edward Nicholson ready to resume flying. |
The launch resulted in a cable break at the winch and the flight was converted into a demonstration of a land ahead launch failure. When we finally reached the top of the launch we found ourselves in smooth rising air and a flight of 34 minutes in weak wave.
Today we were joined by two visitors Holly Wigmore and Katie Freeman. They are Friends & Family of Ed Borlase and work with him in the Theatre Royal Plymouth, but were unable to attend the recent Women Go Gliding event due to commitments. So today we gave them the full Women Go Gliding experience. Holly would fly first followed by Katie, both in the capable hands of IFP Steve Fletcher.
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| Holly and Steve in the Puchacz. |
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| Away they go.... |
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| Katie with parachute keen to follow. |
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| Katie launches with Steve. |
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| Holly, Katie and families with certificates. |
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| Ed with colleagues Holly & katie. |
Whilst all this was going on, Jamie Young had taken a launch in the K8. He enjoyed his first solo wave flight reaching a height of 4200ft and a duration of 1 hour 4 minutes to claim flight of the day.
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| Jamie off in the K8. |
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| And returns for flight of the day. |
Misha Skochko was my next student who after experiencing his first launch failure enjoyed a 32 minute soaring flight in the weak wave that was now being broken up by developing thermals.
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| Misha concentrating for the launch. |
Dad Viktor was next. After a quick check flight he enjoyed hi first solo soaring flight of 21 minutes in the developing thermals. Elliot Flannery, Matthew Stone and Ray Boundy each had their training flights, although the thermal activity was decreasing, so only managed extended circuits.
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| K13 soaring above the Puchacz. |
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| Airfield looking west. |
Sean Westrope came from the winch and had a circuit in the Astir and Ed Borlase managed 21 minutes in the K8.
Thank you to the winch drivers Sean, Ed and James Flannery. Also Alison who did a majority of the retrieving during the day. 21 flights, some wave flying and two satisfied visitors.
Peter Howarth
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