Of course I'll get back

Klippeneck 2016 - day 4

A few pictures words to follow

Klippeneck - Day 4

Early blog posting. Good day forecast and briefing over breakfast. 409km handicap task. Later posting to follow up and report on how the day panned out.

Klippeneck 2016 - day 3

Another good day with the club gliders being kept busy through the day and a 6000ft cloudbase. Some of the private owners went on a short task one of whom decided it would be a good idea to invite the tug pilot to a local airfield for cake and coffee before getting an aerotow retrieve (much to the consternation of the pilots at Klippeneck who were left tugless). The forecast for tomorrow is looking good so hoping for some more good flying

Rigging on day 1

Plenty of space for everyone to rig without getting in each others way

Klippeneck 2016 - day 1

All the 1st week expeditioners arrived safely during Saturday and flying commenced after Richards briefing and rigging of 315 and KCZ. Everyone flew to become familiar with the site again and several of the check rides were limited to an hour to give everyone a chance. Menu update - Snitzle all round

More Thame action

A convoy of members has set off for Klippeneck in Germany where they will no doubt have a fantastic time. Meanwhile, the rest of us went to Haddenham for another mini expedition to make way for a helicopter event at Booker. Conditions were brilliant locally, starting very early. It must have been pretty good across a wide area as Nils (EN) Jim (J1M) and George (A9) completed a 500 involving Dorchester, Aston Down, Ludlow and a few other places. This was George's first 500 - congratulations! - he is rattling through all the badges at an alarming rate. John (SG9) also disappeared over the hedge, rumour has it that he did a 300.

The tug was kept busy all day, with trial lessons, training flights, badge attempts and just having fun. A couple of Upward Bound members (our hosts for the day) took the opportunity for an aerotow as a change from winching.

Many thanks to Andy Monk and Bob Smith for organising and instructing, and to Rob Turner and Julian Saakwa-Mante for tugging. And as always to the Upward Bound Trust for their hospitality - and tea bus.

We will be back at Haddenham on Friday 20th May.

Callum thermalling over Thame at 0845 - note the vario

Airbraking down at 0930

318 having airbraked down from 4000ft to allow someone else to try for Silver height

KLA training flight

'Don't bother to bring the chairs, we don't need them.'

No buggies

Thame Sunday Action!

With an early start reminiscent of the old RESMIG days we had all three gliders safely aerotowed to Thame by 9.30. (KCZ MikeR, ECZ Paul C, 319 Symeon E, towed by LH Jim R). 

ECZ on finals

Conditions were initially flat and hot but by lunchtime there was some really strong lift to be had - and even stronger sink - talk to John H about his 10 minute tow to 2000' followed by a 4 minute descent. 

UBT K13 over LH

319 before we turned it round! Note strong crosswind. 

A brief respite at 11.25 for the NOTAM'd BBMF (a lone Dakota) fly past at Thame. 

BBMF Flypast at Thame

The winch was setup on the left, aerotow departures in the middle and all landings on the right. 

Frank N. in KCZ

The cloud street which formed to the North of the airfield stretched back to London, (probably the same source that had provided Saturdays showers),  provided some excellent 6-8kt climbs. 

Conditions improved as the day went on

The usual suspects

Please sir can I come in?

We finally started packing up at 4.30 with all three gliders choosing to aerotow right back to Booker into what was a strengthening easterly. Thanks to Jim R for the morning and Rob T for the afternoon tows. Hangers closed at 6pm at the end of a great but tiring day out!

Thanks to Nick Ludlow for all his efforts, and of course to the UBT for putting up with a Booker invasion again!

Nick and son Travis

A day out at Haddenham

Today an event at Wycombe Air Park took up rather a lot of space so to be neighbourly we took ourselves off to Thame (Haddenham) airfield as guests of the Upward Bound Trust.  With two K21s and an ASW19 we kept our tug very busy, apart from a brief spell while a Dakota from the BBMF passed nearby. Conditions were very good locally, with strong thermals from early afternoon, although turbulence and a brisk crosswind kept pilots awake.

Many thanks to Symeon Economou for organising us all, and a special mention for Nick Ludlow, who brought all the launchpoint equipment over in his van and then drove tirelessly up and down retrieving gliders as they landed.

Weather permitting, we will be returning to Thame on Saturday 14th March and Friday 20th May.

Members in typical gliding attitudes 

 

Waiting for the BBMF to pass by

 

Jim taking a break

Unstable Saturday

Yesterday produced some exciting conditions locally, with 10kt thermals, high cloudbase and excellent visibility. The instructors were kept busy until showers put paid to the fun, and some went cross country, picking their way round the various temporary exclusion zones. Most got back, though it's still a mystery why turbo V66 landed out.

Hakan keeping a lookout

Henley and the Thames