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Soaring into September – Sunday Flying Report

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We had a fantastic flying day on Sunday which was the first day of meteorological Autumn.

Members were on site getting the ground equipment out from 0800. The morning briefing was packed with club members as well as visiting pilots from other clubs. It became apparent at the briefing that there were a lot of instructional flights required as well as trial-lessons and check-flights.

The instructor team had their work cut out for them and all three two seaters (2x K21, 1x K13) saw full utilisation throughout the day.

Catherine J, a former member and now visiting pilot based at Portmoak, Scotland volunteered to start as launch point marshal for us. With ruthless efficiency she got a high launch rate and kept the instructional flights in order. In fact, she spent very nearly the entire day organising launch operations, achieving 57 launches by the end of the day.

Junior members launching a glider

The actual soaring conditions, as so often has been the case in the summer season were mixed. We had a solid wind of around 20 knots aloft combined with thermals, showers, blue holes and sometimes good cumulus. The occasional passing shower mostly went around us.

A couple of intrepid pilots planned and launched on short cross country flights but despite their best efforts had to fly back to Snitterfield without having completed due to cross-country conditions. At least they tried!

The last two launches were Stratford’s based K21 trainers on member’s mutual flights. Initially scratching away over the winch, both gliders climbed away together, ultimately attaining over 3,000feet in height after 1800 in what was, by then, somewhat calmer air.

The last K21 landed well after 1830 local to end what was a very productive flying day.

Four More February Flying Achievements for SoAGC

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We had four more flying achievements in February this year…

Junior glider pilot Ben L converted onto the club’s Astir CS77 G-FECO which is his first retractable-undercarriage and ballast-capable sailplane type.

John H converted onto the club’s LS4 G-DEMG.

David R converted onto the club’s SZD Junior G-CHDB.

David P re-soloed with us at SoAGC in K-13 G-DCBW.

https://www.facebook.com/StratfordOnAvonGlidingClub/videos/2394214430596837/

Well done to all of our pilots!

Ed F flies solo on his 14th Birthday

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On Sunday, junior glider pilot Ed F flew solo for the first time at Stratford on Avon Gliding club making him the youngest solo pilot in the country!

Ed was tested and authorised for his first solo by full-cat instructor Barry K. Ed flew Stratford’s K13 G-DCBW twice as club members looked on.

https://www.facebook.com/StratfordOnAvonGlidingClub/videos/614879378930357/

While powered aircraft pilots must wait until the age of 16 to fly solo, UK glider pilots can begin learning when they are 13 years old and fly solo at the age of 14.

Well done Ed!

New 8.33kHz Gliding Frequencies from 3rd January 2019

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The CAA has notified the updated frequencies to be used by glider traffic from 3rd January 2019.

The original frequencies and their updated frequencies are as follows:

Original FrequencyNEW FREQUENCYPrimary UseSecondary UseMax use level
129.975MHz129.980MHzCommon Glider Field Frequency As a situational awareness/control frequency within a 10 NM radius and up to a height of 3,000 ft above certain approved airfields.FL40
118.685MHzCommon Glider Field Frequency 2 As a situational awareness/control frequency within a 10 NM radius and up to a height of 3,000 ft above certain approved airfields.FL40
130.100MHz130.105MHzSituational AwarenessCompetition Start/FinishFL40
130.125MHz130.130MHzCross Country TrainingCompetition Start/FinishFL40
130.400MHz130.535MHzCloud FlyingOther Situational AwarenessFL100
129.900MHz129.905MHzGround To Ground (Ground Retrieval Purposes Only)Para/Hang-GliderFL40
129.890MHzCoachingFL40
130.405MHzCoachingFL40

The Diversion & Distress frequency 121.5MHz will remain permanently on 25kHz spacing.

Also, a reminder that our neighbours at EGBW Wellesbourne have already made the change from 124.025MHz to their new 8.33kHz frequency 124.030MHz.

Our nearest neighbour Gliding Club, Bidford is now on 118.685MHz.

Safetycom is now 135.480MHz.

Saturday 7th Flying High

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A quieter day than usual, Saturday saw many pilots away at the Bidford Regional gliding competition.

Those pilots that arrived at Snitterfield however had a purpose in mind.

Soon after her check ride, Emily launched in the SZD Junior attempting both her 2 hour bronze duration and her FAI Silver height gain.

The Silver height gain achievement requires a climb of 1000 meters (3281 feet) above the lowest point recorded on a flight logger after the glider’s launch.

Emily succeeded in gaining her height gain during the day’s early soaring conditions and stayed up to complete her 2 hour soaring duration for her Bronze endorsement.

Emily’s father Ed also wanted his Silver height gain and launched in his current favourite glider the club’s Standard Astir. Ed had difficulty contacting the lift initially. He came back for a couple of relights but kept trying for the goal.

The third launch got him away with a solid climb taking him toward his height gain but also on a task around local turnpoints totaling 43km. Once Ed completes his Bronze Cross-Country Endorsement , he will be able to fly further afield in the club’s gliders.

