Flying Report Sun 21 Sep 25
With damp, warm ground and a cold Northerly, the forecast look good and so it proved. After three consecutive non-flying weekends, there was eager anticipation to get flying again and despite the overnight rain, the ground was firm enough to launch off r’way 36 (grass).
While Toby and Sophie went off on check flights in the K21s……………..
……….Colin took Andy, one of our MEF gliding bursary students off in KE for some general handling skills, all part of the MEF programme.
Incidentally, The Vicar thought that we were trying to despatch him to go and meet his maker by giving him an out-of-date parachute. Turned out he incorrectly read the packing label!
The aftermath of the heavy overnight rain was evident, particularly on the floodplain of the River Severn
Welcome to new MEF gliding bursary student Charlotte. Charlotte is on a tin-bashing course at Cosford and she took her first flight in a glider today followed by a trip in KE with The Vicar. They departed for some general handling skills intending to take in Welshpool enroute. Unfortunately, Welshpool was underwater, the strip only just visible if you knew where to look!
Conditions were fantastic with booming thermals and a cloud base that topped out at c5,000ft. In the cold air we could clearly see, some 55kms away, the radio telescope at Jodrell Bank glinting in the sun. At one stage, Ian in his ASW20 saw a climb rate of 700ft min. So good were the conditions that Geoff M and Mike O both took a trip in their Ventus2CT without either having to fire up the iron thermal behind the cockpit. Elsewhere, Will enjoyed over an hour in the Astir (R66) and then continued building up his hours in TMG KE as he works toward his tug qualification.
Looking down on the airfield it was evident that we are nearing the end of the runway resurfacing project and that will allow us to get back on the hard surfaces, vital for the Winter period when the grass will become unusable.
Finally, a big well done to Andy Hagan. Flying with Colin today in TMG WG, Andy successfully completed the last leg for his Cross-country endorsement. Top job Andy.
After the frustration of the last three weekends, it was a super day out on which we achieved over 14 hours of flying time.