Flying Report Sun 28 Jan 24
Our last Sunday flying day of the Winter season saw highs (Wave to 7,000ft AGL) and lows (a land-out, 0ft AGL). However, it was day to enjoy that saw 22 launches and over 13 hours of flying time with everyone getting a great trip.
If you’re a student on our MEF gliding programme this was a day not to miss. Adam made the most of the conditions taking four trips with Will, three to 2,000ft and the last to 4,000ft for an aerobatics trip overhead the airfield. Even at an early stage of your gliding journey it is quite something to enjoy a trip in Wave.
We welcomed ex-Wrekin Gliding Club member Phil Hutchinson, now living in Australia. Phil hasn’t flown in a number of years but Geoff M, sitting in the back seat, said that Phil has lost none of his skills. Remembered by a number of members still flying with RSGC, let’s hope we see you again Phil and thanks for all your help at the launch point.
It was a hectic day. Our next visitor decided that it was all so good that he joined the club! Welcome Paul Sutton, a Veteran, PPL holder and former Air Cadet gliding instructor.
Next, a nervous Jack turned up with Mum and Dad. Jack, friend of junior member Darcey, was soon put at ease by The Vicar as they took a flight around the local area.
Good to see Nigel back on the airfield after a long break. He and Colin (BeardsRUS) took KE away for an hour for a trip over the Welsh Hills and taking in some of the bridges over the River Dee.
In the foreground Chirk Railway Viaduct. In the middle distance, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal World Heritage Site.
But it was the Wave bars that captured everyones’ attention with one bar holding all day just south of the airfield and lift from as low as 1,800ft. Well done to Mike Osborn who got to 7,000ft in his Ventus 2ct.
It didn’t take long for aircraft to help each other make the most of the conditions.
As a portent of what was to come, #vulcanbomber had brought cake.
Having enjoyed a gravity induced first flight he decided to take a 2nd launch, nearly the last of the day, and try some of this Wave stuff about which everyone else was pontificating. Flying above cloud, even when you can still see the ground, and with an upper wind blowing in a different direction it’s very easy to get disorientated. So it was that we got a strangulated call from Richard saying that he was landing out at High Ercall, an airfield he knew well from his days as a former Bristol Belvedere helicopter instructor. The former RAF airfield has a good selection of large fields and quite by sheer luck the 10,000 odd free-range chickens had got wind of his impending arrival and all done an Ardman-style Chicken Run.
A big thankyou to Sophie who was at home but on hearing of the nearby land-out went over to recce a route in, thanks to the crew that went out for the retrieve, and thanks to Geoff M for organising Hangar 4 to receive the K21 back at Shawbury at dusk.
If you weren’t there you missed a cracker!