The Weekends Flying

Saturday's sunny start and forecast of good soaring made the launch point the busiest so far this year with the first grid of 2011 being set up but the sky lacked any obvious cumulus. Modest tasks of around 100k were declared and launching for the xc pilots started around midday into a very blue sky. Climbs were available up to around 3,000' but with no obvious places to find lift there was no great rush to set off - however a few of the stalwarts felt that it was time to set off around 12:30 but calls were soon coming in of one or two low points.

One such pilot certainly exercised the ANO rule about no flying within 500' of vehicles, vessels or structures except for gliders flying on a ridge (but with the wind only showing 2/3kts from the south west that was unlikely) - he did however have his wheel down so was flying below that height for the purpose of takeoff or landing. 45 minutes of working marginal lift on Chinnor Ridge finally resulted in a climb to enable the task to continue - proves the point that you need to get up an fly and practice (a lesson we could all benefit from).

I'm only aware of 3 people completing the declared 100k task - apologies if there were more and well done those who stuck with it!

Being the first busy day of the year also highlighted how rusty some of us have become over the winter months - everyone who flew (and those that will do soon) should reflect on their standards of airmanship, lookout, entering and leaving thermals, circuits and approaches. If you have any doubt now is a great time for a check ride (or two).

The busy day led to over 60 launches and the launch point coped very well , big thanks to everyone who made it a success- roll on summer.

Sunday was quieter with highlights being the first flight in 314 by its new syndicate owners Simon and David (gentle reminder - 314 is now a privately owned glider so don't be tempted to jump in if you see it sitting at the launch point).

We also saw Richard Crockett being checked out to fly the Pawnee - brings to mind the old Chinese proverb "don't send a boy to do a man's job!"

Lastly - don't forget to get your entry in for the Booker Rules 2011 Competition - see the link alongside.

Booker at Windsor

The Sales & Marketing team is currently at the British Leisure Show at Windsor Racecourse, busy promoting the delights of gliding. We hope to see some of the people we have met at the launchpoint very soon.

Monday Solo and Sundays Flying

Sunday 6th

Sunday's early cloud cleared to give mostly blue skies and a few thin scattered cumulus clouds but which were generating good thermals to allow for several long soaring flights. The sun also brought several single seaters out of winter hibernation. A couple of the more intrepid aviators set off cross country and only began to question their sanity when they turned Bicester at 16:00 for their run back to Booker (which all worked out OK in the end). With over 30 launches, good soaring conditions and sunshine throughout day there was a great 'buzz' around the club - the season is coming - make sure you are ready!

Club Members checking out the conditions (and what they were looking at below)

Monday 7th - 1st Solo

Congratulations to Booker Cadet Guy Trees who went solo in CFA (today was his 16th Birthday). He has been working hard for this recently doing the extra flying necessary to get him up to a satisfactory standard. Arrangements were made to ensure the club was operating today and the weather co-operated on his birthday - he provided the final ingredient by being up to standard.

Guy with his mum Lorna after landing

If Guy had been old enough to buy the celebratory drinks for his solo it would have been a cheep round as the only people around to witness it were his tug pilot, instructor and mum Lorna. We can all congratulate him when he does his next Cadet Duty day.

Aerobatics and another 1st Solo

Mixed weather with Friday 4th March being sunny, calm and warm(ish) with convection up to 1,600 ft and enabling several soaring flights of up to an hour.

Saturday came around with low cloudbase and a biting easterly wind - ideal conditions for the Aerobatics course! The morning started with a bit of hanger shuffling to enable putting ECZ back into its trailer ready for the Windsor Outdoor Show next week where the club has a stand and more excitingly putting the wings back onto the motor glider in readiness for it being back in operation very soon.

Once the cloudbase had risen sufficiently the Aerobatics flying took place in anger with launches to 3,000 ft.

Whilst all this was going on Marc Selzer was being put through his paces and later in the day was sent solo for the first time - Congratulations to Marc on his 1st solo.

Barrier key renewal

A reminder that all barrier keys need to be renewed before the end of March. To do this please either take your key to the AFC office in the base of the tower and they will update it, or if you are not at the airfield phone them on 01494529261 and give them the number on the card. It can take a few days to register so it is best to do it before it expires.