Later in the day, Emily also flew through a series of checks of her general handling and launch failure handling with senior Stratford instructor Steve F to clear her ‘off checks’.

All new solo pilots at Stratford are required to complete at least 20 days of check-flights with instructors each flying day before they can fly solo. Once the check days are completed, the pilot can be considered for the ‘off-checks’ test. If they meet the required standard, they will be signed off and will be able to fly solo on subsequent days without a check flight subject to conditions and the duty instructor’s discretion.

Later that weekend, with a shortage of winch drivers at Snitterfield, newly qualified winch driver Ed was pressed into service as a fully-fledged cat 1 winch driver which includes daily inspection, towout and set up of our 340bhp Skylaunch 2 winch.

Sunday 10/6/18 – That One Thermal

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Sunday was a busy, hot and tricky day.

It was possible that the soaring conditions would develop well so a number of private gliders turned up at the west-end launchpoint along with the busy club flying fleet.

The club’s LS4 was back online and flying thanks to Barry as well as the in-demand SZD Junior. The actual soaring conditions were limited with no well-defined cumulus and top cover moving over the sun at intervals.

Team Kerby & Kerby in Duo Discus 666 optimistically tasked out to the south-west, hoping to get some practice in before the Bidford Regionals. They had to abort somewhere out past Bidford when it became apparent that staying aloft was the hardest task.

One fairly reliable line of energy was present beginning near the village to the east of the field and extending past the south edge of the field.

At one point, pretty well all of the private gliders and flying club aircraft occupied the same thermal just to the south of the field. Iain R captured some brilliant photos of this gaggle while flying as a passenger in DG500 “LSL”. For the pilots, good lookout was paramount!

Achievements wise, Bob made a heroic attempt at his Brone 2 hours duration but the lift didn’t quite play ball. Other members undertook their annual refresher flying to ensure their flying skills are maintained at the required standard through 2018.

Sunday 3 June 2018 – Neil Goes Long

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On an improving RASP forecast by the morning of the 3rd, Sunday was shaping up to be a decent cross-country day for our glider pilots at Snitterfield.

With Steve B on duty, an early morning briefing saw the first launch up the wire at 10am as the check-rides and instructional flying began.

The sky took a little while to get going and the first soaring flight got away about an hour later.

Neil C launched not long after in his private LS4 “S5” on an attempt at his first 50km flight for Silver C.

Junior pilot Emily also launched in club SZD Junior “HDB” attempting a Bronze duration flight.

Numerous privateers launched in their gliders, among them Andy B and Mike C on cross-country taskings.

Junior Thermalling With K21

K21 viewed from the club Junior (Photo: Emily S)

Junior pilot Emily landed back at Snitterfield having completed her one hour duration for her Bronze C X/C endorsement. While she will need to turn 16 to hold the cross-country endorsement, she can complete the duration flights beforehand and on Sunday’s performance, her 2 hour duration is easily within reach.

Junior Thermal Climb

Thermal climb in the Junior (Photo: Emily S)

Neil who had taken a little time to get going was working his way down the country towards the BIC turnpoint at Bicester. Having a bit of a torrid time, getting low around Banbury, he gained a keen following of club members intently staring at their phones as they watched the drama unfold on live.glidernet.org!

Turning BIC after 3 hours flight time, he began making better progress back to his next turnpoint at Bidford but not before getting into another low and desperate scratch at Shennington. Making the last hop back to Snitterfield, he was on for his 5 hour Silver C duration so he set himself up local-soaring to bag the last hour for a total flight time of 5hrs 7minutes.

Neil's Silver Distance

Neil’s Silver Distance

All in, Neil flew 122km gaining both his Silver distance and Silver duration as well as his UK 100km diploma leg-1. Having already attained his Silver height gain, Neil is now a Silver Pilot! Well done Neil!

Mike and Andy were out for quite a time too.

Both tasking 315km SN2>GRM>ALT>SN2, Mike needed a sustainer engine run in LS10 “TT” to get home after 93% task completion but Andy in LS8 “UG” got round for 2181 points on the BGA Ladder.

After a long day’s flying with a total of 57 launched from Snitterfield, Neil C “rang the bell” at the Snitterfield Arms and bought a round as he was congratulated by his new glidernet fan-club! 🙂

Junior Glider Pilot Ben L Flies His First Solo

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On bank holiday Monday, 15 year old junior glider pilot Ben L flew his first solo glider flight at Stratford on Avon Gliding Club!

Earlier in the day, Ben flew with senior full-category instructor Allan W in a series of simulated launch failures to ensure he was up to the required high standards of handling and airmanship for solo flight.

Making the grade, Allan briefed and authorised Ben for his first solo in our club K-13 trainer G-DCBW.

https://www.facebook.com/StratfordOnAvonGlidingClub/videos/1656060841115326/

Ben flew an excellent first solo flight and landing whereupon he was congratulated on his achievement by mum and dad, his fellow solo junior glider pilots and the rest of the Stratford Gliding club members.

Ben is already studying for his Bronze C exams and is keen to become a cross-country glider pilot.

Well done Ben!