Aug 102020
 

Some great news. We’ve done this in the past and we’re starting them again. Every Friday in August we will be offering evening flying for club members, run by volunteer winch drivers and instructors. Come up early to stay the weekend or come straight from work on a Friday to get your flying fix!

We will arrive as soon as possible mid afternoon, but the official start will be 5pm or as soon as we can grab a glider as the course finishes their week. Just turn up when you can. Last launch around 8pm subject to exact sunset time etc.

Evening flying often produces benign conditions ideal for training or early solo consolidation. This is a great opportunity. Have a few circuits before soaring at the weekend or get a check before the rush on Saturday. There can often be smooth wavy evenings, ridge flying or late in the day thermals too. Always helps enjoy your Friday at work more if you know you’re sneaking out early to fly!

We have a team ready for every Friday in August starting this Friday 14th but we need to assess demand before we set it up. Please email mgcbooking@gmail.com to book a Friday evening slot in the usual way. Unusually, please also email if you’d like to fly single seaters or your own glider. This isn’t a booking. It just helps us gauge demand. All welcome whatever you’d like to do. A lot of people used to get exercises for Mynd stages or bronze complete during these evenings.

To save wasted journeys there will be a weather decision go/no go each Friday lunchtime.

Please email us and support this new initiative

 Posted by at 8:45 pm
Aug 022020
 

A very decent day, with a steady 15kt on the ridge throughout, and plenty of thermal action. Dave Brown finished his annual; Mark J completed his checks with Steve; new member Chris Jones had a very successful flight in the K13; Hefin converted to the K23. A string of takers for the K23 and Junior. Lots of private owners out and about – Dave in 154; Tim Brunskill and Mike Dodwell with their Pegs; James in BA; Julian with the Duo;Laurent in PZ; Glyn with DZ; Holly in BOL, who achieved her silver height for, I think, the third time, but on this occasion WITH a logger – yeeaay!! Nice to see Dominic and Dave Rance back, both after treatment for shoulder injuries, … and Mike Greenwood too, after a long lay-off. Apologies to anyone I’ve forgotten!

Simon and Guy provided the launches whilst taking it in turns to fly the mighty Nimbus. Retrieve winching today was by members of the cast.

And lunches by Helen – nice to have you back Helen!

Another Top Mynd Day!

Mark S

 Posted by at 10:45 pm
Aug 022020
 

If you believe forecasts then this is a look at the week ahead.

Monday. Good, 10/15 knt WNW Cloudbase  3900′

Tuesday  So So 20/25knt SSW/SW Cloudbase  up to 3300′ after a damp start.

Wednesday, Poor, 25/30 knt S  Cloudbase up to 2500′ then it rains.

Thursday, Better 10/15knt S Cloudbase 4500′ after a damp start.

Friday. Good/ Continental, 10/15knt S Possibly 6000’+ convection later in the day and probably blue.

So if you believe it plan your week accordingly otherwise just turn up, we are here and will fly if it is flyable.

Dave.

Aug 012020
 

Set up the field for long south, while the wind was still blowing 20E, on the grounds that the forecast reckoned it was due to veer south. Sure enough, just after noon, it did swing fairly abruptly south. Hefin had a couple of sessions, culminating in a re-solo; Mike Stringfellow of Church Stretton and Arizona(!!) had a check ride and even managed to find us some lift; Mike, Martin Howitt and Peter Clare all shared the K23; Holly had her first trip this year in BOL; Ian Orpe was a Shobdon visitor who came to learn a bit of winching.
By the time we finished the wind had gone round further to 10WSW and there was weak wave in the valley to sustain us.

Thanks to Dave Brown who launched us and Coley who ran the retrieve winch for most of the day.

Top Fun had by all!

Mark

 Posted by at 12:41 am