Booker Rules Competition

The Booker Rules Competition web site is up and now accepting entries for our 2011 competition. Even if pilots cannot get the week off they can still fly 5 weekend days for only £20 entry fee. More details via the link on the right.

The sun brought them out

Last week I suggested the season was here and today reinforced that with over 40 launches, several soaring flights and one cross country to Membury (but which did need a slight bit of assistance from an iron thermal on the way back).

The shiny clean bus

The early low cloud base meant things got going slowly to start with but soon the sun started to break through and the cloud base rose fairly quickly. The early flights with the low cloud based limited flights for circuit training but soon the better weather started to bring out the members in droves. The brisk wind had the potential to catch a few people out and some of the circuits were not as well executed as they could and should have been and some words of wisdom were passed on by the CFI to miscreants. If you aren't as current as you would like to be, now is the time to have a check ride or three - there is always something new to learn and skills to polish. Make sure you are fully prepared for the season now and not when it has started in anger.

Some of the streeting evident through the day

The day finished with a couple of aerobatic flights, the last one into the evening gloom but everyone was down safely before sunset (plus 30).

The Season is here (if still a bit variable)

The high winds this weekend put paid to the Aerobatics course and were a turnaround from the previous weekend when nearly 50 launches were taken over the weekend and several soaring flights made.

The January Bronze lectures have been a success again with the exams being taken and passed by Phil Binnee, Jon Sugdeon and John Lambie. Saturday 29th Jan also provided some unexpected soaring under what looked like total cloud cover at 1,400 feet and a biting cold wind but surprising all of us with 4 knot (yes really!) climbs up to the low cloudbase.

Sunday 30th was even better and the weather encouraged Nils to rig and launch and have 2 soaring flights of well over an hour. The conditions also encouraged some big wings to be rigged. Mike C with his Ventus starship and Richard C with his shiny refinished Nimbus. Both of them must have been cold after their 2 hour flights!

Other achievements included David Baker, Phil Binnee and Nik Merkhart converting to the K18 and Will Ellis completing his BI course (which he later celebrated by pirouetting around the launch point several times throwing a seagull like glider into the sky). Congratulations to everyone on whatever their achievements last weekend.

The only thing to mar what had been an otherwise lovely couple of days was the sad news about Richard Clark who will be greatly missed as reported in the previous blog item.

Those of us lucky enough to have been at the airfield last Thursday would have seen the Spitfire land and taxi back past the bus having had to wait for the K18 to clear the landing area before it was able to land on our side of the airfield into the strong South Westerly wind.

Booker Cadet Will Hilton has also returned from 2 weeks work experience at Delta Jets in Kemble where he mostly got to work on a Spitfire and which culminated with him sitting in on the engine running checks.

Richard's funeral

Richard's funeral will be on Thursday 10 February 2011, 13.45 at Amersham Crematorium.

Tea and cake afterwards at The Swan Hotel, Amersham.

For those wishing to contribute, donations to either Michael Sobell House or Ian Rennie Hospice, cheques made payable to either of the above can be posted direct or given to Skinners Funeral Directors (Chalfont St Peter) on the day.

All welcome.

Richard Clark

It is with great sadness that we announce the unexpected death of Richard Clark last night (29/1/11).

Richard began gliding in 2008 after the death of his wife, and he soon established himself in the life of the club, flying mainly midweek. He made rapid progress and ended the season by joining the club’s expedition to Aboyne, where the view of Braemar from 14,500ft converted him to wave flying and the annual trip to Scotland. The following spring he spent two weeks in Cerdanya, Spanish Pyrenees with the club expedition, exploring mountain flying, and he was looking forward to the Serres expedition this coming June. He was also a budding cross country pilot, having gained his silver distance in April 2010. He had recently bought an ASW20, sadly he had yet to fly it.

As well as his flying, he was a stalwart member of the Sales and Marketing Team, always the first to volunteer for events. Quiet and unassuming, he ‘got on with it’ with the minimum of fuss, and proved to be an excellent salesman and promoter of gliding.

For his presence both on and off the airfield, he will be greatly missed.