Thermal Formation and Decay

For those of you new to gliding, the time lapse video below demonstrates quite nicely how cumulus are formed. As the morning progresses and the sun heats up the ground, the occasional bubbles of rising air over Booker become a constant stream to keep the clouds refreshed with water vapour. Notice the thermals over Didcot power station (bottom left) have started much earlier due to that heat source. You can also see how the rising air spills outwards at the top of the thermal causing sink at the edges of the cumulus. The video spans the time 10.30 to 12.00 BST or 9.30 to 11.00 GMT or "Sun Time".

Steamy Morning at Booker

Sorry but the electrical budget doesn't run to a heated camera enclosure. Pretty though as the condensation clears to reveal Didcot already active at 07.30.

Get Your Solo Course Day 1

After his last successful "Get Your Solo" course, Martin Ff is pictured here with his new students, Don S, Leon and John W, who all hope to go solo by the end of the week. Good luck to you all!

Ever watchful of their fledglings, nature's consummate soarers are never far away to mark the early morning thermals. Although getting a little frisky at this time of year you can still get quite close before they seem to turn themselves inside out to avoid the great white predator.

Another beautiful sky was packed with energy albeit after a slightly delayed start. Where were all you hot ship jockeys again?? Still too cold for you?

In it to win it

If you're not here then you can't share in the fun! A snowy Sunday at Booker with the Chilterns cloaked in a blanket of white, proved to be more than just a pretty picture with strong
thermals to a 5000' plus cloudbase.

The showers all missed Booker allowing us a completely uninterupted late morning and afternoon soaring. So if you weren't here then content yourself with these piccies,
but don't miss out next time!

A little too unstable

With a cold front fast approaching a prompt start ensured that all the trial lessons and booked members were flown by 12.00.


The official going on 35 power was "too soft" so with a gentle 340/15-20kts breeze we started on 24. A couple of tows, and an interesting Cessna final turn over the Blister Hanger later, we moved to 35 integrating with the small amount of power traffic who bravely remained on 24. By late morning the decision to start early seemed justified with towering Cu and showers breaking out around the field. However the weather gods were kind to us with some good, if not interestingly positioned, thermals holding our attention until early afternoon.

But the best lift was to be had later with 6-8kts along the edges of the showers before we finally admitted defeat at 3.30. A fun day for all who participated including those who only practiced rigging. I've decided to give up weather forecasting and just turn up, rig and fly, or if you prefer just turn up, rig and de-rig, whatever takes your fancy.

Shobdon waving

The Radio 4 weather man mentioned 'mountain wave' on Thursday morning, and wave there was. The entire fleet was off the ground, Dave B and Jeremy in 315, Mike P and Rolf in Mike's new Duo Discus T (remarkably similar to Andrew's), and Glyn and Steve B. Later in the morning Dave R and Heggie took 315 into the wave. After lunch the wave collapsed and the team was forced to make do with thermals.

Spot 315 competition.

Shobdon in the sunshine

Despite rain and roadblocks we made it to Shobdon where as usual we have been made welcome by the members of Herefordshire Gliding Club and the other airfield users. Saturday was a day for exploring the excellent cafes of Leominster but Sunday was completely different. By the time Heggie had set his clock to BST and arrived with LH to tow for us we were rigged and ready to go. Andrew and Dave R did a quick sortie in Andrew's new toy, a Duo Discus T, then Jane took over as First Officer and they headed for Wales (which wasn't working), Ludlow and Long Mynd. DR took Graham, John B and Rolf for checks in 315 and then John flew 318. Glyn also took G1 to Presteigne and back. Cloudbase was around 4500ft with max 6kts average.

Monday was less exciting but we had some very pleasant local soaring with base at 3800ft and 3kt climbs. Andrew and Jane went to Ludlow twice, Glyn did Ludlow/Presteigne, Dave showed Graham how to roll on a heading, Rolf had a flight in 318 and then went to Talgarth with Heggie in LH while John had over an hour in 318. In the evening we went to the Radnorshire Arms in Presteigne where Andrew was presented with a birthday cake for his nth birthday.

Ludlow (spot the castle competition).

...out like a lamb

This last day of March provided some gentle thermals aided by a good fire just to the west of the field.

A light and variable southerly barely troubled the windsock and it was pleasantly warm enough on the ground to dispense with your jacket. Quite a change from Saturday's turbulent, biting wind and a nice way to end what has not been the best of months.

2 kt average climbs to 3000' became 3-4kts in the smoke which was clearly evident as a haze right to cloudbase, in otherwise excellent viz. All in all a good day was had by Geoff W, George G, Alan V, Martin Ff and yours truly. Where were the rest of you, surely not everyone went to Shobdon??

As rough as old boots....

... and then it rained. In the meantime the few brave souls who flew this Saturday (Steve W, Glen, Simeon, William P, Nick, Greg, Ashwin, Mark and George in the 21's, Gerry, Roy, Doug, Jim P and yours truly in the tugs) "enjoyed" a variable cloudbase, very rough conditions below 500', 10kt climbs to 3000' and a cool SSW 26kt gusting 38kt breeze. Base leg, final turn and approach were particularly interesting. Roll on summer.

Snowy Saturday

Snow, sun and snow again, must be a Bank Holiday! No flying today although the short gaps looked highly convective, albeit a little bumpy in places. Heavy snow forecast to continue overnight - could be pretty in the morning...

The Booker Weather Cam captured the sunny intervals and snow showers in this time compressed sequence of an hour and a half. View the latest image or time lapse images at http://mikeswebpage.users.btopenworld.com/booker.html .