Our Soaring 'Season'

Many people are amazed to be told that soaring continues into and through the winter and pilots from flatland sites are often envious that we don't pack our gliders away for the winter. The weekend of 16th & 17th November gave some wonderful soaring as these photos illustrate.
(Thanks to Mike Rose's friend for the first 2, last ones from your blogger)

Misty Mountain Tops

Looking down the College Valley with wave bars out over the Tweed Valley

Sunday and the Tweed Valley is full of fog

A rather hazy Berwick

How can the same day produce such different views ?

Are we lucky - or are we really lucky !!

Olly goes Solo

Congratulations to Olly Taylor who was sent solo by Steve Rae.

Arthur Eunson goes solo

Congratulations to Arthur on going solo today.

Arthur (on the right) with Instructor Steve Rae who sent him solo.

Ross Sibbald - first solo in a glider

Congratulations to Ross Sibbald who had his first solo in a glider this week. Ross stated " a big

thanks to everyone at the club for all their hard work and assistance in getting me to this milestone."

Ross (on the right) is seen here with Instructor Steve Rae who sent him solo.

VGC Vintage Rally

Our CFI, Geoff Forster and Dennis Westgarth standing next to Grunau Baby 'Black Diamond', with an EoN Olympia 463 in the background at  the Vintage Glider Club National Rally, held at Portmoak this summer.

2018 Buckminster expedition

It ain't half hot down South ! Sunday, Monday & Tuesday just got steadily hotter reaching 30 degrees and producing rather untypical conditions. Whilst there were plenty of thermals they were rough and some very strong. We had several reports of over 7kts and a couple over 9kts! The problem was the visibility was dreadful. It is so dry down here and harvesting is in full swing so everything is dusty and, with an inversion around 4-4500', the visibility was dreadful. Added to that it was almost totally blue which rather curtailed ambitions. Despite that there were several flights of over 100km and Steve Marriott made a valiant effort at a 300km finally giving up and starting his motor to cruise home the last 40km. Today, Wednesday saw the passing of a weak front and a totally different airmass. From fairly early in the morning the Cu started to pop and Chris Davison set another 300km task. Your blogger was lucky to get away when several pilots had to take relights and, despite conditions over developing and cycling, a much stronger wind than forecast and a severe technology failure, managed to complete the task. Tomorrow is looking good too although overconvection may produce some showers, as happened late this afternoon.

The Borders trusty crew at work

The grid - look at that sky !

Silverstone - at least part of it

Sunday Soaring

Soaring over Kelso

Nice atmospheric pic of the Pilatus B4 taken by Mike Rose in the club K21. Both heading toward Kelso.

Rolling back the Years

Vintage Gliders at Milfield

The Blue and yellow Polish built SZD Foka 4 is the actual glider that won the world championships at South Cerney, England in 1965, piloted by one of the Polish team members. The red and white Slingsby Capstan T.49 was built in 1967 at Kirbymoorside, North Yorkshire, with a total of 31 built. This particular one was previously owned by one of our members here at Milfield. The yellow Swiss built Neukom Elf S4 was built in 1973 and has a very credible 37:1 L/D.

Spring has arrived at Milfield

Spring finally arrived at BGC. Some pics from Saturday.

Winter Flying

With the 'Beast from the East' about to descend on us the club were lucky to have such a decent weekend to finish February. Soaring took place on all 3 days although it was Friday which produced the best climbs. Freed from childcare duties, Richard Abercrombie managed to clock up well over 5 hours in total as well as reaching nearly 11,000'. There were even rumours that there were some thermals! We are lucky to fly in an area that produces such fantastic conditions.

Richard took some photos of his flights.

10,000' - So cool even the panel wears shades.

The view over the hills

Stuart Black on his way to over 8000'

Friday 12th January 2018

Although the wind was forecast to be S / SE and the RASP forecast showed wave, you had to be optimistic to set off from home in fog! Coming over the Chatton Moors there was a low bank of cloud with the snow dusted tops of Hedgehope and Cheviot visible beyond it and, further North a nice blue hole. By the time we were ready to launch there was obvious wave in the valley and behind Cheviot. It stayed there all day, although it moved and changed as the day went on.

The view down the valley at the start of the day.


















and this anvil of cloud, with the front edge visibly rising, at the end  of the day.

Cloud rolling down into the valley behind Cheviot.





 

A sunlit Yeavering Bell

 The wave worked to over 9500' and extended West of Jedburgh as well as providing several downwind bars.

A trip to Carter Bar, Yetholm, Coldstream and Etal

The Ka21, Alliance, K6e & LS4 all had soaring flights. Not a bad start to Milfield's 2018