News
Unfortunately we have had to close the club until the Coronavirus situation improves.
Whilst the actual gliding bit is a relatively solitary pastime, we all need to work as a team in order to launch the gliders. This type of social interaction is what the government wants us to avoid - especially in environments like ours (where many members are in the ‘at risk’ age range.)
When the situation improves we will be back open for business and playing in the clouds.
See you then…
Congratulations to Sam who went solo today - watched closely by his gran who has spent many hours over the winter months following his progress and encouraging him.
Sam with instructor Dave Holborn
On Monday we hosted the Pocklington 1st Beavers as they work towards getting their RAF Air Activities Badge.
The kids took it in turns to look round our hangars and sit in a real glider - testing the knowledge of our Chief Flying Instructor as he attempted to answer all the questions.
They then spent some time in our gliding simulator - and some genuine talent was demonstrated (as anyone who knows how to fly a glider will testify from the photo below!)
We were lucky again to get some winter wave in Pocklington this last weekend. Below you can see the view from above the clouds looking out to the flooded Derwent river in the distance (click the image to enlarge.)
Congratulations to Irek who today did his type conversion into the Junior - first flight in a single seater! All set now for soaring in the spring.
Great day gliding this week. A few of our members managed to take advantage of a meteorological effect called ‘wave’ to climb to over 10,000ft (2 miles!) above York.
York from 2 miles up (click to see larger image)
Rainbow in the distance - below!
‘Surfing’ along the edge of the ‘wave bar’
Wave is a fairly rare occurrence this far east in Pocklington. It happens when a strong south westerly wind hits the pennines (50 miles away) causing a ripple in the atmosphere which acts like a wave - which gliders can use to surf up high.
The pilots above only stopped at 10,000 feet because they didn’t have oxygen with them (or thick enough socks!)
Congratulations to Barry McKiernan (left) who was sent solo by Steve Wilkinson on Thursday 03-Oct-19.
Barry was on the last summer course of 2019 (in October!) along with Paul Dews (front seat, right) and Chris Pearce.
Whilst attempting a chandelle, Craig forgot to centre the stick. He won’t forget again…
