A good weekend of soaring at Milfield with Sunday providing better conditions for longer flights.
Saturday produced some reasonable thermals giving an hour or so local soaring to a few pilots. What did happen was that a good cloud street would develop, overdevelop and then decay so timing was important. Barry Lytollis reached around 4000' so decided to try and reach Jedburgh. At the end of his street, a bit short of target, was a blue hole filled with sink and, on turning back, a street which had stopped working. Although Barry's computer said he could get home it doesn't know that there are hills interupting that nice glide slope. After a brief struggle to gain more height Barry, safely, decided that a field landing was the only option and, having chosen a cut field with a vehicle driving around it, made a safe landing, The farmer was friendly and helpful, even offering Barry a lift back to the airfield - great ! What Barry had missed was that access to the field was via a very steep ford across Bowmont water. Visions of having to carry parts of the LS4 across the river were, thankfully, dispelled when the farmer managed to find an alternative route via 3 fields. Barry didn't think his Audi would cope with the tracks through the fields but John Brown came to the rescue with his Hi Ace proving to be very skilled at trailer driving (see John, all that retrieving of Steve Marriott came in handy). Thoughts of gliders landing on the wrong side of canals comes to mind. Has Barry been watching A Bridge Too Far ?
On Sunday Stuart Black managed a full five hours with Andy Bardgett close behind on four. Stuart had time to take some pics and got a great shot of an SHK soaring near the Torrs with the K21 flying in the same direction in the distance.
Saturday produced some reasonable thermals giving an hour or so local soaring to a few pilots. What did happen was that a good cloud street would develop, overdevelop and then decay so timing was important. Barry Lytollis reached around 4000' so decided to try and reach Jedburgh. At the end of his street, a bit short of target, was a blue hole filled with sink and, on turning back, a street which had stopped working. Although Barry's computer said he could get home it doesn't know that there are hills interupting that nice glide slope. After a brief struggle to gain more height Barry, safely, decided that a field landing was the only option and, having chosen a cut field with a vehicle driving around it, made a safe landing, The farmer was friendly and helpful, even offering Barry a lift back to the airfield - great ! What Barry had missed was that access to the field was via a very steep ford across Bowmont water. Visions of having to carry parts of the LS4 across the river were, thankfully, dispelled when the farmer managed to find an alternative route via 3 fields. Barry didn't think his Audi would cope with the tracks through the fields but John Brown came to the rescue with his Hi Ace proving to be very skilled at trailer driving (see John, all that retrieving of Steve Marriott came in handy). Thoughts of gliders landing on the wrong side of canals comes to mind. Has Barry been watching A Bridge Too Far ?
On Sunday Stuart Black managed a full five hours with Andy Bardgett close behind on four. Stuart had time to take some pics and got a great shot of an SHK soaring near the Torrs with the K21 flying in the same direction in the distance.
SHK over College valley
The demand for launches on Sunday helped George hall, the duty tuggie, to reach a landmark thousand tows. Well done George.
George Hall ready for tow number 1000
Number 1000 for the log book!
