Booker Gliding Club

Another interesting and fulfilling week at Booker. The Task Week didn't provide the most promising of weather, however the most was made of it and some great flying was undertaken on Monday and Friday. Monday produced high cloudbases and strong thermals with several pilots doing the task 300k of Chievely, Towster, Cambridge, Mursley and home and others achieving personal bests.
Friday was forecast to be another good day but the conditions proved quite tricky after all the rain the day before and took a while to get going. The sky around Booker was full of gliders all trying to stay airborne under a cloudbase that refused to go above 2,500' for a long time before some intrepid soles set off on the task of 219k (Burbage, Basingstoke, Faringdon, Booker). Judging by the comments from pilots afterwards, it was as difficult as it looked and most pilots regretfully abandoned the task (except for Tim Scott in his new ASW29) and opted for other tasks.
Friday did produce a first solo with Ali Elliott in CFA. Ali only started in June on an Basic course and clearly liked it enough to top with extra flying to go solo. Her comment after her solo was that she intends to carry on doing more flying and cannot wait for the chance to experience cross country flying.


The grid ready to launch under a promising sky

987 soaring over Bicester during the task week

Ali Elliott beside CFA after her first solo

Other achievements during the week include Rob Turner completing his first 100k (that he's ever claimed), Simon Vardigan flying the K18 for the first time, James Cooling (one of our regular tuggies) becoming a power flying instructor and Will Hilton being checked out as a new tuggy. Congratulations to them and apologies to any one who has achieved something new and different this week who has been missed out.