13 Logbook 2018

Date

Pilot

From

Task or Route

T/O

Land

Time

Kms

IGC

Pics

02-Feb

849

Rob

L Bennett

Dunstable

Bletchley-Wing

12:59

15:07

2:08

First opportunity to fly in 2018, managed some local soaring.

08-Mar

850

Rob

E Tillett

Dunstable

Edgehill O/R

13:40

16:20

2:40

120

Very windy, followed a cloud street at 4k to Banbury, not much after that.

21-Mar

851

Steve

P Boet

Dunstable

Abingdon O/R

12:48

15:10

2:22

137

Just a wander, mostly blue but some cu working down the hills.

25-Mar

852

Rob

B Wilde

Dunstable

Corby Glen-Chipping Norton-Pitsford

12:46

16:24

3:38

342

Promising conditions to the North of Dunstable. Crept out and under 7/8ths to Rushden when a smooth 3 knot heralded a really good soaring window. 3.5k became 4.5k became 5.5k in 3 sucessive thermals leading to 112kph on second leg with some 4 to 5kt climbs.

26-Mar

853

Steve

Dunstable

Bozeat-Stow on the wold-Newbury

12:18

16:11

3:53

303

Was going to go down to the south coast but large blob of medium cloud put paid to it. Variable conditions but some good climbs, cold at cloudbase.

05-Apr

854

Rob

Dunstable

Swindon-Cheltenham-Thrapston

11:38

15:57

4:19

319

Thought it was going to be trickier than the forecasts suggested so went for 75kph and back before 4pm. In the end, did 76kph and 1555 so not far wrong. Pretty much all blue apart from some extremely ephemeral cu on the western side of the task. Mostly 2-2.5kt with just a handful of better cores. Operating height band 2,000-3,200' ASL with the odd excitement getting over 3,500. Great vis, even at low level. Thermals not the widest and glad to get back before the cirrus cut it off.

14-Apr

855

Andy

Rob

Dunstable

Bedford-Wantage-Newbury-Stony Stratford

12:59

16:13

3:14

254

First go for Andy, flying from front seat. A day that looked like it was going to end early but actually destabilised after 4pm, shame we were on the ground.

19-Apr

856

Steve

A Sampson

Dunstable

Thame O/R

12:50

14:45

1:55

Not as advertised. One thermal over LEZ encouraged some of us to start, then nothing, lit up at Thame and returned to the house thermal, tried once more before giving up & returning from Thame.

22-Apr

857

Rob

Dunstable

Crowland-Oakington-Woburn

12:18

15:06

2:48

221

Initially set a task to the seaside, came back and looked at the weather again, cut 150k off the task and it worked out about right. Medium cover came in on cue but there were no showers.

26-Apr

858

Rob

Dunstable

Potton-Framlingham-Shobdon

10:13

17:25

7:12

650

Bimbled off downwind, not stunning but some energy lines. Turned FRW then energy lines disappeared and climbs became reluctant. Nearly ended the flight at St. Neots, drifted back 15k while digging out of the hole between showers. Better past Northampton but the street ran under the 4500 then 3500 airspace. Gritted our teeth and drove under at high speed, then rewarded by 6kts to 5,000+ once clear of Brum. Lovely sky after that, ran into a bit of bother with a large unsoarable area about 80k out, had to come home via Olney. Great flight, lots of highs and lows.

01-May

859

Steve

M Burton

Dunstable

Wantage-Littleport-Woburn

10:57

14:26

3:29

331

TM said it would be best to our NE. TJ said no, let's chase the cu. So we went SW first, and it was really good, should have gone further SW. Blue as forecast heading east from Huntingdon, but not conditions as forecast by TM, so we were please to take a climb eventually at LIT before a cautious return back to the cu. Expected an early cut-off, but there would have been more in the day.Nice to complete, as they say!

03-May

859

Rob

P Warner

Dunstable

Blakeney Point-Colchester-Wendley

10:45

16:59

6:14

483

Leg 2 and 3 were worth suffering the frustration of the first leg where climbs were in short supply and the sky much weaker than expected. East Anglia, East of Thetford was very good and we made the most of that. The final leg became blue and difficult and with little chance of completion abandoned into Dunstable.

05-May

860

Rob

Dunstable

Market Harborough-Ansty Cross-Chipping Campden

11:12

17:39

6:27

509

Blue locally but cu by Northampton. Had set task to try and stay where the old front was lying, which I think worked but I'm not sure whether conditions were that much better compared with elsewhere. The odd 4kts but mostly 2-3, got to 4,000'ASL once, 2-3,000' seemed to be the working band. Glad we didn't go any further south, last 80k in the blue and lost quite a bit on the final glide.

08-May

861

Steve

A Harrison

Dunstable

Strubby-Upwood

12:31

16:38

4:07

343

It was all going nicely to Strubby, improving cu & climbs, a bit cu congested at the turn, but picking up again southbound at Coningsby. Then we started to hear the other DUN pilots saying it was rubbish at Bedford, and once south of the Wash, the cu were disappearing rapidly, & it became unexpectedly quite stable. Last climb east of Peterborough, lit up at Upwood.

10-May

862

Rob

Dunstable

Llyn Celyn-Corwen-Worcester

10:14

16:45

6:31

490

Probably a TP too far as got into LCE OK but no lift on the way out and sunk into the valley at Corwen from where there was no escape. Nice run home via Worcester on the way.

13-May

863

Rob

Dunstable

Bovington-Badminton-Abergavenny-Newtown

11:21

17:37

6:16

607

Could have easily not bothered in the morning as 8/8 overcast and still wet from the day before. Waited until there was some development then weak/low until past Oxford then a step change to 4/5kts to 4/5000'. Glad we had not used Weymouth as the sea breeze had gone through BVT but not far. Diversion and cloud climb to cross the Bristol Channel, once over the Forest of Dean improved, then cracking over the Black Mountains with 6,500'+. Lovely run in sparkling vis up the centre of Wales, blueing out a bit but still reliable. Could see Devon, Snowdonia and Birmingham all at the same time. First 100km back great, then became hazier and a long way between climbs, made sure of glide and was OK in the end.

19-May

864

Dunstable

Sixpenny Handley-Welshpool-Alton Towers-Barnsley

10:24

18:20

7:56

702

Rather slow to get going, couldn't really make it work well. Better once past Bath then very good from the Forest of Dean until 30k short of Welshpool. Good bases but climbs difficult to centre got much better after Alton Towers, bit of convergence over the high ground. Last leg mostly blue, welcome cloud at Hus Bos, grovel after that but slowly gaining on glide. Lots of bugs didn't help but a nice day overall, if a bit tiring.

20-May

865

Steve

T Hutchings

Dunstable

Goole-Pontefract-Alton Towers-Clun

11:09

18:44

7:35

607

Started well locally, but not an easy run north until Saltby area. Helpful Doncaster controller enabled some much better climbs in the airspace. At Goole we were undecided as to whether to continue, as it had looked blue to the west earlier. However, we had a good run from Pontefract to Alton Towers, after which it was starting to thin out. Difficult around the Mynd. Had been too slow, so last leg was in the dregs of the day, with a few surprises which got us further home than might have been expected.

03-Jun

866

Rob

N Crittenden

Dunstable

Chard-Lasham-Calne

10:59

17:28

6:29

532

A long wait for the day to get going, after an encouraging 4kt climb just after starting, it was 2 hours before finding another and then at last some flying above 3000'. Delightful run along along the south coast including a couple of climbs to 5000'.

11-Jun

867

Steve

M Doyle

Dunstable

Clee Hill-Nympsfield

12:47

17:33

4:46

403

Rather low and totally blue until met a convergence line at Worcester. Great run south until blue again after Ledbury. Difficult to adjust back to blue conditions and abandoned at NYM for a not so straightforward run home, almost planking it at Haddenham.

14-Jun

868

Steve

T Hughes

Dunstable

Black Mountains ridge O/R

13:58

18:07

4:09

387

Shortly after front cleared, initially too gusty, but we got going at 2pm. Streeting well initially, so about 75km into wind without turning. Major hangup caused by staying clear of Notammed Little Ris, ended up missing the air we wanted and had a low point which we climbed away from. Subsequently heard for 8Q that they were not active today, which is "unfortunate", and also caused problems for TJ, sorry TJ. Lovely around Hay & onto the TAL ridges, and a nice run downwind home.

15-Jun

869

Steve

Dunstable

Lagham-Reedham-Tiptree-Attleborough

10:54

15:42

4:48

529

Set task to use sea breeze but probably got there too early due a very good run out to Langham. decided not to use the convergence going south, then changed our minds half way. Thermals better but no real runs. Going really well until Cambridge on the way home, had to slow down to get through a dead patch but recovered. Best day for thermals this year so far, certainly in E Anglia.

21-Jun

870

Rob

N Garland

Dunstable

Guisborough-Northampton-Aston Down

08:35

17:21

8:46

770

Longest day with early thermals only an 18kt Nwly to contend with. Set 1000k Guisborough-Calcton-Mkt Rasen, unfortunately fell into a hole near Sutton Bank and needed the engine. Shame because time and conditions would have permitted task completion.

0:00

0:00

0:00

0:00

111:42

9179

Time

Flts

2018

Rob